John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 3. The Lord will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish , etc.] Or to perish by famine: not but that good men may be afflicted with it, as Jacob and his sons were, when the famine was in Egypt and in other lands; and as the apostles, particularly the Apostle Paul, were often in hunger and thirst, yet not so as to be destroyed by it; for in “famine” the Lord redeems such from death; though the young lions lack and suffer hunger, they that fear the Lord shall not want any good thing; at least whatever they may suffer this way does not arise from the wrath of God, nor does it nor can it separate from the love of God and Christ, ( Job 5:20 Psalm 34:8,9 Romans 8:35). Moreover, the souls of such shall not be famished for want of spiritual food; shall not have a famine of the word and ordinances; their souls shall be fed, as with marrow and fatness, with the finest of the wheat, and with honey out of the rock: the church, though in the wilderness, is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, ( Revelation 12:14); but he casteth away the substance of the wicked ; that which is got in a wicked way; as sometimes he causes it to diminish by little and little; at other times he forcibly and suddenly drives it away, and causes it to take wings and fly away; though it has been swallowed down with great greediness and in great abundance, he makes them throw it up again, and casts it out of their belly, whether they will or not, so that it does not profit them, ( Job 20:15).
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 2, 3 - Though the righteous may be poor, the Lord will not suffer him to wan what is needful for spiritual life.
Original Hebrew לא3808 ירעיב7456 יהוה3068 נפשׁ5315 צדיק6662 והות1942 רשׁעים7563 יהדף׃1920
