Commentary - Psalm 37:23-24

Bird's-eye view

Psalm 37 is a wisdom psalm, structured as an acrostic, that reads much like a chapter from Proverbs. It tackles the age-old problem of why the wicked seem to prosper while the righteous suffer. David, writing in his old age (v. 25), provides the necessary long-term perspective. The central theme is a stark contrast between the ultimate fate of the wicked and the secure inheritance of the righteous. The ungodly will be cut off, like grass that withers under a hot sun. But the meek, those who trust in Yahweh, will inherit the land. These two verses, 23 and 24, are a comforting centerpiece in this argument, assuring the believer of God's absolute and personal sovereignty over their lives. It's not just that things will work out in the end; it's that God is actively governing every step of the journey, even the stumbles.

The passage provides a robust answer to the temptation to envy evildoers. Our stability does not come from our circumstances, which can be shaky, but from the character of God, who establishes, delights in, and upholds His people. This is a profound statement of God's meticulous providence. He is not a distant, deistic clockmaker; He is the one who orders our steps and holds our hand. The security described here is not a result of the righteous man's own strength or sure-footedness, but is entirely the result of God's gracious grip on him. This is covenant faithfulness in shoe leather.

Outline

Context In The Psalms

Psalm 37 stands in a line of wisdom literature that wrestles with the problem of evil and the prosperity of the wicked, a theme also found in psalms like 73. However, where Psalm 73 is a raw, personal testimony of near-apostasy and recovery, Psalm 37 offers settled, proverbial wisdom. It is didactic, teaching the righteous how to think and live in a world that appears, on the surface, to be governed by injustice. The tone is calm and assured, reflecting the wisdom of a man who has seen God's faithfulness over a long life.

These verses fit into a section (vv. 21-26) that contrasts the cursed end of the wicked with the blessed inheritance of the righteous. The wicked borrows and does not pay back, but the righteous is generous. The blessed inherit the land, while the cursed are cut off. Our text, vv. 23-24, then provides the theological foundation for this practical reality: the righteous man's life is not a series of fortunate accidents. It is a divinely orchestrated path.

Verse by Verse Commentary

Psalm 37:23

"The footsteps of a man are established by Yahweh,"

Let us begin with the bedrock. The term for man here is geber, which often carries the sense of a mighty man, a strong man. But the point is not the man's inherent strength, but rather the source of his stability. His goings, his steps, his entire course of life, are ordered, fixed, and made firm by the Lord. This is not a vague, general guidance. The word implies a meticulous setting in place. God is not just pointing the way from a distance; He is paving the road and placing the feet. This is a direct assertion of what we call divine providence. As Proverbs 20:24 tells us, "A man's steps are from the LORD; how then can man understand his own way?" We often don't understand the path, but we can be confident in the one who lays it.

This is a truth that should dismantle our anxieties. We live in a world that loves the myth of the self-made man. Scripture has no such category. There are only God-made men and men in rebellion against their maker. For the righteous man, the one who has trusted in Christ, every step, every "stop and start" as Spurgeon might say, is part of a divine plan. This is not fatalism, which is a dreary and impersonal submission to an unthinking force. This is submission to a personal, loving, and all-wise Father.

"And He delights in his way."

This is a staggering thought. Not only does God ordain the path, He takes pleasure in the believer's walk along it. This is not because the man's walk is intrinsically delightful. We know from the rest of Scripture, and from honest self-examination, that our steps are often faltering. We are shot through with sin. So how can a holy God delight in our way? The answer is found only in the gospel. God delights in the way of a man who is "in Christ." He sees the believer clothed in the righteousness of His Son. He delights in the fledgling attempts at obedience, the repentant heart, the trustful spirit, not because they are perfect, but because they are the fruit of the Spirit's work. God is pleased with the work of His own hands. He delights to see His children walking, however imperfectly, in the way He has established for them. This is the pleasure a father takes in his toddler's first steps.

Psalm 37:24

"When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong,"

Now for the realism. The Bible is not a book of Pollyanna platitudes. The previous verse does not promise a life free of trouble. In fact, this verse assumes the opposite. It does not say "if he falls," but "when he falls." Stumbling is a given. Christians sin. Christians face trials that knock them off their feet. They get sick, they lose jobs, they are slandered. The promise is not that we will be kept from falling, but that we will be kept from utter ruin. The fall will not be a catastrophic, headlong plunge into apostasy and destruction. The image is of a man tripping, but not being thrown over a cliff. He may be "struck down, but not destroyed" (2 Cor. 4:9). The righteous man may fall seven times, but he rises again (Prov. 24:16). Why? The reason is given in the next clause, and it has nothing to do with the man's resilience.

"Because Yahweh is the One who sustains his hand."

Here is the secret. The reason the fall is not fatal is because the Lord is holding his hand. The verb for "sustains" means to uphold, to support, to grasp. Picture a father teaching his child to walk on an icy path. The child slips, his feet go out from under him, but he does not crash to the ground because the father's grip is firm on his hand. The fall is arrested mid-air. This is a beautiful picture of the doctrine of perseverance. The saints persevere not because they are good at persevering, but because God is good at preserving. "My sheep hear my voice...and I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand" (John 10:27-28). Our security is not in our grip on Him, but in His grip on us. He is the one sustaining, upholding, and keeping us. This is the covenant promise that undergirds the entire Christian life.

Application

First, these verses are a direct assault on our pride and our anxiety. Our pride wants to believe our successes are our own doing. This text says God establishes our steps. Our anxiety fears that our failures will be our undoing. This text says that when we fall, God has hold of our hand. The Christian life is a life of radical dependence on God's sovereign grace, from start to finish. We must learn to trust His providence in the dark as well as in the light.

Second, this passage should fuel our worship. The God we serve is not a passive observer. He is intimately and powerfully involved in the details of our lives. He not only directs our path but delights in it. This is not a God to be trifled with, nor is He a God to be distant from. He is a Father to be loved, trusted, and obeyed. Our response to such meticulous care should be gratitude and a desire to walk in a way that is pleasing to Him.

Finally, this gives us the proper perspective on our stumbles. We should not take sin lightly, but neither should we despair when we fall. A fall for the believer is an occasion to be reminded of the strength of the Father's grip. It is an opportunity for repentance, for humility, and for a renewed appreciation of the grace that holds us fast. Your missteps do not define your destiny; the hand of your God does.