To comfort those who are impatient that the wicked do evil, and yet so long remain unpunished in great happiness.
V. 1. Do not be angry with the wicked; do not be envious of the wicked.
1.How immediately the prophet takes hold of and strikes the thoughts of the heart in this temptation, and he raises up all the causes of it, saying first: O man! thou art angry, thou also hast cause, as thou thinkest; for they are wicked men, and do iniquity and much evil, and yet it goeth well with them that nature respecteth,
to be the honest cause of anger here 1). But not so, dear child, let grace, and not nature, rule here; break the wrath and be quiet a little while; let them do evil, let them do well; hear me, it shall not hurt thee. So the man says: Yes, when will it then cease? who can hold the length? He answers:
1) Erlanger: da.
*) "Davids" is missing in the Erlanger. - The interpretation of this psalm is missing here in the Wittenberg edition and only several variants of the first and second arrangements are given.
V. 2 For like grass they will soon be cut down, and like the green herb they will wither.
2. This is a fine likeness, terrible to those who gloat and comforting to those who suffer. How finely it lifts us out of our face and sets us before God's face. Before our face the multitude of the gleamers green, blossom, and multiply, and cover the whole world, that they alone may seem something; as the green grass covers and adorns the earth. But in the sight of God, what are they? Hay to be made sheer; and the higher the grass grows, the nearer to it are the scythes and pitchforks: so the higher, farther the wicked green and hovering above, the nearer is their subjection. Why then wilt thou be angry, if their wickedness and happiness be so short a being? So then you say: What shall I do in the meantime? What shall I do until these things come to pass? Listen, great promise:
V. 3. Hope in the Lord, and 1) do good, abide in the land, and nourish yourself in the faith.
Then he takes away all impatient thoughts and puts the heart to rest. As if he should say: Dear child, leave your impatience, and do not curse or wish them evil, they are human and evil thoughts. Put your hope in God; wait and see what he will make of it; you go for yourself; for no one's sake, leave doing good as you have begun, where and to whom you may, and give not evil for evil, but good for evil.
(4) If you think that you would flee and go to another place and be rid of them and get away from them, do not stay in the land, live where you are, do not change your dwelling place or land for their sake, but continue in the faith, do your work and trade as before. If they hinder you or harm you, and give you cause to flee, let go; remain in faith, and do not doubt, God will not let you; do only your own, work and nourish yourself, and let him rule. [Thou shalt not cease from feeding thyself, whether they feed thee or not.
1) "and" is missing in the Erlanger.
hinder you in one piece. God, if you hope, will give it to you in the other place, as He did to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who were also tempted in this way.
V. 4. Take delight in the Lord, who will give you whatever your heart desires.
(5) That is, let it not grieve thee, that God thus suffereth them to prosper; let such his will please thee, and thou shalt not be displeased with the happiness of the wicked; yea, be satisfied thyself in it, as in the very best and divine will. Behold, thou hast this comforting promise: He will give you everything your heart desires. What more do you want? Only see to it that, instead of the vexation that thou art exhausted by them, thou exercise this delight and pleasure in the divine will, and not only shall they do thee no harm, but thy heart shall also be full of peace, and joyfully wait for this promise of God.
V. 5. Command the Lord thy ways, and hope in him; he will do it well.
6 Not that thou shouldest walk idly, but thy ways, works, words, and doings, command God; turn not to them. For it must not be commanded to God that we do nothing; but what we do, whether it be promised, reviled, blasphemed, or hindered by the oppressors, let it not therefore be softened, nor let it cease, but let it always continue, and let them have their way, commanding the thing to God, who will do it well on both sides, which is right.
V. 6. and will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.
(7) This is the greatest sorrow of the weak-minded, (2) that they should be displeased with the wicked, that their wickedness should seem and be well kept; for they fear that their cause should be destroyed and darkened, because they see the adversaries' rages so high and hovering above. Therefore he comforted them, saying: "Let it be, my dear child, that they may destroy you and your cause with clouds and downpours, and that they may destroy you in the sight of the world and bury you in darkness, so that your cause may soar and shine.
