Psalms 73–28
Psalm 73:1-28
Psa.73.1 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- מזמור: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לאסף: VERB,qal,inf
- אך: PART
- טוב: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- לישראל: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אלהים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- לברי: PREP+ADJ,m,pl,abs
- לבב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Psalm 145:9 (verbal): Both declare God’s goodness to his people/creation—'The LORD is good to all' echoes the assertion that God is good to Israel.
- Nahum 1:7 (thematic): Affirms God's goodness toward those who belong to him: 'The LORD is good... he knows those who take refuge in him,' paralleling God’s care for the faithful/innocent.
- Psalm 100:5 (verbal): Similar language about the LORD’s character—'For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting' complements the claim of God’s goodness to Israel.
- Psalm 25:8 (verbal): Uses nearly identical moral language—'Good and upright is the LORD'—linking God’s goodness with his dealings toward the righteous.
- Matthew 5:8 (allusion): 'Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God' echoes the focus on the 'pure in heart' as recipients of divine blessing/presence, paralleling Ps 73:1’s concern for the pure-hearted.
Alternative generated candidates
- A Psalm of Asaph. Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.
- A Psalm of Asaph. Surely God is good to Israel, to those pure in heart.
Psa.73.2 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ואני: PRON,1,sg
- כמעט: ADV
- נטיו: VERB,qal,perf,3,pl
- רגלי: NOUN,f,pl,cons
- כאין: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שפכו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- אשרי: ADJ,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Psalm 18:36 (verbal): Uses similar language about the feet/steps: 'You have enlarged my steps under me, and my feet have not slipped,' contrasting the near-stumble in Ps 73:2.
- Psalm 37:23-24 (thematic): Speaks of the LORD establishing a person's steps and upholding them so they do not fall headlong—counterpoint to 'my feet had almost slipped'.
- Proverbs 4:26 (thematic): Advises to 'ponder the path of your feet' so your ways will be sure—shares the motif of careful walking to avoid slipping.
- Proverbs 24:16 (thematic): Speaks of the righteous falling and rising again ('though he fall seven times, he shall rise again'), linking the theme of stumbling and recovery present in Ps 73:2.
Alternative generated candidates
- But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; my steps had nearly fallen.
- But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; my steps had nearly fallen.
Psa.73.3 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- קנאתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,m,sg
- בהוללים: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- שלום: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- רשעים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- אראה: VERB,qal,impf,1,_,sg
Parallels
- Proverbs 24:1 (verbal): Directly admonishes against envying the wicked ('Do not envy the wicked'), a close verbal counterpart to the psalmist's confession of envy at the prosperity of the wicked.
- Proverbs 23:17 (verbal): Warns 'Do not let your heart envy sinners,' echoing the psalmist's struggle with envy toward the prosperous wicked and offering the opposite moral instruction.
- Job 21:7-16 (thematic): Job meditates on the apparent prosperity and long life of the wicked despite their wickedness, paralleling Psalm 73's lament over seeing the wicked succeed.
- Psalm 37:1-2,7-9 (thematic): Urgently counsels not to fret or envy evildoers because their success is transient; thematically parallels the psalmist's initial envy and the wider response advocated in wisdom literature.
- Jeremiah 12:1 (thematic): A prophetic complaint asking why the way of the wicked prospers despite God's righteousness, closely mirroring the psalmist's puzzled envy at the wicked's apparent peace.
Alternative generated candidates
- For I was envious of the presumptuous when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
- For I was envious of the boastful when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
Psa.73.4 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- אין: PART,neg
- חרצבות: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- למותם: VERB,qal,inf,3,m,pl
- ובריא: CONJ+ADJ,m,sg
- אולם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Job 21:7-13 (verbal): Job laments that the wicked often live in health, prosper, and die in peace—language and theme closely echoing the Psalm's observation that the wicked have no pangs of death and are sound of body.
- Ecclesiastes 8:14 (thematic): Affirms the perplexing reality that the wicked may prosper and live long while the righteous suffer—same theological problem of apparent reward for the wicked as in Psalm 73:4.
- Psalm 37:35-36 (thematic): Describes seeing the wicked in great power and seeming security, providing a parallel perspective on their present prosperity (though Psalm 37 emphasizes their eventual fate).
