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Psalm 37:1-2
New Catholic Bible
Psalm 37:1-2
New Catholic Bible
Psalm 37[a]
Fate of the Wicked and Reward of the Righteous
1 Of David.
Do not fume because of evildoers
or envy those who do wrong.
2 They will wither quickly like the grass
and fade away like the green herb.[b]
Footnotes
- Psalm 37:1 A peaceful, aged psalmist strings together, in alphabetical order, sayings about the opposing lots of the righteous and the wicked. It is a fine lesson in wisdom for those who grow angry at the successes of evildoers: their triumph is ephemeral. Experience and meditation on the word of God have revealed to this sage the happy destiny that the Lord has reserved for his friends; each of the righteous is called to enjoy the promises made to the people of Israel as a reward for their faithfulness: to dwell in the holy land in peace (vv. 3, 11).
The horizon remains limited to this world. Hence, it is a modest happiness if it were not irradiated by the nearness of the Lord and did not contain the still hidden promise of a love that cannot be extinguished, of an eternal joy.
Christ will reveal this infinite perspective: eternal happiness in the Kingdom of God, the true Promised Land, belongs to the poor, those who forgive and thirst for righteousness and peace (Mt 5). - Psalm 37:2 See notes on Pss 5:11; 35 (this also applies to vv. 9f, 15, 20, 35f).
