Psalm 37, Relax, Do Not Fret!

Of David.

This poem is an acrostic, with most pairs of verses beginning with a particular Hebrew letter.  The psalm is twice as long as other acrostic psalms (like Psalm 34) because it puts two lines (roughly two verses) with each Hebrew letter.

Psalm 37:1-2, Do not be envious

Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong;

for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.

The New Testament letter of James (see James 1: 9-12) repeats some of this imagery.

Psalm 37:3-6, Delight yourself in YHWH

Trust in the LORD and do good; 

dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

Delight yourself in the LORD 

and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the LORD; 

trust in him and he will do this:

He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, 

the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

Much has been made of the pairs of verses, 37:4-5.  Some have said verse 4, "give you the desires" could mean more than, "You will get what you want", but maybe instead it should be interpreted as "God will provide (new) wants and wishes."

Psalm 37:7, Wait patiently

Be still before the LORD 

and wait patiently for him; 

do not fret when men succeed in their ways, 

when they carry out their wicked schemes.

We fret and worry as others manipulate and lie their way to success.  This entire psalm has an anti-anxiety theme: "Relax!  God is still in charge!"

Psalm 37:8-9, Hope in YHWH

Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; 

do not fret--it leads only to evil.

For evil men will be cut off, 

but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.

Proverbial pairing: first a parallel set of statements on refraining from anxiety and then an answering parallel set of statements as to why one should do so.

This psalm is typical of Old Testament wisdom literature (such as the book of Proverbs), with short strong statements of how one should think and act, usually in doublets, parallel repetitive phrases.  The New Testament letter of James develops the same "wisdom" style and echoes many of the ideas of this psalm. (Surely James knew of this song and expected his readers to recall it.)

Psalm 37:10-11, A little while...

A little while, and the wicked will be no more; 

though you look for them, they will not be found.

But the meek will inherit the land 

and enjoy great peace.

This psalm promises success to the righteous and defeat of the wicked.  Again there are two options, two choices (no more!); these are stressed in steady repetition and parallel lines.

Verse 11 is repeated by Jesus in the Beatitudes (Matthew 5: 5).

Psalm 37:12-13, Plot, gnash... meet laughter

The wicked plot against the righteous 

and gnash their teeth at them;

but the Lord laughs at the wicked, 

for he knows their day is coming.

I'm glad God laughs at those who scheme and betray, since I don't seem to be able to do it!

Psalm 37:14-15, Boomerang

The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, 

to slay those whose ways are upright.

But their swords will pierce their own hearts, 

and their bows will be broken.

Note the reflective, mirror action -- the "wicked" stab themselves.

Psalm 37:16-20, The wicked will perish

Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked;

for the power of the wicked will be broken, 

but the LORD upholds the righteous.

The days of the blameless are known to the LORD, 

and their inheritance will endure forever.

In times of disaster they will not wither; 

in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

But the wicked will perish: 

The LORD's enemies will be like the beauty of the fields, 

they will vanish--vanish like smoke.

Each refrain compares the righteous and the wicked, contrasting the eventual success of the righteous with the eventual defeat and destruction of the wicked.  The last chapter of the New Testament letter of James has portions which seem to parallel this psalm.

Psalm 37:21-24, On firm ground

The wicked borrow and do not repay, 

but the righteous give generously;

those the LORD blesses will inherit the land, 

but those he curses will be cut off.

If the LORD delights in a man's way, 

he makes his steps firm;

though he stumble, he will not fall, 

for the LORD upholds him with his hand.

Here is stability is emphasized; God sets the righteous on firm ground during times of storm or turmoil.

Psalm 37:25-26, Generous, with blessed children

I was young and now I am old, 

yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.

They are always generous and lend freely; 

their children will be blessed.

This psalm makes some very strong claims.  These last two verses (25-26) are strong simplistic statements (hyperbole?)  Certainly the righteous are at times forsaken and hungry!  (The New Testament letter of Hebrews, Hebrews 11:36-40 agrees with me -- we don't always see success in this life!)

Psalm 37:27-33, Inherit the land

Turn from evil and do good; then you will dwell in the land forever.

For the LORD loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. 

They will be protected forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off;

the righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever.

The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks what is just.