- Amos 6:1-6 (thematic): Condemns complacent, prosperous people who feel secure and enjoy bodily comforts—parallels the Psalmist's critique of the well-fed, untroubled wicked.
Alternative generated candidates
- For they have no pains of death; their bodies are healthy and sleek.
- For there is no pang of death for them; their bodies are full and healthy.
Psa.73.5 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- בעמל: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אנוש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אינמו: PART,exist,3,pl
- ועם: CONJ+PREP
- אדם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לא: PART_NEG
- ינגעו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
Parallels
- Job 21:7-13 (thematic): Job remarks that the wicked live secure and enjoy prosperity without the troubles that afflict others—closely parallels Psalm 73’s observation that the ungodly are not plagued like other men.
- Job 12:6 (verbal): Job states that 'the tents of robbers are at peace' (or the dwellings of the wicked are undisturbed), a concise verbal/thematic echo of Ps 73:5’s note that the wicked are not touched by human toil.
- Ecclesiastes 8:14 (thematic): Ecclesiastes reflects the paradox that the righteous sometimes perish while the wicked prolong their life in prosperity, mirroring Psalm 73’s concern over the apparent ease of the wicked.
- Jeremiah 12:1-2 (thematic): Jeremiah questions why the way of the wicked prospers and why they are at ease, expressing the same moral perplexity found in Psalm 73:5.
- Amos 6:1 (thematic): Amos pronounces woe on those 'at ease' in Zion—complacent, prosperous people who are not afflicted—resonating with Psalm 73’s depiction of the ungodly as untroubled.
Alternative generated candidates
- They are not in trouble like other men; they are not plagued as mortals are.
- They are not in the toil of mankind; they are not visited like other people.
Psa.73.6 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- לכן: ADV
- ענקתמו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- גאוה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- יעטף: VERB,qal,imperf,3,m,sg
- שית: VERB,qal,inf
- חמס: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- למו: PREP+PRON,3,m,pl
Parallels
- Proverbs 21:24 (thematic): Speaks of the proud and haughty character of the wicked—parallels Psalm 73:6’s depiction of pride as a distinguishing adornment of the wicked.
- Isaiah 59:6-7 (verbal): Uses clothing imagery and accuses the people of rushing to violence and shedding blood—closely echoes Psalm 73:6’s language of being ‘clothed’ or ‘wrapped’ in violence.
- Psalm 10:3-5 (thematic): Describes the wicked’s boastful arrogance and sense of impunity (acting proudly as if God does not see), paralleling Psalm 73:6’s link of pride with violent wrongdoing.
- Micah 2:1-2 (thematic): Denounces those who plot wrongdoing, seize fields and houses by force—reflects Psalm 73:6’s theme of the wicked prospering through violence and oppression.
Alternative generated candidates
- Therefore pride is their necklace; violence covers them as a garment.
- Therefore pride is their necklace; violence clothes them like a garment.
Psa.73.7 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- יצא: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- מחלב: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- עינמו: NOUN,f,pl,abs+SUFF,3,pl
- עברו: VERB,qal,imp,2,pl
- משכיות: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- לבב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Ps.73:12 (structural): Direct continuation within the same psalm: repeats the observation that the wicked are at ease and prosper, clarifying the psalmist’s complaint about their abundant condition.
- Psalm 37:16 (thematic): Contrasts the little that the righteous have with the abundance of the wicked—echoes the theme of the wicked’ s material plenty versus the righteous’ lack or different reward.
- Job 21:7 (thematic): Job’s rhetorical question about why the wicked live and grow mighty parallels the observation that the wicked enjoy prosperity and satisfaction despite their ways.
- Amos 6:4–6 (verbal): Amos condemns the complacent, well-fed elites—lying on beds of ivory, feasting, and having ‘full’ appetites—using bodily/feasting imagery similar to Psalm 73’s portrayal of the prosperous wicked.
- Proverbs 28:6 (thematic): Contrast between wealth and integrity: the proverb’s valuation of integrity over riches echoes the psalmist’s implied critique of the wicked’ s prosperous state.
Alternative generated candidates
- Their eye bulges with abundance; the imaginations of their heart run riot.