2) Marginal gloss of the Jena: weak believers.
like the sun. If you command God to do your business, if you hope and wait for him, you can be sure that your justice and righteousness will not remain in darkness; it must come forth and be known to everyone as publicly as the bright noon, so that all those who have obscured and darkened you will be put to shame. It is only a matter of waiting, so that you do not hinder God in this by your anger, displeasure and annoyance. For this reason he admonishes you once:
V. 7. keep still unto the LORD, and let him deal with thee. Do not be angry with the man who is well and does according to his own will.
(8) As if he should say: It will grieve thee that thou feelest unhappiness in a right cause, and [it] go well with those in wickedness^ and will not go as thou wouldest; and yet see that [it] goeth to the unrighteous according to all his will 2) that a proverb has flowed out of this: The greater the mischief, the better the happiness. But be wise, dear child, do not let this move you, keep out of God, your heart's desire will also come, even abundantly. But it is not yet time, the happiness of the shawl must pass, and have its time, until [it] passes. However, you must command God, be satisfied in Him, let His will be done, so that you do not hinder His will in you and in your enemy; as those do who do not cease to rage, for they have brought their thing either through with their head or to ruins.
He uses a fine Hebrew word here: Sile Domino3 ) et formare ei, Be still and make yourself hard. Just as a fruit in the womb is made by God, so in this case you are also conceived in God, and he will make you into a right shape, if you keep still.
V. 8. turn away from anger, and leave off wrath; be not enraged, that thou also mayest do evil.
(10) Behold, how diligently he warns that we 4) not repay evil with evil, neither
1) Erlanger: den.
2) Erlanger: "Wills" and "Wrongs".
3) Domino is missing from the Erlanger.
4) "yes" is missing in the Erlanger.
follow the wicked for the sake of their happiness, as nature is wont to do. And what good is such anger? It does not make things better, indeed, it only leads them deeper into the mud. And even if it turned out for the best, that you were lying on top and growing, what did you gain? You have prevented God, thus losing His grace and favor, and you have become like the evil doers, and will perish like them, as follows:
V. 9: For the wicked will be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord will inherit the land,
(11) It does not help you that you have not begun, or that you are irritated. For it is a bad free judgment: He who does evil, provoked or not provoked, shall be 5) cut off. This is also seen in all the world, in all the stories. But he who waits on God remains, so that the evil-doer perishes beside him; who could only wait so lukewarmly. Evil men are so ripe that even if no one drives them out, they cannot abstain themselves; they wantonly cause misfortune on their necks, which destroys them by and by. 7) For the ripe grass must become hay, and should it wither on 8) itself, on the stem. A wicked man is no one so untrustworthy and corruptible as himself. We see this in the murderers, thieves, tyrants and similar examples.
V. 10. it is yet for a little, so the wicked is not; then shalt thou take heed to his place, and he shall not be there.
12 This explains what is said above [v. 2], that they are like grass that is cut down quickly, so that our impatience may be quenched, which fears that the wicked will remain too long.
(13) But you may say, "Yes, I can see that the unrighteous generally remain long and go to their graves with honor. Answer: This is certainly because the other part has not kept to this psalm, but has handled the matter with anger, rage, and grimness.
5) Erlanger: becomes free.
6) "whether" is missing in the Erlanger.
7) Jenaer: that they... be destroyed.
8) Thus the Jena. Erlanger: from. First editing: in.
8 Erl. 38, 378-380. Interpretation of the four consolation Psalms. Ps. 37. W. v, n-n. 9
and cries, and prevented and spoiled them. Therefore, because there was no one to command his cause to God and to wait for His will, the judgment of the next verse passed over both parts, and all who did evil were destroyed. But if one part had been converted to God, the other part would certainly and quickly have perished alone, as this verse says. Therefore we do not see this Psalm's example in the world. For everyone lets God go through impatience, and dares to protect himself with rights or fencing. In this way, God is prevented from doing the work that this psalm praises Him for.
V. 11. But the wretched shall inherit the land, and delight in great peace.
14 This also confirms what is said above [v. 9], how the righteous remain after the destruction of the wicked. Not that they remain on earth forever, but that their cause comes to an end and peace with honor, even on earth; which peace they have earned with suffering and patience, and inward peace.
