"Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; do not destroy his resting place"
lie in wait
This is the Hebrew word arab which means to lie in wait, to ambush. Clearly the idea is that the wicked have set a trap to destroy or damage the security and peace of the righteous. The wicked person wants what the righteous person has – either the money or the security itself.
What is interesting is that Solomon does not say that wicked people cannot accomplish their objective. He says that their desire to destroy the righteous person through this means is futile for the righteous person will rise again. The righteous person is the one who loves God and others first. This is the opposite of the wicked who love themselves first. Because the righteous person loves God and others first, there is always a rebirth for the righteous in spite of what the wicked do to them.
wicked
The wicked put themselves first and do not care who is harmed or damaged for them to get what they want. They make no pretense about their selfishness. It is a dog-eat-dog world according to them, and they will do the eating first.
dwelling
This is the Hebrew word naweh which means pasture, habitation, dwelling. This is where the person lives but also where they shepherd their sheep and farm their land. The wicked person wants the profits, land, and business of the righteous. They do not have the ability – with their selfish perspective – to build a business, so they squeeze others. There are profits to be squeezed out of others people's business, so the wicked will squeeze.
resting place
This is the Hebrew word rebets which means place of lying down, resting place. This is the place where the righteous recharges.
Solomon finishes this thought in verse 16 when he says that when it is the wicked person’s turn to go through difficulty and trouble, they will not rise again like the righteous. Their me-first perspective does not allow them to rebuild. You must have the perspective of the righteous in order to rebuild after disaster, evil, and trouble. Love God and others first... then the crops of respect, honor, love, joy, and treasure will come in.
Until tomorrow,
Gil Stieglitz