- Their eyes bulge with fat; the imaginations of their heart overflow.
Psa.73.8 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ימיקו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- וידברו: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,pl
- ברע: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- עשק: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ממרום: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ידברו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
Parallels
- Psalm 10:11 (verbal): The wicked speak as if God does not see or care—both verses record arrogant speech that sets itself against God (‘‘He says in his heart, ‘God has forgotten’ ’’).
- Psalm 94:4–5 (thematic): Like Ps 73:8, these verses describe the insolent speech of the wicked who pour out proud words and boast—same theme of brazen, defiant talk.
- Job 21:7–15 (thematic): Job records the boastful confidence and blasphemous presumption of the wicked (they live secure, scoff at God’s justice), paralleling Ps 73’s portrait of arrogant speech and behavior.
- Psalm 12:3–4 (verbal): Speaks of flattering lips and double-hearted speech—parallels Ps 73:8’s depiction of deceitful, widespread, and arrogant talk that pervades the people.
Alternative generated candidates
- They scoff and speak with malice; from on high they utter oppression.
- They scoff and speak wickedly; from on high they utter oppression.
Psa.73.9 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- שתו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- בשמים: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- פיהם: NOUN,m,sg,abs,3,m,pl
- ולשונם: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,f,sg,pr3mp
- תהלך: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,sg
- בארץ: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,def
Parallels
- Psalm 10:7 (verbal): Speaks of the wicked's mouth being full of cursing and deceit—closely parallels the denunciation of malicious speech.
- Psalm 140:3 (verbal): Describes the tongue as sharp and poisonous under the lips; similar imagery of dangerous, earth-directed speech.
- Romans 3:13-14 (quotation): Paul strings together Old Testament denunciations of deceitful, destructive speech (echoing the Psalms), applying them to humanity's sinfulness.
- James 3:6-8 (thematic): Discusses the untamable, destructive power of the tongue—the same concern about the harm caused by malicious speech found in Psalm 73:9.
Alternative generated candidates
- Their mouths are lifted to the heavens, and their tongue struts through the earth.
- Their mouths pour out arrogance; their tongues walk the earth.
Psa.73.10 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- לכן: ADV
- ישוב: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- עמו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- הלם: DEM,m,sg
- ומי: PRON,interr
- מלא: ADJ,m,sg
- ימצו: VERB,qal,impf,3,pl
- למו: PREP+PRON,3,m,pl
Parallels
- Psalm 73:6 (verbal): Very close wording and idea elsewhere in the same psalm: the wicked's pride and violence are described as their adornment, echoing the same observation about the prosperity and insolence of the wicked.
- Psalm 37:12-13 (thematic): Both passages address the apparent success and aggression of the wicked and affirm that God will respond—though the wicked seem to flourish, their plotting is ultimately under divine scrutiny and judgment.
- Job 21:7-13 (thematic): Job wrestles with the same problem of the prosperous wicked who live in ease and commit violence without immediate punishment, paralleling the psalmist’s complaint about the wicked’s apparent impunity.
- Amos 6:1-3 (thematic): Amos condemns those 'at ease' in Zion who feast and ignore injustice; like Psalm 73, it critiques complacent prosperity built on oppression and foretells impending judgment.
- Psalm 49:11-13 (thematic): This psalm likewise reflects on the arrogance of the wealthy/wicked and the futility of trusting in riches—contrasting present prosperity with ultimate mortality and divine reckoning.
Alternative generated candidates
- Therefore the people turn to them and drink their fill.
- Therefore people turn to them again; waters of abundance are at their hand.
Psa.73.11 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ואמרו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- איכה: INTJ
- ידע: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אל: NEG
- ויש: CONJ+VERB,qal,pres,3,_,sg
- דעה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- בעליון: PREP+ADJ,m,sg
Parallels
- Ps.94:7 (verbal): Wicked declare that God does not see or take notice—close verbal parallel to the taunt in Ps 73:11.
- Ps.10:11 (verbal): The wicked say that God will not punish or see—another near-verbal expression of the same cynical claim.
- Job 21:7 (thematic): The wicked question why God allows them to prosper and seem unobserved—theme of the apparent impunity of the wicked.
