Psalm 73 Study Notes

Ps 73 title On Asaph, see note at Ps 50 title.

73:1 Indeed represents a certainty that the statement is true.

73:2 Feet almost slipped refers to slipping off the path of following the Lord. This is the same as the path of life or righteousness (66:9; see note at 19:10-11). In this case “slipping” means losing faith in God.

73:3 Being envious of the prosperity of the wicked occurs elsewhere in the psalms. This is a common temptation when God’s justice on the wicked is delayed (see note at 37:1).

73:4 Easy time and well fed refer to prosperity (v. 3). “Well fed” is literally “fat bellies,” evidence of having more than a person needs (see notes at 17:10-12; 63:5).

73:5 Like most people is an assessment from observation. From the psalmist’s own experience, the degree of wickedness and prosperity seem to go together.

73:6 A necklace signified status and prominence (Dn 5:29); the wicked wore their pride as a status symbol. They also did not bother to hide their malicious violence.

73:7 Eyes and imaginations are parallel, representing the desires of the wicked in what they saw and thought. “Imagination” (Hb maskiyyoth) is also used of idols (Nm 33:52; Ezk 8:12). It has the connotation of “idols of the heart.”

73:8 The word for oppression also describes fraud and extortion.

73:9 Heaven is a substitute for God himself, so the mocking of the wicked is against God. The image of tongues strutting across the earth further emphasizes their brash arrogance.

73:10 His people could refer to those who were connected with these wicked people, but the shift from plural to singular is awkward. If “heaven” in v. 9 represents God, then it is the nearest singular antecedent. In this case the speech of the wicked even leads God’s people astray, something this psalmist would not do with his words (v. 15).

73:11 It was a common belief among the wicked that God did not pay attention to them and would not punish them (Is 29:15; see notes at Ps 10:11; 14:1). In fact, God does know everything (44:21; 139:1-12; Dn 2:2; Hs 7:2; Heb 4:13; 1Jn 3:20).

73:12 Always at ease means that the wicked did not seem to experience problems (v. 4).

73:13 Washing hands was part of an oath of innocence (see note at 26:6-7).

73:14 The psalmist’s affliction was in stark contrast to the wicked’s being “at ease” (v. 12).

73:15 In addition to the normal word for say (Hb ’mr), there is another word (Hb spr) meaning “recount” in the sense of something more developed. This is not just stating a fact but developing a story, which was obviously the psalmist’s temptation. His “betrayal” would have been to undermine the faith of others.

73:16 Hopeless (Hb ‘ml) is the same word as that in v. 5 translated “trouble.” The wicked did not have trouble, but the psalmist’s attempts to understand this phenomenon gave him nothing but trouble.

73:17 The phrase until I entered . . . then I understood has caused much speculation by scholars. Exactly what happened in the sanctuary? Suggestions include: the psalmist received an oracle from God, witnessed a theophany, or engaged in ritual acts. It is perhaps best to leave it unanswered and realize the main issue is that the Lord’s presence in the sanctuary enlightened the psalmist. This is what became the psalmist’s hope later in v. 28 and seems to be reflective of the principle that nearness to the Lord (close fellowship with him) provides a change of perspective.

73:18 There is a contrast with the psalmist’s feet almost slipping in v. 2 and the slippery places of the wicked.

73:19 Suddenly shows that despite appearances, God’s judgment on the wicked is sure and swift (see notes at 37:10,36).

73:20 The phrase waking from a dream could refer to the psalmist’s own state before his change of perspective, but it probably refers to God’s waking (arising, meaning “to act”; see notes at 7:6-8; 35:23). The dream is equivalent to image and emphasizes as in v. 19 that the swift destruction of the wicked will make their former prosperity seem like a dream.

73:21-22 The psalmist’s bitterness apparently blinded him and made him stupid like an animal (92:6).

73:23 Holding someone’s right hand is used in some contexts to refer to honor (Is 45:1). Here it refers to protection (Ps 63:8; Is 41:10,13; 42:6; Jr 31:32).

73:24 Some argue that take me up in glory refers to being honored (similar to the image of the “right hand” in v. 23). However, there is no good reason to doubt that this could refer to life after death. The OT does not develop a thorough or consistent concept of life after death, but the afterlife could have been a belief in Israel, as it was among the other nations (Gn 5:24).

73:25 Our safety does not depend on the absence of danger but on the presence of the Lord.

73:26 Flesh and heart probably refer to earthly existence, and they reinforce the idea of life after death from v. 24. A portion is another way of describing a person’s inheritance (see note at 16:5-6).

73:27 On being far from God, contrast Ps 71:12.

73:28 The presence of the Lord is the ultimate hope of those who trust him (15:1; 21:6-7).