V. 12: The wicked oppresses the righteous, and gnashes his teeth at him.
15) But this is said for the comfort of the weaklings 1) who do not want to suffer the ravings of the wicked, and are annoyed that God does not punish them soon, and thus lets them go. I call impium an ungodly person; for it actually means one who does not trust in God nor believe, who lives from himself and his free will, nor in nature; as especially are the gleamers, the scholars and seeming saints, as in our lines are pope, bishops, priests, monks, doctors and the like people, 2) who by nature must rage against the holy gospel; as we see that they also do it viciously. But what does their raging and blustering help? Hear what follows:
V. 13 But the Lord laughs, for he sees that his day is coming.
16) How could we be more comforted that the raging enemies of the
1) Marginal gloss of the Jena: weak believers.
2) Thus the first edition and the Wittenberg; Jena and Erlangen: "Volks".
Do the righteous put forward all their power and wickedness, thinking in all seriousness to tear the righteous (that is, the believer in God) with teeth, and does God despise them so much that He laughs at them, because He sees how shortly they will rage, and their day is not far off? Not that God, like a man, laughs, but that it is ridiculous to look at in truth, that the foolish men are so nearly mad, and undertake great things, which they may not accomplish a hair's breadth. It would be like a ridiculous fool 3) who would take a long spear and a short sword, and would stab the sun from the sky, and would shout at it once, as if he had done an honest stabbing.
V. 14: The wicked draw out the sword, and draw their bow, that they may cut down the wretched and the poor, and slay them that walk uprightly in the way.
17 The "sword" and "bow" here are called the poisonous, evil tongues, so that they may blaspheme, revile, pervert, accuse and desecrate the cause of the righteous, so that the pious may come into hatred, persecution and death by it and be destroyed. Thus says Ps. 57:5: "The tongues of the children of men are weapons and arrows, and their tongue is a sharp sword"; with it they strike at the righteous, whether they would cut him down and slay him; that is, not only kill him, but according to their will they roil and smear him.
18 He also calls the righteous "the lowly and the poor," because they are despised and lowly before the great and arrogant swearing and blowing of the wicked. But what do they judge? Listen:
V. 15. But their sword will go into their heart, and their bow will break.
19 That is, their evil words must eat them up again and strangle them forever, so that their conscience, pierced with them in death, will be tormented forever. In addition, the bow will break, so that everything is in vain, and they achieve nothing with all their rage, but that they themselves cause such misfortune eternally,
3) "Bock Emser. Marginal gloss of the Jenaer. - Compare Walch. St. Louis edition, vol. XVIII, 1285 ff, 1291 ff.
The poor, wretched people. Therefore, no one should be afraid of their hussing and defilement: it must be that they themselves prepare the bath of hell for them; although nature does not suffer such heavy blasphemous words. But the spirit, judged by this psalm, laughs at them with God, and looks to their end.
V. 16. It is better to have the little of the righteous than the great goods of many wicked.
020 It is also grievous in nature, that the wicked are rich, and of them much and mighty; but the righteous is poor and alone, having also little, and they take from him that which is his, hindering him also from food. Therefore the Holy Spirit comforts his dear child, saying, "Do not be grieved that you have little and they have much; let them be rich and full here; it is better for you to have a little with God's favor, than to have great heaps of goods, not only of one, but of many and of all the wicked with God's disfavor, as they have. Hear also what judgment is made of thy poverty and their riches:
V. 17 For the arm of the wicked is broken, but the LORD contains the righteous.
(21) The "arm" or hand is the attachment of the wicked, that they hold much together, and by this they are great, mighty and strong; just as now the Pope's arm is the kings, princes, bishops, scholars, priests and monks, on whom he relies, and does not respect God. Thus every wicked man has on his side the multitude, the mighty; for wealth and power have never been on the side of the righteous, or even a little.
But what good is it? Only trust in God, everything must be broken; you must not be dismayed by it, nor let yourself be distressed. God will contain you, you will not sink; His arm and His hand are over you, and have firmly grasped you.
