The Church Fathers on this verse
THEOSIS
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Psalm 37 (36):14Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The wicked have drawn out the sword: they have bent their bow. To cast down the poor and needy, to kill the upright of heart.

Douay-Rheims · Hebrew numbering, Septuagint numbering in brackets.

חֶ֤רֶב ׀ פָּֽתְח֣וּ רְשָׁעִים֮ וְדָרְכ֢וּ קַ֫שְׁתָּ֥ם לְ֭הַפִּיל עָנִ֣י וְאֶבְי֑וֹן לִ֝טְב֗וֹחַ יִשְׁרֵי־דָֽרֶךְ׃

Hebrew (Masoretic text)

The Church Fathers on this verse

6 Church Fathers comment on this verse · 7 commentaries

Augustine of Hippo

5th centuryChurch Father

The sword, as an instrument of persecution, can easily strike the body, much like the swords of oppressors reached the martyrs. However, while the body may be wounded, the heart remains untouched; conversely, the heart of the one who strikes a righteous soul is clearly not unscathed. This truth is reflected in the Psalm, which states, "Their weapons, that is, their sword, shall not penetrate their own body, but their weapons shall enter into their own heart." They may seek to destroy the physical being, yet they invite spiritual death upon themselves. The Lord offers comfort to those whose lives are threatened, declaring, "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body, but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matthew 10:28).

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Furthermore, “their bows shall be broken” signifies that their schemes shall fail. Earlier, it was mentioned that "the wicked bare their sword and drew their bows." The use of the sword denotes overt aggression, while drawing bows suggests hidden treachery. Behold! In the end, their swords turn against them, and their traps are rendered ineffective. What does this ineffectiveness signify? That it causes no harm to the righteous. Now, one might wonder how such harm can be avoided for someone who has been stripped of their possessions and left despondent. They still have every reason to rejoice, for "the little that a righteous man has is better than the great riches of the wicked" (Psalm 36:16).

Ambrose of Milan

4th centuryChurch Father

What constitutes the ‘sword of sinners’ if not the weapon that opposes the sword of the Holy Spirit? Clearly, the Word of God serves as the sword of the Holy Spirit, while the sword of the wicked represents their vile words. Their shameful and immoral speech emerges from their lips like a sheath; would it not be wiser to restrain and conceal it? Just as both the Word of God and the language of the unrighteous are likened to a sword, the thoughts of sinners resemble a bow they draw back, with the poisonous word they release acting as an arrow. However, this arrow also represents Christ, the Word of God.

The Psalmist further asserts, "Behold, the sinners have drawn their sword, they have bent their bow to slay the afflicted and the needy" (Psalm 36:14). What might the sinner's sword signify? Perhaps it represents the opposing sword of the Holy Spirit. Regarding this sword, Scripture and the apostles have instructed me that we possess the armor of righteousness... the shield of faith... the helmet of salvation... and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Eph. 6:14, 16, 17). Therefore, the Word of God serves as the sword of the Holy Spirit; conversely, the sword wielded by the wicked is their malicious word. The Apostle Peter struck Ananias and Sapphira with the sword of his preaching; and with such a sword, Paul blinded Elymas, casting him into darkness (Acts 5:1-5; 13:8-11).

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Elymas, who opposed the proclamation of the Gospel, exemplifies this. Imagine sinners deriding me, mocking me arrogantly, and hurling insults. If you hear their taunts, would you not exclaim, “Look, the sinners have drawn their sword,” for such vile words flow from their brazen mouths as if from a sheath, and one would wish to restrain it and return it to its scabbard? Just as the sword symbolizes the Word of God, so the speech of the sinner is a sword too. The bow that sinners draw represents their minds, and the arrows they shoot are their toxic words. Our arrow is Christ, the Word of God. Of Him, it is proclaimed, "I have made you a polished arrow" (Isaiah 49:2), released from the quiver of God. Similarly, the treacherous arrows from wicked men, launched from the bow of unrighteousness, pierce the innocent who lapse in vigilance unless the enemy's fiery darts are extinguished by the shield of faith (Eph. 6:16). Therefore, you must remain vigilant in this spiritual battle, for our struggle encompasses more than mere humans (Eph. 6:12); it involves the very spirits of evil in the heavenly realms, which are unseen. God will bless you with powerful weapons, equipping you with an abundance of arrows to evade the attacks of the enemy, so that you are not found caught off guard, impoverished and unprotected. Be courageous in God, rich in Him, for it is written, "A man’s riches will ransom his life" (Proverbs 13:8). Overflow with the wealth of wisdom, thriving in speech and good deeds, that you may be safeguarded. Steer clear of the sinner’s wealth, lest he ensnare you where he might inflict harm! Extend mercy so that you remain impervious to wounds, or so that you can be healed if they do occur. The poor man, sought after by his enemies, is among those of whom the Savior declared, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 5:3).