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

The wicked lie in wait for the righteous, seeking their very lives;

but the LORD will not leave them in their power or let them be condemned when brought to trial.

Note the recognition that the wicked do have power and that the righteous are, from time to time, trapped. But victory by Evil is only temporary.  From verse 27, the viewpoint is a longterm one (says Kidner); those who follow the LORD are assured of good things happening in a timeline that includes "forever".

Psalm 37:34-40, Man of peace

Wait for the LORD and keep his way. 

He will exalt you to inherit the land; 

when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.

I have seen a wicked and ruthless man flourishing like a green tree in its native soil,

but he soon passed away and was no more; 

though I looked for him, he could not be found.

Consider the blameless, observe the upright; 

there is a future for the man of peace.

But all sinners will be destroyed; 

the future of the wicked will be cut off.

The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD; 

he is their stronghold in time of trouble.

The LORD helps them and delivers them; 

he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, 

because they take refuge in him.

The repetitive stress of the psalm reflects the ideas at the beginning of the book in Psalm 1.  "Choose the path of righteousness! Do not be misled by that apparent success of the manipulative oppressor!"
In the classical Old Testament wisdom, there are two choices and the rewards about those choices are reinforced in simple terms.

Psalm 36, An Essay on Wickedness

For the director of music. Of David the servant of the LORD.

The attribute "servant of the LORD", describing David, occurs only in one other psalm, Psalm 18.

Psalm 36:1-4, An oracle

An oracle is within my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: 

There is no fear of God before his eyes.

For in his own eyes he flatters himself too much to detect or hate his sin.

The words of his mouth are wicked and deceitful; 

he has ceased to be wise and to do good.

Even on his bed he plots evil; 

he commits himself to a sinful course and does not reject what is wrong.

This song is an essay on the thoughts and actions of the wicked, along with David's resolution to trust God, to be God's servant and to seek God's refuge.  David, in earlier psalms, has passionately called out for help from those who attack him. Here he is calmer, more thoughtful, writing out his views on these conflicts.

The first verse, about "an oracle" is translated by others (including Alter and Kidner) as expressing statements by a personification of wickedness. Robert Alter's translation begins "Crime's utterance to the wicked within his heart: ..." and goes on to described what "Crime" (or "Evil") says to the wicked person.  (Some argue that the possessive pronoun translated "my" in the NIV is the Hebrew word "his"; apparently some ancient manuscripts support this.)

David argues that the "wicked" person "flatters himself" (or is so flattered by Evil) so that he cannot detect his rebellion against God and certainly cannot see the rebellion enough to hate it.  Human rationalization is strong, very personal and (in my experience) so so difficult to catch. Long ago, I was astonished by my ability to always argue (internally) in my favor, to even lie to myself to avoid the discomfort, the dissonance that comes from thinking (just for a moment) that I might be in the wrong. Because this rationalization is so deep and pervasive in the human heart, one who seeks to be "good" must be willing to examine one's heart and motives -- and to not accept, "I'm OK", as an immediate flippant response from one's soul.

Self-examination, although uncomfortable, leads to clarity and wisdom and eventually to a satisfied life. To quote a wise individual (not a Christian), "The unexamined life is not worth living."

Psalm 36:5-9, Your love

Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, 

your faithfulness to the skies.

Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, 

your justice like the great deep.

O LORD, you preserve both man and beast.

How priceless is your unfailing love!

Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings.

They feast on the abundance of your house; 

you give them drink from your river of delights.

For with you is the fountain of life; 

in your light we see light.

After focusing on his enemies in the first four verses, David moves, in sharp contrast, to listing the characteristics of God. These characteristics provide a strong motive for seeking righteousness and acting justly.

The poetry here emphasizes extremes -- while God's justice is like the highest mountains, God's justice extends to the deepest parts.

David's great grandmother, Ruth, also took refuge in the shadow of God's wings: Ruth 2:12.

Psalm 36:10-12, Continue your love

Continue your love to those who know you, 

your righteousness to the upright in heart.

May the foot of the proud not come against me, 

nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.

See how the evildoers lie fallen-- thrown down, not able to rise!

The song on wickedness and evil ends with a final, passionate plea.