V. 18. The Lord knows the days of the righteous, and their inheritance shall remain forever.
23. God knows their days, their occasions; that is, because they believe him freely, and
1) Jenaer: "welchs". In the first adaptation: "wilch".
do not want to know when and how to help them, God takes care of them; and although it seems to the wicked that God has forgotten them, it is not so; God knows well when it is their time to help them. As also Ps. 9:10 [Vulg.]: "God is a helper in due time"; and Ps. 31:16: "My time is in your hands." As if he should say: They are poor and little, those are rich and mighty; but let go, they will still have enough and suffer no need. God knows well when it is time to help and advise them, whom they also trust, without seeking help and counsel of their own.
(24) Therefore their inheritance shall be for ever, not only in that world, but also in this world. For they shall and must always have enough, though they have not superfluous store, as the wicked have. God is their storehouse, their granary, their wine cellar and all their goods. Therefore also follows:
V.19. They will not be ashamed in the evil time, and they will have enough in the time of trouble.
(25) When war comes, or the time of trouble, they all become ashamed who have put their comfort in their granaries and wine cellars, or in their goods; for they are soon devoured and destroyed. So they stand in disgrace and with shame, who before were so brave and proud. But the righteous, because God is their comfort and supply, may not lack; all the angels would rather come from heaven and feed them. For the supply does not let them lack, in whom they trust, neither temporally nor eternally. But what about the wicked? Listen:
V. 20. For the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD: though they be as the pleasant pasture, yet shall they all be as the smoke becometh all.
26 This is ever spoken near, and contemptuously judged the great, mighty, rich nobles. He says: "They would be the richest, most delicious meadow, if there were enough growing inside; as they are, because they have enough. They are the most golden, rich pasture in the world; yet they must perish, yea, perish, and all become as the smoke. Where are they who were before and had great good? It is
none of them in remembrance; but the righteous are in good remembrance and in all honor. Therefore, dear child, let them be rich as they will; look to the end, and you will find that all their things are smoke, because they are God's enemies, and because they attack and persecute his own. In addition, let this also comfort you, that he calls them God's enemies, when until now they have only been called your enemies, so that you may know how God takes care of you, that your enemies are his enemies.
V. 21. The wicked boreth and payeth not: but the righteous is merciful and mild.
(27) Now this is a comforting distinction of goods, that the goods of the wicked are not only perishable and come to an end, but are also evil goods and damnable, because they are gathered into heaps and not given to the poor, which is contrary to the nature of goods.
(28) But the righteous man's goods not only have no end, because he trusts in God and waits for his goods from him, but they are also very useful goods, which are shared with others and not gathered into a heap. Thus he has enough without all temporal supply, and also gives enough to others. That is called a right good. If you do not have much, it is divine and useful. The wicked have much, but it is unchristian and useless.
29. But that he says, "The wicked borroweth," is not to be understood that the rich borrow goods from men, but it is said in a simile and proverb, As he that borroweth much, and payeth not, striveth not to sit long in the good: Thus all the rich and wicked receive much from God, gather and borrow from Him, and yet pay Him not, that they may distribute to the poor as it is given them; therefore their goods shall come to an evil end, and vanish as smoke. That this is the opinion proves that he holds them against each other, the wicked and the righteous; the one gives, the other does not, and yet both receive from God. Therefore the receiving of the wicked is compared to borrowing and not paying. But the good of the righteous is not borrowing, nor debt, but freely received from God, and used profitably, for him and his neighbor.
V. 22 For his blessed inherit the land, but his cursed shall be cut off.
(30) Behold, he calls the ungodly rich God's reprobates, and the faithful God's reprobates, that nothing may grieve thee, nor hinder thy faith, their great goods and thy poverty. What more do you want? Is that not comfort enough for patience? If thou hast not superfluous as they have, yet shalt thou have enough, and possess the land. Not that thou shouldest be lord of the world, but that thou shouldest have good enough on earth, and dwell in the land with good peace. For God gives you temporally and eternally, so that you may trust in Him, even though you may be maligned and damaged by the wicked. Again, the ungodly rich, though they have a time to spare, yet shall they perish, and not sit down in the land and good things; they shall surely be cut off, and another set in three, because God hath maled them, and withholden His grace from them, both for time and for ever. For they believe not in him, though they be given and endowed of men.
