“The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry, but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.”

At first reading, this verse may seem to be about physical nourishment as in food.  But it seems clear that  it relates more correctly to the hunger for righteousness, as in the beatitude of Matthew 5:6 (“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied”).  The Lord will fulfill that need for the righteous, just as he will not withhold wisdom from those who ask for it (James 1:5).  But as the text states, He will thwart the craving of the wicked.  This may not mean that evil never finds its way, but God will not give those who seek it any aid in doing so.

This translation, however, does not preclude the other interpretation stated above.  We should well remember Jesus’ words of comfort in  Matthew 6:25 – “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?”

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy

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some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.