Psalms 37:25 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

I have been young, &c.— From the whole scope of this Psalm nothing can be plainer, than that it was intended by the author for a hymn on the equal providence of God; which at that time he did not fail to exercise towards the Jews; and an exhortation to those for whose use it was written, to depend and rely upon that; and this verse is a particular proof of it. The only difficulty is, how to reconcile this general assertion of David's, with some complaints of his in other parts of his writings, where he seems to be much affected by the prosperity of the wicked. To obviate this difficulty, many learned men have thought, that though this verse runs in general terms, yet it is to be understood with some restriction, as many of the Proverbs are; and that David did not mean to say, that the righteous never were forsaken, without exception; but only that in general they were not; and that the instances of the contrary were so very rare that they did not deserve consideration. Possibly it might be so; but from the whole drift of this Psalm, I am rather inclined to think that the royal Psalmist intended we should understand him according to the letter. And his doctrine throughout his writings seems to have been this, "That though God might suffer the streams which conveyed his blessings to the righteous Jews, sometimes to be interrupted in their usual course, or to flow in different channels; yet after those purposes were answered, which occasioned the alteration, all things would come right again:" and, as he himself has summed it up, Psalms 34:19. Great are the troubles of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth him out of all. Therefore he frequently exhorts them, not to fret and repine at the prosperity of the wicked, but to put their trust in God, to wait patiently, to abide and quietly expect the happy reverse of their present evil fortune: and the argument that he uses to enforce this all along is, because both the prosperity of the sinner, and the distress of the good man, should only be temporary and not last long. As to sinners, as Asaph observes, Psalms 73:18 their exaltation seemed only to be to make their fall more conspicuous, and God's dealing with them more remarkable. For though he lifteth them up, he setteth them in slippery places, then casteth them down, and destroyeth them. As to the good man, David seems to compare God's constant care of him to that of a fond parent over his child, holding him by the hand, and carefully leading him to prevent his fall. Though he fall, he shall not be cast away, for the Lord upholdeth his hand, or leadeth him by the hand. In this verse he assures them, that his experience had always confirmed the doctrine he had been teaching. And he afterwards speaks to the same purpose concerning the prosperous sinner's downfall; Psalms 37:36-37, where it is very probable that he had an eye to Saul. When David came first to Saul's camp, he found that wicked prince in great power, in which he continued flourishing for several years. Nothing was more unlikely than that such a raw shepherd's boy as David then was, should be exalted to the regal dignity in his room: and, considering his history in all its circumstances, this was as strong an instance of the divine providence as almost any which could be given.