The prosperity of the wicked. This psalm may be dated during during David's reign (2 Sam 15-17).

v1: See v7-8; Job 21.7-13; the problem of wicked men enjoying prosperity in this life, and the perceived unfairness in life. The wicked man prospers often because he is wicked; we need spiritual sight and insight to understand (Ps 73).

v2: Realise their latter end; v9, 10, 13, 15, 17, 20, 28, 38; judgment is inevitable. The wicked man sets his heart and his hope upon material and transitory things; he therefore despises spiritual things.

These first two verses introduce the main themes of the psalm.

v3-6: Personal trust in God; this response enables us to endure in the face of apparent injustice. We see too that God has great blessings for His own. We are to trust in the Lord, delight ourselves in Him, and commit our ways to Him.

We enjoy safety in the Lord, receiving the desires of our heart, our righteousness and justice will shine, ie: we will be vindicated by God.

These verses interlink commands and promises, as we put God's word into practice in our lives, His word is fulfilled in us.

v7: Be still, and rest in the Lord. We see the wicked prospering in their ways, not in God's ways. We are not to fret or become jealous, for their success will be short-lived.

"Fret", lit. to glow; an attitude of anger or jealousy, which causes harm to oneself.

v8: To continue to fret brings bitterness of spirit, and jealousy, and leads to evil. See also Prov. 24.19-20.

v9: Blessing is upon those who hope in the Lord; there is a real and worthwhile inheritance.

v10-11: Looking forward; a little while; judgment will fall, sin will be restrained, and the godly will be rewarded. The description here of the godly is that they are meek, implying a lowliness and humility, in the sens that one does not exalt oneself.

The plan of God is that He will dispossess the wicked of the earth, and give it instead to His own people. So, at the time of Noah, God destroyed the wicked by the flood; at the time of the Tower of Babel, God confused their language, so as to frustrate their purpose.

v12-15: The attacks of the wicked, against the righteous and upright, against the poor and needy, Ps 35.20. Their wicked schemes will be turned against them.

v16-17: True riches are spiritual and eternal; we must give proper respect to such things. We may enjoy little of this world's goods, whilst enjoying God's upholding, Ps 34.19.

v18-19: We may endure difficult days, but we have a future inheritance. Our days are known to the Lord.

The references here are to the Jewish people inheriting the earth; v9, 11, 22, 27, 29; the command to them is that they be obedient and faithful.

v20-22: The psalm weaves in the future judgment of the wicked with their present actions; we see that the Lord is a fair judge. Having set the distinction between good and evil, He will judge accordingly. The godly man is righteous and merciful and generous.

v23-24: The godly man delights in going God's way, whatever the opinions of the ungodly and whatever the consequences of his obedience. He trusts in God to order his steps. Although we may fall, the Lord God will restore us, 1 John 2.1.

v25-29: The observation of God's faithfulness; He never forsakes the righteous; what was true in the psalmist's life was true in the lives of others too. Notice that the choice of doing good is something deliberate, not something we just slip into.

v30: The righteous is also known by his words, just as the wicked are (Ps 36.3).

v31: The righteous man delights in God's word; he feeds on God's words, it is no surprise that he speaks wisdom.

v32-33: The schemes of the wicked will be frustrated.

v34: The way of faith is to trust God to bring vindication; that is not something secret, that none will observe, but the latter end of the wicked will be seen.

v35-36: The wicked may enjoy prosperity today, but their latter end will be destruction.

v37: The example of the blameless man, Phil 3.17. We can observe those who enjoy God's blessing on their lives.

v38: A bold and clear statement; those who remain sinners, preferring the way of sin, will be cut off.

v39-40: The conclusion; the Lord will bring salvation for all who trust in Him.

Throughout the psalm there are promises to the wicked:

• like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away (v2);
• evil men will be cut off (v9);
• the wicked will be no more (v10);
• their swords shall pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken (v15);
• the power of the wicked will be broken (v17);
• the wicked will perish; the Lord’s enemies will be like the beauty of the fields, they will vanish – vanish like smoke (v20);
• those God curses will be cut off (v22);
• the offspring of the wicked will be cut off (v28);
• the Lord will not leave (the wicked) in their power (v33);
• all sinners will be destroyed; the future of the wicked will be cut off (v38).

There are specific blessings about the godly inheriting the land:

• those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land (v9);
• the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace (v11);
• those the Lord blesses will inherit the land (v22);
• then you will dwell in the land for ever (v27);
• the righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it for ever (v29);
• He will exalt you to inherit the land (v34).

There are a series of other promises upon those who trust in God:

• He will give you the desires of your heart (v4);
• He will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun (v5-6);
• their inheritance will endure for ever (v18);
• in times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty (v19);
• He will not fall (v24);
• their children will be blessed (v26);
• the Lord … will not forsake His faithful ones (v28);
• his feet do not slip (v31);
• there is a future for the man of peace (v37).