Theodoret of Cyrus

5th centuryChurch Father

This conveys a similar message as stated previously. It illustrates that the sinner, despite employing all methods against innocent individuals, will find himself ensnared by his own actions. The Prophet refers to the diverse calamities through imagery of the sword and the bow. This is akin to the words found in the seventh Psalm, ‘The ditch shall be cast out, and the fossil shall fall into the pit which she hath made’ (Psalm 7:16).

Euthymios Zigabenos

11th centuryCommentator

The wicked, as he indicates, the sinners, are completely unable to tolerate the presence of the righteous and good-hearted individuals. They wield the sword to strike them down and bend the bow to pierce them, for they see the truth and virtue of the just as a rebuke to their own unrighteousness. The Psalmist, through various symbols, enigmatically illustrates the different attacks from sinners. He refers to the needy in a unified way to amplify his expression of compassion and mercy for them.

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In the insightful words of Origen, just as there exists the full armor of God, there is also a complete armor of the adversary, which his followers don—this armor includes the helmet of destruction, the shield of disbelief, and the sword of the unholy spirit, wielded by the sinner whose path leads to transgression. Bezymenny observes that sinners draw their swords and strain their bows to strike the impoverished and vulnerable with arrows, seeking to slay the upright in heart. They do not harm the wealthy with the nefarious actions of their allies nor do they bring down the corrupt in spirit based on their connections with them.

Irenaeus (Klementjewsky)

18th centuryCommentator

The Prophet provides a somewhat obscure explanation of the earlier verses under the letter Zain: he mentions that the wicked gaze upon the just, and here he clarifies that the sword is drawn, with sinners brandishing their weapons and tightening their bows. Yet, God, who perceives all from His vantage point, causes their swords to pierce their own hearts, their bows to snap back and inflict harm upon themselves, provoking the Lord to laugh at their folly.

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It is important to note that these statements can refer both to actual swords and bows made of metal, as well as to the metaphorical swords and bows wielded by the tongue. Frequently, the wicked may slay the righteous through slander or false accusations, as well as through physical violence. Furthermore, the righteous is depicted here as having integrity of heart, or, as translated from the Hebrew, as one who walks in the right way. This is because the righteous possess a heart aligned with God’s law, which is the ultimate standard of justice, and that same law is the path we are meant to follow in our actions; hence the righteous in heart is aptly described as walking in the right way, never deviating from the divine law.

Additionally, the righteous are referred to as poor and afflicted, not only because all righteous individuals are humble in spirit—even those who may experience material wealth recognize that it is temporary and accountable to God—but also because the Psalmist here specifically addresses the downtrodden and scorned who are oppressed by the powerful.

Finally, the assertion that their sword will pierce their own hearts serves as a prophetic statement rather than a mere curse: it is consistently evident that those who seek to harm their neighbors with the sword often meet with their own destruction at its edge. In fact, the weapon of the wicked, drawn against the righteous, ultimately turns back upon the sinner, for in their attempt to inflict pain on the just, they cause far greater suffering to themselves. By assaulting the dignity of the righteous, whether through disgrace, threats, or calumny, they find themselves condemned and cast down into the depths.

Psalter with Commentaries (Cave Monastery in Kiew)

19th centuryCommentator

The malevolent force, the Jewish authorities, and all the evil acts of the adversary directed against Christ the Lord. The bow represents the intentions of the hearts and words of the Jews, through which they brazenly launch their accusations at Christ the Lord, reviling His divinity and denouncing Him, the one who was made low for the sake of humanity's salvation, urging, ‘Let Him be crucified, take, take, crucify Him!’ (John 19:6,15). Not just the Redeemer Himself, but also His disciples endeavor to confront and challenge the madness of these individuals.

Cross references

Passages read together with this verse.