31 Therefore, where the righteous are, there they have enough on earth, and remain seated in good. Again, the wicked are rooted out where they sit in goods. This is proved by all the principalities, kingdoms and great estates that we see passing from one generation to another.
(32) Behold, the judgment of temporal goods is lately determined, that the righteous shall have enough, and the unrighteous shall perish; because the righteous trusteth in God, and hath good use of goods; but the wicked trusteth not, and hath no good use of them. Thus we read that Abraham and Lot were rich, and gladly lodged pilgrims. Therefore, though they had no land or store of their own, yet they sat in the land, and had plenty.
V. 23. The man's walks are encouraged by God, and he delights in his ways.
Behold the consolation! Not only will you have plenty of time, but everything you do, your whole life and way of life, even against the wicked, will be swift and continue, because you trust in God,
and surrender yourself and your cause to him, standing by him in all your life. In this way you will make him pleased, desirous and equally eager to promote your way and conduct. But against this see that such a godly way is not promoted, even prevented and rejected by the ungodly. This is what nature resents. Therefore, we must take comfort in the fact that God is pleased with and promotes our nature, not the obstacle and rejection of the wicked.
V. 24 If it falls, it will not be thrown away, for the Lord will keep it in His hand.
(34) Falling may be understood to mean that the righteous sometimes sins, but gets up again, as Solomon says (Proverbs 24:16). But we will leave that alone, and stay on the course, that falling here means as much as if he once succumbed, and the wicked succumbed. As David, when he was chased by Saul and Absalom [1 Sam. 23, 1. ff. 2 Sam. 15, 1. ff.], and Christ, when he was crucified [Matth. 27]. For such a fall does not last long; God does not leave him lying and cast away, but takes hold of his hand and raises him up again, so that he must stand.
(35) With this the Spirit comforts and answers the secret thoughts that someone might have and say to himself, "Yes, I have seen that the righteous man has fallen, and that his cause has fallen into ashes before the wicked. Yes, he says, dear child, let that also be; he may fall, but he will not remain lying there and be rejected; he must rise again, even though all the world has despaired of it. For God catches him by the hand and raises him up again.
V. 25. I have been young and have grown old, and have never seen the righteous forsaken, or his seed going after bread.
(36) Behold, he puts his own experience as more assurance. And it is also true that daily experience gives it, and all men must confess that it is so. But if any man be left to seek bread, it is certain that his faith is broken; wherefore he is rightly left.
(37) But this seeking bread, or going for bread, must be understood so that he does not suffer hunger or die of hunger, even though he is poor and has little before. He will certainly be fed, if he does not have leftovers until the next day; if one person does not give him, another will give him; his food must certainly come, even though those who do not give and help him sin. For poor Lazarus, Luc. 16, 20, even though the rich man gave him nothing, he was still fed, even though he was poor. God does not take poverty from His saints, but He does not let them perish or perish.
V. 26. Daily he is merciful and lends, and his seed will be blessed.
38 This is said of the righteous man that hath, whether he be so as to have children; if he already distribute, give, and lend daily, yet he and his child shall have enough. For the blessing is, that they shall have enough here and there, not at all lacking in the food of the body, and the salvation of the soul, though at times it be not left.
(39) Thus we have how God deals with the faithful in temporal food and in their things, that we may be sure in both things that he will not leave us, and that we shall have enough food for this. And so it will certainly be, if we believe, and do not let the happiness of the wicked spoil us or move us. Therefore he repeats and concludes again, saying:
V. 27. Forsake evil, and do good, and abide forever.
40 As if to say, Let God take care, do only what is good, and let nothing move you to do evil; remain only as you are forever, and let go what goes. As St. Peter also says [1 Ep. 5, 7.], "Cast on him all your care, for he bears care over us." And Ps. 55, 23. "Cast all your concern upon GOD, and he will well supply or provide for you, and not leave you to be moved forever."
V. 28 For the LORD loveth righteousness, and forsaketh not his saints: they shall be preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.