- Ps.37:13 (thematic): Contrasts the taunt by affirming that the LORD sees and will act against the wicked—an opposite/thematic response to Ps 73:11.
- Job 34:21 (verbal): Affirms that God’s eyes are on human ways and He sees all deeds—direct theological rebuttal to the claim that God lacks knowledge.
Alternative generated candidates
- And they say, "How can God know? Is there knowledge with the Most High?"
- And they say, "How should God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?"
Psa.73.12 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- הנה: PART
- אלה: DEM,pl,abs
- רשעים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ושלוי: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- עולם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- השגו: VERB,hifil,perf,3,m,pl
- חיל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Job 21:7-13 (thematic): Job describes the apparent prosperity of the wicked—eating, multiplying, and living in security—echoing the psalmist’s observation that the wicked succeed and increase in strength.
- Jeremiah 12:1 (thematic): Jeremiah asks why the way of the wicked prospers and why all who deal treacherously are happy, a direct thematic parallel to the psalmist’s grievance about the success of the wicked.
- Psalm 37:35-36 (verbal): The psalmist there also reports seeing the wicked in great power who prosper, a similar eyewitness observation about the flourishing of the wicked (though Psalm 37 ultimately stresses their coming ruin).
- Ecclesiastes 8:14 (thematic): Ecclesiastes notes the unsettling reversal that some righteous receive what the wicked deserve and vice versa, reflecting the same problem of wicked prosperity that troubles the author of Psalm 73.
Alternative generated candidates
- Behold, these are the wicked—ever at ease, they increase in riches.
- Behold, these are the wicked—ever at ease, increasing in riches.
Psa.73.13 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אך: PART
- ריק: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- זכיתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,_,sg
- לבבי: NOUN,m,sg,suff
- וארחץ: VERB,qal,impf,1,_,sg
- בנקיון: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כפי: PREP
Parallels
- Psalm 26:6 (verbal): Uses the same language—"I will wash my hands in innocence"—a direct verbal parallel about ritual/ethical purity and claiming innocence before God.
- Proverbs 20:9 (verbal): "Who can say, 'I have made my heart clean'...?" Echoes the theme of claiming a cleansed heart and questions the possibility/efficacy of human purity.
- Matthew 27:24 (allusion): Pilate's washing of his hands as a declaration of innocence resonates with the image of washing hands in Psalm 73:13, suggesting a symbolic act of claimed innocence (sometimes futile or hypocritical).
- Job 9:30–31 (thematic): Job's language about washing himself (with snow) and cleansing his hands connects thematically: ritual/ceremonial cleansing does not necessarily alter one's standing before God, paralleling the Psalmist's sense of such efforts being in vain.
Alternative generated candidates
- Truly in vain I have kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence.
- Surely in vain I have kept my heart clean, and washed my hands in innocence.
Psa.73.14 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ואהי: VERB,qal,impf,1,ms,sg
- נגוע: PART,ptc,pass,m,sg
- כל: DET
- היום: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ותוכחתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,c,sg
- לבקרים: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
Parallels
- Job 7:17-18 (verbal): Uses very similar language about God 'visiting' or 'trying' a person every morning — a near-verbal parallel to being plagued/chastened each day.
- Proverbs 3:11-12 (thematic): Speaks of the LORD's discipline as a father's chastening of his son; parallels Psalm 73's sense that affliction functions as divine correction.
- Hebrews 12:6 (quotation): Explicitly cites the OT teaching (Prov. 3:11–12) that 'the Lord disciplines those he loves,' interpreting recurring rebuke as loving discipline — echoes Psalm 73:14's experience of daily chastening.
- Psalm 119:71 (thematic): Affirms that affliction benefits the speaker by teaching or reforming him, echoing the idea that repeated rebuke produces spiritual correction.
- Lamentations 3:19-24 (allusion): Lamentations dwells on persistent suffering yet recalls God's mercies 'new every morning' — thematically linked to Psalm 73's motif of morning rebuke and the interplay of suffering and divine care.
Alternative generated candidates
- For I was stricken all day long and chastened every morning.
- For I have been stricken all day long, and chastened every morning.
