Commentary - Psalm 37:16-17

Bird's-eye view

Psalm 37 is a wisdom psalm, structured as an acrostic, that reads much like a chapter from Proverbs. David, writing in his old age, addresses a perennial problem that vexes the saints: the apparent prosperity of the wicked. Why do they get ahead? Why do their schemes seem to work? The entire psalm is an exhortation to trust in the Lord and not to fret over the temporary successes of evildoers. It is a call to take the long view. God's economy operates on a different set of principles than the world's. These two verses, 16 and 17, provide a sharp, concise statement of this divine economy. They set before us a foundational piece of spiritual arithmetic. The world counts by addition and accumulation, but God teaches His people to evaluate by a different standard altogether.

The central contrast is between the righteous and the wicked, and the theme is the ultimate reversal of their fortunes. What the righteous possess, however little in the world's eyes, is of greater value and more enduring than all the vast treasures of the wicked. This is because the source and security of their possessions are entirely different. The wicked rely on their own strength, their "arms," which will ultimately fail. The righteous, in stark contrast, are sustained by Yahweh Himself. This passage is a potent reminder that our security is not in what we have, but in who has us.

Outline

Context In Psalms

Throughout the Psalms, the contrast between the righteous and the wicked is a constant refrain. Psalm 1 sets the stage with the two ways: the way of the righteous, who delight in God's law and are like a tree planted by water, and the way of the wicked, who are like chaff that the wind drives away. Psalm 37 builds on this foundational theme, but with a specific focus on the temptation to envy the material prosperity of the wicked. David is counseling patience and faith. He urges the believer to "rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him" (v. 7) and not to be agitated by the man who "brings wicked schemes to pass." Verses 16 and 17 are the heart of this counsel, providing the theological bedrock for why the righteous need not envy the wicked. Their ends are entirely different because their foundations are entirely different.

Verse by Verse Commentary

Psalm 37:16

"Better is the little of the righteous Than the abundance of many wicked."

Here is a proverb set in the middle of a psalm. This is a statement of spiritual economics, and it runs entirely contrary to the spirit of our age, which is an age of frantic accumulation. The world's wisdom says that more is always better. Bigger portfolios, larger houses, greater influence. But God's Word introduces a crucial qualifier: who possesses it?

The verse invites us to place two things on a scale. On one side, you have "the little of the righteous." This is not destitution, but it is a modest portion. It is a day's wages, a small flock, a humble meal. But it is held in the hand of a righteous man. And who is the righteous man? In the final analysis, he is the one who is righteous in Christ, the one whose trust is in God and not in his assets. Because his trust is in God, he receives his "little" with thanksgiving. It is sanctified. It is blessed. It is enough, because God is his portion.

On the other side of the scale, pile up "the abundance of many wicked." Notice the multipliers: not just abundance, but the abundance of many wicked. This is Wall Street, the oil cartels, the corrupt regimes, the lottery winners who did not thank God. It is a mountain of treasure, a hoard of assets. But it is profane. It is unblessed. It was gained through sharp dealings, or it is held with a clenched fist, or it is trusted in as a substitute for God. It is therefore corrupt at its root. It cannot buy peace. It cannot purchase a clean conscience. And ultimately, it cannot save.

The word "better" is doing all the work here. It is a qualitative judgment, not a quantitative one. The little with God's blessing is better than the hoard with His curse. A crust of bread eaten in fellowship with Christ is a feast, while a banquet eaten in rebellion is ashes in the mouth. This is the lesson of contentment that Paul learned: "I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content" (Phil. 4:11). Contentment is not a function of how much is in the bank, but rather of how much trust is in the heart.

Psalm 37:17

"For the arms of the wicked will be broken, But Yahweh sustains the righteous."

This verse gives the reason for the previous statement. The "for" connects the economic principle of verse 16 to the underlying reality of God's sovereign government of the world. Why is the little of the righteous better? Because it is secure, and the abundance of the wicked is not.

First, consider the wicked. Their strength is in their "arms." This is a metaphor for their power, their ability to get things done, their influence, their schemes, their self-reliance. The wicked man trusts in the arm of the flesh, his own and that of his confederates. He believes he is the master of his fate. But the psalmist declares that these arms, which look so strong, so capable of grasping and holding onto their abundance, "will be broken." This is not a possibility; it is a certainty. God will see to it. Their power is temporary and fragile. It might be a market crash, a sudden illness, a political upheaval, or simply the inexorable march to the grave, where their arms can hold nothing. Their strength is an illusion, and God will shatter it.

Now, look at the righteous. Their condition is described with a simple but profound statement: "But Yahweh sustains the righteous." The contrast is absolute. The wicked rely on their own arms; the righteous are held up by the everlasting arms of God Himself. The word "sustains" means to uphold, to support, to provide for. While the arms of the wicked are breaking, the hand of God is firmly underneath His people. This is why their "little" is better. It is not dependent on their own strength. It is sustained by the Creator of the heavens and the earth. When the righteous man stumbles, he does not fall headlong, because the Lord upholds him with His hand (Ps. 37:24). His provision is secure not because the supply is large, but because the Supplier is faithful.

This is the gospel in miniature. We are righteous not by our own strength, but by the imputed righteousness of Christ. And we are sustained not by our own efforts, but by the sustaining grace of God in Christ. Our hope is not in what we can hold onto, but in the one who holds onto us.

Application

The application of these verses must be sharp and personal. We live in a world that is constantly screaming the opposite of this truth at us. Advertising, social media, and our own covetous hearts all conspire to make us believe that the abundance of the wicked is the thing to be desired. We are tempted to fret, to envy, and to compromise in order to get our share.

First, we must learn to see our possessions, whether little or much, through the grid of this psalm. Is what you have been received with thanksgiving? Is it held with an open hand? Is your trust in the thing itself, or in the God who gave it? A man with a million dollars who trusts in God is living on "the little of the righteous." A man with a thousand dollars who trusts in that thousand for his security is building on the foundation of the wicked. The issue is not the amount, but the foundation of our trust.

Second, we must take the long view. When you see the wicked prospering, remember verse 17. Their arms will be broken. Judgment is coming. Do not envy their present, for you know their future. And when you face hardship or scarcity, remember the latter half of the verse. Yahweh sustains the righteous. Your security is not in your circumstances, but in your covenant-keeping God. He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?

Therefore, cease from fretting. Delight yourself in the Lord. Trust that His evaluation of your "little" is the one that matters, and rest in the knowledge that His arms, not your own, are the ones that are holding you up.