41. Do not worry that your right will perish; it is not possible. For God loves justice, therefore it must be preserved, and the righteous must not be abandoned. If he were an idol who loved injustice or was hostile to what is right, like godless men, you would have cause to worry and fear. But now you know that he loves right: What dost thou care for? what dost thou fear? what dost thou doubt? Eternally, not only temporally, shall his saints be preserved, and the wicked with child, and all thine own, shall be cut off.
The saints here are not called those who are in heaven, of whom the Scriptures seldom speak, but commonly those who live on earth, who believe in God, and through the same faith have the grace of God and the Spirit, from which they are called saints; as we all are, if we truly believe.
V. 29: The righteous inherit the land and dwell in it forever.
43] That is, as it is said above 37 ff. it is said, they have enough on earth, they must not wait anywhere but with God, where they dwell in the world. For God does not leave them, but if He leaves them, they are certainly unrighteous and godless, without faith and trust in God. And so it is decided that we only do well, and remain on the path and in the land, letting him take care and do it. Now follows what is the matter of the righteous, so that such a nature arises between him and the wicked.
V. 30: The mouth of the righteous deals in wisdom, and his tongue speaks of judgment.
The wicked do not want to hear the divine wisdom and right, persecute, condemn and blaspheme it for foolishness and injustice, and the same scoundrels feel good for a while because of it. This, then, vexes and naturally moves the righteous, 1) and they are provoked thereby to evil and revenge or impatience.
45Therefore, this Psalm teaches them to keep still and always continue, always teaching, writing and speaking such wisdom and law that God will not let them go.
1) Jenaer and Erlanger: "den"; first treatment: die. - Immediately following is "Widergelten" - to give payment against it.
Those let bite, rage, gnash teeth, blaspheme, strike, bare sword, draw bow, pile up and strengthen 2c., as is said. For God will do it well, if we only wait and always stay on track, and for their sake do not stop or slacken (to do good). In the end, the verdict of this verse must remain and be made known like the bright noon, that the righteous have spoken rightly and wisely, and the wicked have been fools and unrighteous.
V. 31. The law of his God is in his heart, his footsteps do not slip.
(46) Therefore he speaks rightly and writes wisdom, that God's law is not in the book, (2) not in the ears, not on the tongue, but in his heart. No one can rightly understand God's law unless it is in his heart to love it and live by it, which is what faith in God does. Therefore, though the wicked speak much of God and His law, and boast of Scripture teachers and experience, they never speak rightly or wisely. For they do not have it in their hearts; therefore they do not understand it, they are deceived by the appearance that they are leading the words and the Scriptures, and because of this they rage and persecute the righteous.
(47) The footsteps of the righteous do not slip, but walk freely and confidently in a good conscience, because he is certain of the matter and may not be deceived by the law and doctrines of men. But the wicked fall and slip back and forth all the time, having no sure footing, because they do not rightly understand God's law apart from faith. And so they go to and fro, as their conceit leads them, or men teach law, now this, now that work; now they are taught otherwise, now so, and slip where they are led with their noses, one blind man to another. Therefore, as they do not understand rightly, so they do not walk rightly; nor do they rage for such their vile doctrine and life against the certain doctrine and life of the righteous, ever wanting to confirm their thing alone.
2) Erlanger: "Bauche" instead of: Buche. Shortly before: "richtet" instead of: "tichtet" (seals).
V. 32: The wicked looks at the righteous and intends to kill him.
48 He is displeased and cannot bear to have his teaching and life punished as an unjust, unwise being. Therefore he thinks no more than how to strengthen his cause. Now he cannot stand before the righteous man, who does not let his wrong go unpunished; therefore his false nature drives him to get rid of the righteous man, to kill him, so that his nature remains right and unpunished; as the pope and his followers always do and still do, whom we can well see that they do not have God's law in their books, let alone in their hearts: Nor do they want to be those who write wisdom and teach right, raging and running about it like mad dogs, without ceasing.
V. 33. But the Lord does not leave him in his hands, nor does he condemn him when he is condemned.
49. God lets the righteous come into their hand, but he does not let him in; they may not restrain him, even if they kill him. Their judgment does not help, even though they boast that they do it in God's stead and in God's name, for God judges the opposite judgment.