Psa.73.15 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אם: CONJ
- אמרתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,com,sg
- אספרה: VERB,qal,impf,1,?,sg
- כמו: PREP
- הנה: PART
- דור: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בניך: NOUN,m,pl,abs+POSS,2,m,sg
- בגדתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,m,sg
Parallels
- Psalm 39:1 (thematic): Both speakers resolve to restrain their speech to avoid sinning with the tongue—Psalm 73:15’s hesitation to speak lest he ‘betray’ God’s children echoes the vow in Psalm 39 to watch one’s ways and keep silent.
- Psalm 12:3–4 (verbal): Condemns flattering, deceitful speech that betrays others; parallels Psalm 73:15’s concern that certain words would betray the community or God’s people.
- Job 32:21–22 (thematic): Elihu’s refusal to flatter or speak partial words mirrors the idea of not speaking in a way that would betray or mislead the generation—both emphasize integrity of speech.
- Proverbs 26:28 (thematic): Speaks of a flattering mouth that works ruin—parallels the notion that certain speech can betray and harm the community, as feared in Psalm 73:15.
Alternative generated candidates
- If I had said, "I will speak thus," I would have betrayed the generation of your children.
- If I had said, "I will speak thus," I would have betrayed the generation of your children.
Psa.73.16 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ואחשבה: CONJ+VERB,qal,impf,1,sg
- לדעת: VERB,qal,inf,-,-,-
- זאת: DEM,f,sg
- עמל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הוא: PRON,3,m,sg
- בעיני: PREP+NOUN,f,pl,abs
Parallels
- Psalm 73:17 (structural): Immediate continuation/contrast: after finding the thought painful (v.16), the psalmist goes into God's sanctuary and then understands the fate of the wicked (v.17).
- Psalm 73:3 (structural): Same psalm context: the psalmist's struggle (envy and near slipping) explains why trying to 'know' the prosperity of the wicked was distressing.
- Ecclesiastes 2:17 (thematic): Solomon says that trying to understand life’s toil under the sun made him ‘hate life’—a similar reaction of pain and frustration at seeking sense in apparent injustice.
- Ecclesiastes 1:14 (thematic): The verdict that 'all is vanity and a striving after wind' echoes the sense that human labor/effort (amal) can seem futile and vexing when one tries to comprehend it.
- Jeremiah 12:1 (thematic): The prophet voices the same perplexity—questioning why the wicked prosper—expressing distress in trying to reconcile God's justice with observed success of the wicked.
Alternative generated candidates
- When I reflected to know this, it was a wearisome task in my sight,
- When I pondered to know this, it was troublesome in my sight,
Psa.73.17 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- עד: PREP
- אבוא: VERB,qal,impf,1,NA,sg
- אל: NEG
- מקדשי: NOUN,m,pl,cons
- אל: NEG
- אבינה: VERB,qal,imperf,1,sg
- לאחריתם: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs,3,m,pl
Parallels
- Psalm 73:16 (structural): Immediate context—verse 16 describes the speaker's confusion, and verse 17 (the given verse) marks the turning point when entering God's sanctuary brings understanding.
- Psalm 11:4 (thematic): Both place God in his holy temple/sanctuary as the vantage point from which human affairs are seen and judged—sanctuary-perspective yields divine discernment.
- Isaiah 6:1-5 (thematic): The prophet's vision in the temple leads to a revelatory understanding of God's holiness and the fate of people; parallels the motif of gaining insight upon approaching God's sanctuary.
- Psalm 37:20 (thematic): Speaks of the ultimate end/perishing of the wicked—connects with Ps 73:17–19 where insight from the sanctuary reveals the wicked's doom.
- Hebrews 9:24 (allusion): Speaks of Christ entering the heavenly sanctuary to appear before God—echoes the idea that access to God's sanctuary (heavenly or temple) provides true perspective on judgment and destiny.
Alternative generated candidates
- until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I perceived their end.
- Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I perceived their end.
Psa.73.18 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אך: PART
- בחלקות: PREP+NOUN,f,pl,abs
- תשית: VERB,qal,imperfect,2,m,sg
- למו: PREP+PRON,3,m,pl
- הפלתם: VERB,hiphil,perf,2,m,pl
- למשואות: PREP+NOUN,f,pl,abs
Parallels
- Job 21:18 (verbal): Uses imagery of the wicked carried away like straw/chaff and suddenly removed—paralleling Ps 73:18’s picture of placement on slippery ground and sudden fall into ruin.