The Penitential Psalms

In many of the psalms, the author declares his righteousness and pleads for God to step in and save him from attacks that are unfair and undeserved. The declaration of righteousness is relative; the singer is not claiming moral perfection but instead claiming that he has acted appropriately, has pursued honesty and devotion to God, and is being attacked for these acts of righteousness. 

But there are some psalms (not many) in which the writer-singer mourns his own unrighteous acts and admits that he is partially responsible for his troubles. These psalms have been dubbed "penitential psalms". Kidner lists the following psalms as penitential psalms: 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130 and 143.

Pastor Mike Mazzalongo has a sermon on penitential psalms here. Many of my notes, below, are from that sermon, where Mazzalongo argues that penitential psalms often have three parts: a cry for help, a statement of condition and a statement of renewal.

As an example, we might look at Psalm 6. (My blog on that psalm is here.) The psalm begins with a cry for help and mercy:

Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath. 

Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am faint; heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony. 

My soul is in deep anguish. How long, Lord, how long?

The plea for mercy leans on God's steadfast love (hesed). Here is verse 4:

Turn, Lord, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love.

The statement of repentance includes verse 6:

I am worn out from my groaning.

All night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears

At the end there is often a statement of renewal. Here are verses 8 and 9:

Away from me, all you who do evil, for the Lord has heard my weeping. 

The Lord has heard my cry for mercy; the Lord accepts my prayer. 

Here, in the same pattern, is Psalm 143. It begins with a cry for mercy.

Lord, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy;

in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief.

David admits he is not righteous (verse 2):

Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you.

There is a statement of condition, of despair (verse 3)

The enemy pursues me, he crushes me to the ground;

he makes me dwell in the darkness like those long dead.

Finally David looks forward to renewal (verse 10)

Teach me to do your will, for you are my God;

may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.

Many churces today have an emphasis on personal forgiveness and regular repentance and so the psalms in which David declares himself righteous and seek victory over his enemies -- in short, he is good, they are bad! -- often seem arrogant and hypocritical to us, although the claims to righteousness there are relative. In my experience, the penitential psalms resonate more with us -- they represent our desire to be forgiven and set right with God. 

Further reading

There are a number of online articles on the penitential psalms. Here are three:

• A GotQuestions article on the penitential psalms.
• A Wikipedia article on penitential psalms.
• An online Catholic blog on Praying the Penitential Psalms.

I will commit more on these psalms as we run into them in our daily study.

Psalm 35, Shield, Buckler, Spear, Javelin -- and Betrayal

Of David.

Psalm 35: 1-3, Contend!

Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me; 

fight against those who fight against me.

Take up shield and buckler; 

arise and come to my aid.

Brandish spear and javelin against those who pursue me. 

Say to my soul, "I am your salvation."

David's traditional requests begin with "(1) Stand for me, God...." In this case the metaphors are those of a soldier at war but the initial word "contend" is a legal term, as if in a courtroom (say both commentators Alter and Kidner.)

The word translation "javelin", in verse 3, is an attempt to translate an unknown Hebrew word that may be closer to the hilt or shaft of a sword.

Psalm 35: 4-8, May they fall into the pit they dug

May those who seek my life 

be disgraced and put to shame; 

may those who plot my ruin 

be turned back in dismay.

May they be like chaff before the wind,

 with the angel of the LORD driving them away;

may their path be dark and slippery, 

with the angel of the LORD pursuing them.

Since they hid their net for me without cause 

and without cause dug a pit for me,

may ruin overtake them by surprise-- 

may the net they hid entangle them, 

may they fall into the pit, to their ruin.

David's requests typically continue with "...(2) and defeat my enemies!"

There are only two places in the psalms where the "angel" (messenger) of the LORD is mentioned; they are here and in Psalm 34.  It is likely that this psalm is a sequel to Psalm 34, elaborating on the same themes as appearing in that shorter psalm.

Note in verse 5, the ascending parallelism, as the chaff is not just driven by the wind but by God's angel; as the path is not just dark and slippery but is run with God's angel in pursuit. The last verse is an ascending line of three parts, 

"may ruin overtake them... may the net entangle them ... may they fall... to their ruin!"

Psalm 35: 9-10, Then! I will rejoice!

Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD and delight in his salvation.

My whole being will exclaim, "Who is like you, O LORD? 