50 We see this also in our times. The pope and his followers have condemned John Hus; still no condemnation, no crying, no whining, no raging, no bull, no lead, no seal, no ban helps them; he has always remained outstanding and praised, since no bishop, no university, no king, no prince has been able to do anything against him; which has never been heard of any heretic. The one dead man, the innocent Abel, makes the living Cain, the pope, with all his followers, heretics, apostates, murderers, blasphemers, should they tear themselves apart and burst.
V. 34. Wait upon the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee, and thou shalt inherit the earth. When the wicked are cut off, you will see.
(51) Again he exhorts to trust in God and to do good, so that the un-
1) "has" taken over from the "first" editing.
broken, 2) stupid nature hardly surrenders, and considers on God that it waits for that which it neither sees nor feels anywhere, and expresses itself of that which it visibly feels.
52 Now it is sufficiently said how the possession of the land is to be understood, namely, that a righteous man abides and has enough even on earth. For where he has too little temporally, he has all the more spiritually; as Christ teaches and says [Marc. 10, 29. 30.]: "He who leaves one thing shall have it again a hundredfold in this world, and life eternal."
(53) Though I do not deny that this possession of the earth should be understood, not of any righteous man in particular, but of the congregation and the community; though some may be destroyed in time, yet in the end their seed and doctrine remain above; as the Christians have remained in the world, and the Gentiles have passed away, though many of them have been martyred and destroyed in time by the Gentiles. 112, 1. f. also says: "Blessed is the man who fears God, and delights in His commandments; his seed shall reign on the earth, and the generation of the righteous shall be multiplied" 2c.
54) But, as I said, each one has enough for himself, and God also gives him what he may and asks for; 3) and where he does not give it, the righteous is certainly so willing that he does not want it from God, and forbids God not to give it to him; so completely is he one with God that he has and does not have, as he only wants before God; as Ps. 145, 19. says: "God does the will of those who fear Him, and hears their petition, and helps them."
55) That he says here: "You will see when the wicked are cut off" is not said of a bad seeing, but according to the custom of the Scripture it means, seeing according to his will, or that he would have liked to see long ago; as we say in German: Das wollte ich gern sehen. In this way Ps. 54:9 [Vulg.] says: "Thou hast delivered me out of all evil, and mine eyes have seen mine enemies," that is, I have seen my will in them, that I am delivered and they are destroyed. Item, Ps. 112, 8. [Vulg.]: "The
2) In the first edit: "unleashed".
3) Walch and the Erlanger: "bittes".
The righteous shall not be moved till he see his enemies." Item, Ps. 91:8 [Vulg.], "Thou shalt see with thy eyes, 1) and the punishment of the wicked shalt thou behold." Again, of the enemies Ps. 35, 21 [Vulg.] says: "They have opened their mouth wide, and said, Yea, yea, our eyes have seen," that is, he lies down, it has happened that we would have liked to see long ago. So also Micah 4, 11: Aspici at in Zion oculus noster, "o that our eye would see in Zion", that is, o that Zion would pass over, that we would gladly see. So here also: you will see what you would have liked to see when the wicked are cut off. This way of speaking is almost mean in Scripture. 2)
V. 35. I saw an ungodly man mighty and rooted like a green laurel tree.
Here he uses the other experience as an example and sign of the wicked. Earlier [v. 25] he spoke of an experience of the righteous, that he had never seen anyone forsaken. Here he speaks of an experience of the wicked, how he had passed away, and says: "He was rich, powerful, great, so that everyone was afraid of him, and what he said, did, and left, that was said, done, and left alone. For such a one means the Hebrew little word Aritz [XXXX] which I have previously translated "mighty". It also means that he does this: he boasted and was mighty, stood out, was somewhat special in front of all, spread out and high, just as a laurel tree is always green before other trees and is somewhat special in front of all, especially before the tame trees or garden trees; it is also not a bad bush or low tree, which must also be maintained and cared for, which is not done to the wild trees and cedars. So one must also look and speak to this godless squire: My lord, dear nobleman.
B. 36. As one passed by, behold, there he was, I asked for him, but he was nowhere to be found.
1) In the Jena, "your desire" is inserted here, which should not be. Latin: considerabis.
2) That is, in the Vulgate.