- Psalm 1:4 (verbal): The ungodly are compared to chaff driven away by the wind—similar metaphor of instability and ultimate destruction as in Ps 73:18’s ‘slippery places’ and downfall.
- Psalm 37:20 (thematic): Speaks of the wicked perishing and their place being observed no more; thematically echoes Ps 73:18’s assertion that the prosperity of the wicked ends in destruction.
- Psalm 73:27 (structural): Within the same psalm God is explicitly said to destroy the unfaithful—this restates and reinforces the point of v.18 that the wicked are cast down into ruin.
Alternative generated candidates
- Truly you set them in slippery places; you cast them down to ruin.
- Truly you set them in slippery places; you cast them down to ruin.
Psa.73.19 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- איך: ADV
- היו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- לשמה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- כרגע: ADV
- ספו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- תמו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- מן: PREP
- בלהות: NOUN,f,pl,abs
Parallels
- Job 21:18 (thematic): Image of the wicked swept away like stubble before the wind—similar motif of sudden, complete removal of the wicked's prosperity.
- Job 27:20-23 (verbal): Speaks of 'terrors' and a storm overwhelming the wicked and driving them into darkness—language and idea parallel to being 'utterly consumed with terrors.'
- Psalm 37:35-36 (thematic): The psalmist observes a powerful wicked person suddenly gone—echoes the theme of the unexpected end and disappearance of the wicked.
- Proverbs 10:25 (verbal): Compares the fate of the wicked to a passing whirlwind—language of sudden destruction closely parallels Ps 73:19's sudden desolation.
- Proverbs 1:27 (verbal): Uses the words 'desolation' and 'whirlwind' for impending doom—lexical and thematic kinship with Ps 73:19's depiction of abrupt calamity.
Alternative generated candidates
- How suddenly they are brought to desolation—utterly swept away by terrors!
- How suddenly they are utterly wasted—perished, consumed by terror!
Psa.73.20 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כחלום: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מהקיץ: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,def
- אדני: NOUN,m,sg,abs,1,sg
- בעיר: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- צלמם: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3mp
- תבזה: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
Parallels
- Psalm 90:5-6 (verbal): Uses the same simile of human life as a dream—’they are like a dream… like the grass’—highlighting the transience of the prosperous/earthly life, closely echoing Ps 73:20’s ‘like a dream when one awakes.’
- Job 20:5-6 (thematic): Speaks of the brief triumph and momentary joy of the wicked—’the triumphing of the wicked is short’—paralleling Ps 73:20’s theme that the apparent success of the wicked is fleeting and ultimately scorned by God.
- Isaiah 40:6-8 (thematic): Declares that ‘all flesh is grass’ and that human glory is temporary, a common Old Testament theme of human transience that undergirds Ps 73:20’s comparison of the wicked’s state to a dream.
- James 4:14 (thematic): ‘You are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes’ echoes the same conviction of brief human existence and the vanity of worldly show found in Ps 73:20 (NT restatement of OT themes about transience).
Alternative generated candidates
- They are like a dream when one awakens; on waking you despise their phantoms.
- Like one who dreams on waking, O Lord: when you arise you despise their phantom.
Psa.73.21 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- יתחמץ: VERB,hitpael,impf,3,m,sg
- לבבי: NOUN,m,sg,suff
- וכליותי: CONJ+NOUN,f,pl,poss1cs
- אשתונן: VERB,qal,impf,1,m,sg
Parallels
- Psalm 73:3 (thematic): Both verses arise from the psalmist's reaction to seeing the wicked prosper; v.21 states the resulting embitterment that began in v.3's envy of the arrogant.
- Psalm 73:26 (structural): Verse 21's confession of inner failure and pain is resolved later in the psalm (v.26) where the speaker acknowledges bodily/heart weakness but affirms God as his strength—showing the movement from distress to trust.
- Psalm 55:4 (verbal): Uses almost identical language of inner anguish ('my heart is sore pained within me'), echoing Ps 73:21's description of a bitter, wounded heart and 'pricked' inward parts.