You rescue the poor from those too strong for them, 

the poor and needy from those who rob them."

David is never afraid to say, "If you save me, then I will praise you" or "Please protect me and then I can rejoice in you!"  There is a hint of negotiation, as if God benefits from David's praise. I like David's transparency in the psalms and I certainly sympathize.

David is always concerned about justice, about the poor and needy.

Psalm 35: 11-14, Unjust betrayal

Ruthless witnesses come forward; 

they question me on things I know nothing about.

They repay me evil for good and leave my soul forlorn.

Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth and humbled myself with fasting. 

When my prayers returned to me unanswered,

I went about mourning as though for my friend or brother. 

I bowed my head in grief as though weeping for my mother.

David's enemies have betrayed him, gossiping about him, attacking him behind his back, yet David's actions have been pure -- when his enemies were sick, he prayed for them and fasted, mourned for them.

David describes the bitterness of betrayal; his care for them and their repayment of that kindness.  It is not just their attack that stings, but their betrayal.

Psalm 35: 15-16, Gathered in glee

But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee; 

attackers gathered against me when I was unaware. 

They slandered me without ceasing.

Like the ungodly they maliciously mocked; 

they gnashed their teeth at me.

David's lament now swings back to detail the maliciousness of his enemies and the depth of their betrayal.

Psalm 35: 17-21, How long?

O Lord, how long will you look on? 

Rescue my life from their ravages, 

my precious life from these lions.

I will give you thanks in the great assembly; 

among throngs of people I will praise you.

Let not those gloat over me who are my enemies without cause; 

let not those who hate me without reason maliciously wink the eye.

They do not speak peaceably, 

but devise false accusations against those who live quietly in the land.

They gape at me and say, "Aha! Aha! With our own eyes we have seen it."

The psalm oscillates between focusing on God and focusing on David's bitterness: "I call on You God to protect me from them ... oh, and let me tell You what they have done!"

Those of us who have been betrayed by a friend, must sympathize.  Even as David focuses on God and calls out for help, his thoughts are distracted again by memories of what these people have done.

Psalm 35: 22-27, Contend!

O LORD, you have seen this; be not silent. 

Do not be far from me, O Lord.

Awake, and rise to my defense! 

Contend for me, my God and Lord.

Vindicate me in your righteousness, O LORD my God; 

do not let them gloat over me.

Do not let them think, "Aha, just what we wanted!" or say,"We have swallowed him up."

May all who gloat over my distress be put to shame and confusion; 

may all who exalt themselves over me be clothed with shame and disgrace.

May those who delight in my vindication shout for joy and gladness; 

may they always say, "The LORD be exalted, who delights in the well-being of his servant."

Verse 21 ends with David's enemies swearing, "We have seen it!" but in verse 22 David echoes this statement, confident that God has indeed seen what really happened and will act in David's defense.  David continues his plea with more calls for divine intervention, before turning to a brief conclusion and personal commitment.

Psalm 35: 28, All day long

My tongue will speak of your righteousness and of your praises all day long.

David has wandered in grief and despair, asking why God has not answered him.  Yet he continues to give thanks and praise.

Psalm 34, Exalting Acrostic

Of David. When he pretended to be insane before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he left.

1 Samuel 21 describes David's flight from Saul and the episode with the priest Abimelech and later Achish, king of Gath.  (It is before Achish, not Abimelech, that David fakes insanity.  One commentary -- Reformation Study Bible, online -- suggests that Abimelech was a title and so might have applied to Achish?)

Psalm 56 may have been written as a prelude to this psalm.

Psalm 34: 1-3, Always on my lips

I will extol the LORD at all times; 

his praise will always be on my lips.

My soul will boast in the LORD; 

let the afflicted hear and rejoice.

Glorify the LORD with me;

 let us exalt his name together.

This psalm is an "acrostic"; each of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet (with the exception of the sixth letter, waw) is used to begin a verse.  Verse one begin with aleph, verse two with beth, verse three with gimel, and so on, through the first 21 verses.  (I've not read an explanation as to why the sixth Hebrew letter is left out.)

"Let us exalt his name together", a call for communal praise and worship.  David's personal praise expands into communal worship.

Psalm 34: 4-7, Poor man delivered

I sought the LORD, and he answered me; 

he delivered me from all my fears.