57 David saw such examples in Saul, Ahithophel, Absalom, and the like, who were mighty in their ungodliness, and before you looked, they were gone, so that you would ask and say: Where have they gone? Is it not true that in our time the pope Julius was also such a man? what an arrogant and terrible gentleman was he? But has he not disappeared before you know it? Where is he now? Where is his defiance and splendor? So we should only keep quiet, they will all disappear, who are raging now, and want to destroy the sky and overturn rocks. Let us be silent for a little while and pass by, we will look around and see none of them, if we only trust God.
V. 37. Keep piety, and see what is sincere. For in the end the same will have peace.
58 This is said as much as Paul Titus 2:12: Only be righteous in simple faith toward God, and walk uprightly and honestly; on this alone see, and judge thyself; let the ungodly be ungodly; behold, then thou shalt have peace at last, and thou shalt prosper. The Hebrew language has the way that where we say in German: Es geht ihm wohl, er gehabt sich wohl, es steht wohl um ihn, and in Latin: valere, bene habere etc., it means: have peace. Thus Gen 37:14 Jacob said to his son Joseph, "Go to Shechem to your brothers, and see if they are at peace, and if the cattle are at peace, and tell me again," that is, if they are well. Hence the greeting in the Gospel [Luc. 24, 36. Joh. 20, 19. 21. 26.] comes in Hebrew: Pax vobis, "Peace be unto you", which we say in German: God grant you a good day, good morning, good evening! Item, in parting we say: Farewell! Have a good night! Let it go well with you! This is called pax vobis. So when the wicked is gone, the righteous and the faithful prosper, and are at peace.
V. 38. But the transgressors are destroyed with one another, and the wicked are finally cut off.
(59) This is the contradiction: the righteous remain, and prosper; the apostates perish, and perish afterward and at the last.
(60) These two verses may well be understood of the doctrines, inheritances, and goods left by both parts, that the opinion may be, The righteous, that which they leave behind them endureth, and prospereth; as it is said above in the 26th verse, That the children of the righteous also shall have enough; but that which the wicked leave behind them perisheth, and perisheth: as Psalm 109:13 [Vulg. As it is said in the 26th verse, that the children of the righteous will have enough; but all that the wicked leave behind them disappears and perishes; as Psalm 109:13 says, "His memory shall be destroyed in one member of the family." This is also seen daily in experience.
V. 39. But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord, who is their strength in time of trouble.
61. The reason for the previous two verses is: for the salvation of the wicked is from themselves, and their strength is their own power; they are great, much, rich and mighty, not allowing God's strength and salvation. But the righteous, who must turn away their face from all that is seen and felt, and trust in God alone, have neither salvation nor strength, because from God, who also does not leave them, and does as they believe and trust him; as this following last verse concludes and says:
V.40. And the LORD shall stand by them, and shall deliver them, and shall deliver them from the wicked, and shall save them; for they trust in him.
62. behold, behold, what a rich promise, great comfort, and superfluous admonition is
that, if we only trust and believe. God helps them, namely in the midst of the evil, does not leave them alone in it, is with them, strengthens them and sustains them. Not only does he help them, but he also saves 1) them, so that they come out. For this Hebrew word actually means: to escape from misfortune and to get away. And because the wicked would be displeased, he expresses them by name, saying, "He will deliver them from the wicked," whether they are sorry, and their raging will not help them, though they think that the righteous shall not escape them, that he must be destroyed. Third, not only does he save them, but he also helps them forever, so that they will not remain in any misfortune from now on, no matter what happens; and all this because they have trusted in him. He also says Ps. 91:14-16: "Because he trusts in me, I will save him and protect him. For he knows my name, he has called upon me, therefore I will hear him. I will be with him in his affliction, and will bring him out, and will set him in honor, and fill him with length of days, and shew him my salvation."
O of shameful unfaithfulness, disloyalty and damned unbelief, that we do not believe such rich, mighty, comforting promises of God, and so easily fidget in little offences, if we only hear evil words from the wicked. Help God that we may one day have the right faith, which we see demanded in all the Scriptures. Amen.
1) Thus the Erlangen and the first edition; Jenaer: "contains".