The wicked have drawn the sword and bent the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright.
The faithful see the world in chaos: the godless prosper while the pious suffer, which tempts us to think God either absent or indifferent. This psalm strengthens us against that very temptation by declaring their felicity cursed and fleeting, while God's care for His own never fails, even in calamity.
AI summary
Commenting on Psalm 37:1-40
Here is the portrait of a proud oppressor armed to the teeth.
Commenting on Psalm 37:12
The wicked have drawn out the sword. They hold their weapon out of its sheath, and watch for a time to use it. And have bent their bow. One weapon is not enough, they carry another ready for action. They carry so strong a bow that they have trodden upon it to bend it—they will lose nothing for want of force or readiness. To cast down the poor and needy.