- Job 30:16 (thematic): Job's language about inward parts being poured out and days of affliction conveys the same theme of internal torment and bodily imagery for inner suffering found in Ps 73:21.
- Proverbs 14:10 (verbal): ‘The heart knoweth his own bitterness’ parallels the motif of private, inward bitterness expressed in Ps 73:21; both emphasize the heart's intimate knowledge of pain.
Alternative generated candidates
- So my heart was grieved, and I was pricked within my reins.
- For my heart was embittered, and the inward parts were troubled.
Psa.73.22 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ואני: PRON,1,sg
- בער: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ולא: CONJ
- אדע: VERB,qal,imperfect,1,_,sg
- בהמות: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- הייתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,sg
- עמך: NOUN,m,sg,suff-2m
Parallels
- Proverbs 30:2 (verbal): Confessional language: 'Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man' closely echoes the psalmist's admission of being senseless/like a beast.
- Ecclesiastes 3:18-19 (thematic): Reflects the theme of human beings compared to animals in their ignorance and mortality—'man has no advantage over a beast' parallels the psalmist's self‑description as beast‑like before God.
- Psalm 73:21 (structural): Immediate context in the same psalm: v.21 describes the psalmist's emotional turmoil and confusion that leads directly to the self‑reproach of v.22.
- Romans 3:11 (thematic): Paul's citation of universal human lack of understanding ('no one understands') parallels the psalmist's confession of ignorance and moral deficiency before God.
Alternative generated candidates
- Truly I was foolish and ignorant; I was like a beast before you.
- I was senseless and ignorant; I was like a beast before you.
Psa.73.23 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ואני: PRON,1,sg
- תמיד: ADV
- עמך: NOUN,m,sg,suff-2m
- אחזת: NOUN,f,sg,construct
- ביד: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ימיני: ADJ,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Psalm 139:10 (verbal): Speaks of God's guiding and holding hand—'even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me'—echoing the image of God's right hand holding the psalmist.
- Isaiah 41:10 (thematic): God's promise of presence and support—'I am with you... I will uphold you with my righteous right hand'—parallels the assurance of continual nearness and holding.
- Joshua 1:5 (thematic): God's pledge 'I will not leave you or forsake you' resonates with the theme of ongoing divine presence implied by 'I am always with you'.
- Psalm 16:8 (verbal): Affirms God's presence at the speaker's right hand—'because he is at my right hand I shall not be moved'—a closely related motif of God at the right hand.
Alternative generated candidates
- Yet I am continually with you; you hold my right hand.
- Yet I am continually with you; you have hold of my right hand.
Psa.73.24 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- בעצתך: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,cs,suff:2ms
- תנחני: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg,obj-1cs
- ואחר: CONJ
- כבוד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- תקחני: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg,suff:1cs
Parallels
- Psalm 32:8 (verbal): God promises to instruct and guide the righteous—'I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go'—closely echoing the idea of divine counsel guiding the psalmist.
- Psalm 23:3 (thematic): God as shepherd 'leads me in paths of righteousness'—parallel theme of divine guidance leading the believer onward.
- Psalm 16:11 (thematic): God shows 'the path of life' and his presence as fullness of joy—relates to being led by God’s counsel and ultimately brought into his presence/glory.
- Isaiah 48:17 (verbal): The LORD declares 'I am the LORD your God... who teaches you what is best for you, who leads you in the way you should go,' a closely parallel verbal promise of divine teaching and guidance.
- John 14:3 (thematic): Jesus' promise 'I will come again and receive you to myself' resonates with the psalm's assurance that after God’s guidance he will 'receive' the faithful to glory.
Alternative generated candidates
- You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory.
- You will guide me by your counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.
Psa.73.25 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- מי: PRON,interr,sg
- לי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- בשמים: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ועמך: NOUN,m,sg,suff-2ms
- לא: PART_NEG
- חפצתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,-,sg
- בארץ: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,def
Parallels
- Psalm 16:2 (verbal): Close verbal and thematic parallel: both declare God as the psalmist’s sole good/lord — “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you” echoes “Whom have I in heaven but you?”