Those who look to him are radiant; 

their faces are never covered with shame.

This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; 

he saved him out of all his troubles.

The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, 

and he delivers them.

There are several Old Testament stories in the background here.  In Exodus 34: 29-34, Moses had a "radiant face" when he descended from Mt. Sinai.  The concept of a "messenger" of the Lord guiding the people of God goes back to Genesis 24, when Abraham tells his servant that a messenger of God will guide him to a wife for Isaac.

Psalm 34: 8-10, Taste!

Taste and see that the LORD is good; 

blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

Fear the LORD, you his saints, 

for those who fear him lack nothing.

The lions may grow weak and hungry, 

but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

"Taste and see," is a strong invitation to experience God.  In this passage we have a series of parallel concepts of the form, "I ask and God answers".

Psalm 34: 11-14, Seek truth and peace

Come, my children, listen to me; 

I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days,

keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies.

Turn from evil and do good; 

seek peace and pursue it.

Seeking God includes a certain level of "fear", a search for peace and righteousness, a turning from evil. This passage has form similar to Proverbs or other Old Testament wisdom literature, beginning with a phrase like "Listen and I will teach you..." followed by couplets of instruction.

Psalm 34: 15-18, Cry out -- He hears!

The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous 

and his ears are attentive to their cry;

the face of the LORD is against those who do evil,

 to cut off the memory of them from the earth.

The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; 

he delivers them from all their troubles.

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted 

and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

"The LORD is close to the brokenhearted..." and "saves those who are crushed in spirit."  David certainly knew despair and heartbreak, but claims that God is nearby in all of the circumstances.

Psalm 34: 19-22, Delivers from all

A righteous man may have many troubles, 

but the LORD delivers him from them all;

he protects all his bones, 

not one of them will be broken.

Evil will slay the wicked; 

the foes of the righteous will be condemned.

The LORD redeems his servants; 

no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him.

Ah, but in contrast to verse 19, there are many examples where God does not deliver believers from every trouble.  Verse 19 is a certain poetic hyperbole: imagine a parent saying that to a child.  It is almost true....  But there is still pain, suffering and troubles -- as the book of Job makes clear.

Psalm 33, Sing a New Song

Psalm 33: 1-3, Sing a new song!

Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous; 

it is fitting for the upright to praise him.

Praise the LORD with the harp; 

make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.

Sing to him a new song; 

play skillfully, and shout for joy.

The first verse nicely echoes the last verse of the previous psalm, commanding joyful praise through song.  David, the harpist, see his music as a natural outlet for praise and joy.  "Note the call ... for freshness and skill as well as fervor", writes Kidner.  I'm tempted to make a snarky comment about church services but I will just continue to quote Kidner: "... three qualities rarely found together in religious music."  Sadly, yes. The church needs new songs. (See an old favorite of mine, Larry Norman, "Why should the devil have all the good music?")

Creative art, whether music, dance, poetry or creative writing, when done with skill, energy and enthusiasm, is beautiful.  Here David calls for creative and skillful worship, as God's due.

Psalm 33:4-5, Righteous love

For the word of the LORD is right and true; 

he is faithful in all he does.

The LORD loves righteousness and justice; 

the earth is full of his unfailing love.

The LORD is praised for being right and true, for loving righteousness and justice.  And for acting in love. David, despite his considerable pain in past experiences, sees YHWH's acts as acts of love.

(The philosopher asks, "Then are these attributes -- righteousness, justice, love -- distinct somehow from God?  Are righteousness, truth and love choices for God?"  If not, then why praise God for these attributes?  But if righteousness is a choice for God, then it is external to God.  This philosophical conundrum is deeper than it first appears ... and so I will move on....)

Psalm 33: 6-7, Stars and seas

By the word of the LORD were the heavens made, 

their starry host by the breath of his mouth.

He gathers the waters of the sea into jars; 

he puts the deep into storehouses.

God's acts in creation have long been a source for praise.  Here the heavens with their "starry host" are evidence of God's creative power, as is the wild ocean, where wavers of water are gathered "into mounds" and the deep waters "into heaps", a picture similar to Job's declaration that only God knows the "storehouses" which hold the power of nature. (See Job 38 for an example.)

