Psalms 37:31

31 ¹The law of his God is in his heart; his ²steps do not slip.

Psalms 37:31 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 37:31

The law of his God [is] in his heart
Which may be understood of the moral law, which was written in the heart of Adam an his creation, and continued there during his state of innocence, but was greatly obliterated by sin: there are some remains of it in fallen man, even in the very Gentiles; who, though without the law, do some things contained in it, which shows the work of it to be written in them; though in some it is scarcely legible, having lost all distinction between good and evil: but in regeneration the law of God is reinscribed, according to the promise of the covenant of grace, ( Jeremiah 31:33 ) ; and such have a real knowledge of the spirituality and perfection of it; of the impossibility of justification by it; and of Christ being the fulfilling end of it: and they have a strong affection for it; they love it; and delight in it after the inward man, and serve it with their minds; in which lies part of their conformity to Christ, and is a branch of their character as good men; see ( Psalms 40:8 ) ( Isaiah 51:7 ) ; moreover, the word (trwt) , here used, signifies any doctrine or instruction, and is sometimes used for the doctrine of the Gospel, ( Isaiah 2:3 ) ( 42:4 ) , and may have this sense here, and the meaning be, that that has a place in the hearts or righteous men, dwells richly there, and works effectually in them; and particularly the doctrine of grace which relates to covenant interest in God; for it is the law or doctrine of "his God" that is in his heart;

none of his steps shall slide;
not that he shall never slip nor fall; for that is supposed ( Psalms 37:24 ) ; but he shall never finally and totally go out of the paths of truth, holiness, and righteousness: the Lord keeps the feet of his saints, and orders their steps, and directs them in the way they should go, and preserves them in it; and enables them to walk uprightly, according to the rule of the divine word, and in all his commandments and ordinances; and to hold on and out unto the end: or the clause may be rendered, "it", the law, "shall not cause his steps to slide" ^F2; neither the law of God, nor the Gospel of Christ, but shall guide him in the right way, and be a lamp unto his feet, and a light unto his path.

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FOOTNOTES:

F2 (wyrva demt) "non vacillat gressus ejus", Cocceius.

Psalms 37:31 In-Context

29 The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell upon it forever.

30 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice.

31 The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip.

32 The wicked watches for the righteous and seeks to put him to death.

33 The LORD will not abandon him to his power or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial.

Cross References

• 1. Psalms 40:8; Psalms 119:11; Deuteronomy 6:6; Isaiah 51:7; Jeremiah 31:33; [Romans 7:22]
• 2. [Psalms 73:2]