Chapter XXXVI · Location 36 of 150
Chapter 36 · Open to readFrom Psalms · Douay–Rheims / Challoner (1749–1752)
What does Psalms Chapter 36 say, and which statements belong to its speaker?
Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary
The speaker exhorts trust and restraint instead of envy of the wicked. Future preservation and judgment accompany contrasting borrowing, giving and lending conduct. His lifelong observation remains testimony, with a final promise of divine help.
Chapter breakdown
The Latin incipit is Noli aemulari. The separate heading exhorts despising the world and wicked people's short prosperity and trusting Providence. The speaker forbids emulation and envy of evildoers who shall soon wither like grass and fall like herbs. Trust, goodness and dwelling in land accompany promised nourishment with riches; delight, commitment and trust accompany requests of the heart and justice brought forth as light and judgment as noonday. Submission and prayer replace envy, anger and rage. Evildoers shall be cut off, while waiters and meek people shall inherit land and abundant peace; the wicked's place shall soon be unfindable.
The sinner shall watch and gnash at the just, but the Lord shall laugh, foreseeing his day. Wicked people drew swords and bent bows against poor, needy and upright people; the speaker wishes swords to enter their own hearts and bows to break, rather than reporting this happened. A just person's little exceeds wicked riches; wicked arms shall break while God strengthens the just. He knows undefiled people's days and everlasting inheritance, with promised provision in famine. Enemies shall perish and vanish like smoke after honor and exaltation. A sinner borrows without repaying, while the just shows mercy and gives. Those blessing him shall inherit and cursers perish.
God shall direct steps; when the person falls he shall not be bruised, because God's hand is underneath. The speaker, young and now old, has not seen the just forsaken or seed seeking bread: this is his testimony. The just shows mercy and lends all day with seed in blessing. Turning from evil and doing good accompany dwelling forever, for God loves judgment and will preserve saints while punishing unjust people and destroying wicked seed. The just shall inherit, meditate wisdom, speak judgment and have law in the heart without supplanted steps.
The wicked watches to kill the just, but God will not leave him in those hands or condemn him when judged. Waiting and keeping the way lead to promised exaltation and seeing sinners perish. The speaker saw a wicked person exalted like Libanus's cedars, then passed and sought him without finding his place. Innocence and justice accompany remnants for the peaceable, unlike destroyed unjust people and perishing wicked remnants. Salvation, protection, future help and rescue are attributed to the Lord because they hoped in Him. No specific lending transaction or conflict outcome is recorded.
The story inside
Opening: The speaker exhorts trust and restraint instead of envy of the wicked. Development: Future preservation and judgment accompany contrasting borrowing, giving and lending conduct. Conclusion: His lifelong observation remains testimony, with a final promise of divine help.
Lessons worth keeping
- 1The speaker exhorts trust and restraint instead of envy of the wicked.
- 2Future preservation and judgment accompany contrasting borrowing, giving and lending conduct.
- 3His lifelong observation remains testimony, with a final promise of divine help.
Test your recall
Which images and requests does the speaker use, and what does the chapter leave unresolved?
Source edition and notes
Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.
Lines 59779–59780
For they shall shortly wither away as grass, and as the green herbs shall quickly fall.
Lines 59785–59786
Delight in the Lord, and he will give thee the requests of thy heart.
Lines 59804–59805
But the meek shall inherit the land, and shall delight in abundance of peace.
Lines 59819–59820
Better is a little to the just, than the great riches of the wicked.
Lines 59847–59848
I have been young and now am old; and I have not seen the just forsaken, nor his seed seeking bread.
Lines 59883–59884
Keep innocence, and behold justice: for there are remnants for the peaceable man.