Psalm 33: 8-9, The universe came to be

Let all the earth fear the LORD; 

let all the people of the world revere him.

For he spoke, and it came to be; 

he commanded, and it stood firm.

Here, as in many places God's creative acts are equated with God's voice or speech.  ("God said ... and it was done" runs throughout the creation story of Genesis 1.)

Psalm 33: 10-12, Nations' plans

The LORD foils the plans of the nations; 

he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.

But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever,

the purposes of his heart through all generations.

Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,

 the people he chose for his inheritance.

God has a plan, involving all of humankind, running through countless generations.  In the final sentence (verse 12) we are reminded of God's covenant with Israel and with David.

Psalm 33: 13-15, Watches hearts of all

From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind;

from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth--

he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do.

Heaven is viewed as being up high, from where God can "look down".  Yet also, God sees the hearts of all, something that is not available just from a good perch.

Psalm 33: 16-19, Eyes of YHWH better than an army

No king is saved by the size of his army; 

no warrior escapes by his great strength.

A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; 

despite all its great strength it cannot save.

But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, 

on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, 

to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.

The things that a king (like David) might wish to use to prop up his kingdom, are seen as futile in relation to "the eyes of the LORD."  Those false signs of security are a king's idols, leading him away from trusting in God.

Psalm 33: 20-22, We wait

We wait in hope for the LORD; 

he is our help and our shield.

In him our hearts rejoice, 

for we trust in his holy name.

May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, 

even as we put our hope in you.

The psalm ends with a declaration of trust, forming a bookend with the opening declaration of praise.

This psalm is a song of praise and dependence, stressing the need for the nation of Israel to trust in God and not in armies, warriors, draft horses or other visible signs of strength.  It begins with declarations of enthusiastic praise, then settles down to describing marvelous qualities and characteristics of God.  It then ends with a declaration of trust and dependence.

Psalm 32, A Moaning Mule Finds Mercy

Of David. A maskil

The unknown word "maskil" is presumably a literary term, possibly a Hebrew word implying wisdom and skill.

Psalm 32: 1-2, Happy

Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, 

whose sins are covered.

Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him 

and in whose spirit is no deceit.

This is a penitential psalm, like Psalms 6, 51, 102, 130 and 143.  In many of David's songs, he claims righteousness; he claims to stand on the side of justice; he fights deception, corruption and oppression. But in the penitential psalms, David admits he is selfish and sinful and has no claim to God's love.  It is possible that these are the prayer songs of a more mature, sober man, humbled by events such as his affair with Bathsheba.

The word "blessed" here smacks, to me, of religiosity, of words reserved for a church setting.  But the word simply means, "happy", says Kidner and indeed, "happy" is probably a better word.

The New Testament apostle Paul quotes the first two verses in Romans 4: 6-8.

Psalm 32: 3-5, Silent and wasting

When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.

For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; 

my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.

Selah.

Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. 

I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD"-- 

and you forgave the guilt of my sin.

Selah.

Stubborn resistance to confession and to forgiveness is debilitating.  David is nauseous, weak; he cannot sleep. His energy is sapped as if he were under the July Texas sun (or the Palestinian sun.) And so he is forced, slowly, to conclude that he needs to go to God and confess.

Psalm 32: 6-7, My hiding place

Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found; 

surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him.

You are my hiding place; 

you will protect me from trouble 

and surround me with songs of deliverance.

Selah.

And now, as the darkness clears and David experiences forgiveness, he encourages those around him to seek the same forgiveness.  Like the rocks and crags of Judea, God is a "hiding place" for the desperate and distraught.

Now that David can hear God, God responds:

Psalm 32: 8-9, YHWH responds

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; 

I will counsel you and watch over you.

Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding 

but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.

Our relationship with God involves a conversation, negotiation, understanding. (Often called "free will.")  We are not to be like domestic animals that are pulled around by the leash, without understanding. David implies that his time of departure from God's path was a time of stubbornness.  He was a mule fighting the bit and bridle.

Psalm 32: 10-11, Unfailing love

Many are the woes of the wicked, 

but the LORD's unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him.

Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; 

sing, all you who are upright in heart!

In this psalm, David's troubles are his own fault and he knows it. Yet he finds forgiveness, love and joy.