- Psalm 63:1 (thematic): Shared theme of exclusive longing for God above all else: the psalmist thirsts and seeks God alone, expressing devotion that eclipses earthly desires.
- Philippians 3:8 (thematic): New Testament parallel of supreme valuation of God/Christ: Paul regards everything as loss compared to knowing Christ, reflecting the Psalm’s preference for God over all earthly things.
- Deuteronomy 4:39 (thematic): Covenantal affirmation of the Lord’s unique sovereignty — ‘the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other’ — provides a theological backdrop for the psalm’s exclusive devotion.
Alternative generated candidates
- Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
- Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is none on earth that I desire besides you.
Psa.73.26 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כלה: ADV
- שארי: NOUN,m,sg,suff
- ולבבי: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,m,sg,suff
- צור: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לבבי: NOUN,m,sg,suff
- וחלקי: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,suff
- אלהים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- לעולם: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Lamentations 3:21-24 (quotation): Explicit language: 'The LORD is my portion' and reliance on God as a sustaining hope echoes Ps 73:26's 'God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.'
- Psalm 73:25 (structural): Immediate parallel within the same psalm: v.25 expresses exclusive devotion to God ('Whom have I in heaven but you?'), which Psalm 73:26 grounds in God's sustaining presence.
- Psalm 46:1 (verbal): Both verses present God as personal strength and refuge ('God is our/ my strength'), linking physical weakness with trust in God's power.
- Isaiah 26:4 (thematic): The call to trust in the LORD 'forever, for the LORD is an everlasting rock' parallels Ps 73:26's emphasis on God as an enduring portion and strength.
- 2 Corinthians 4:16 (thematic): Paul's contrast of bodily weakening with inward endurance ('though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly...') resonates with Ps 73:26's frank acknowledgment of bodily failure but confidence in God's sustaining strength.
Alternative generated candidates
- My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
- Though my flesh and my heart fail, God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Psa.73.27 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- הנה: PART
- רחקיך: NOUN,m,pl,suf_2ms
- יאבדו: VERB,qal,impf,3,mp
- הצמתה: VERB,hiph,perf,2,m,sg
- כל: DET
- זונה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ממך: PREP+PRON,2,m,sg
Parallels
- Psalm 73:18 (structural): Immediate parallel within the same psalm: the psalmist earlier says God sets the wicked in slippery places and casts them down to ruin, echoing the theme of the ultimate destruction of those far from God.
- Psalm 37:20 (verbal): Both verses state the fate of the wicked—'the wicked will perish'—and contrast the transience of the wicked with the security of the righteous before Yahweh.
- Psalm 9:5-6 (thematic): Speaks of God rebuking nations and causing the wicked to perish and be blotted out, paralleling the theme of divine judgment on those who are against or far from God.
- Proverbs 2:22 (thematic): Describes the destiny of the righteous versus the wicked—'the wicked are cut off'—reflecting the same moral-eschatological contrast found in Ps 73:27.
Alternative generated candidates
- For behold, those who are far from you shall perish; you cut off every one who is unfaithful to you.
- For behold, those who are far from you shall perish; you destroy all who turn aside from you.
Psa.73.28 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ואני: PRON,1,sg
- קרבת: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,pl
- אלהים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- לי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- טוב: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- שתי: NUM,card,f,du
- באדני: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs+suff1cs
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- מחסי: NOUN,m,sg,abs+1s
- לספר: VERB,qal,inf
- כל: DET
- מלאכותיך: NOUN,f,pl,abs+PRON,2,sg
Parallels
- Psalm 73:25-26 (structural): Immediate context: vv.25–26 express the psalmist's devotion and dependence on God (no one else is his good), which flows into v.28's declaration that nearness to God is good and that the LORD is his refuge.
- Psalm 27:4-5 (thematic): Both passages emphasize longing for God's presence and making the LORD a refuge/dwelling place—'to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD' and finding shelter in him (nearness and refuge).
- Psalm 34:8 (verbal): Shares the language of 'good' and taking refuge in the LORD: 'Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him,' paralleling Ps 73:28's assessment that closeness to God is good and God is the psalmist's refuge.
- Psalm 119:46 (thematic): Connects with v.28's final clause ('that I may tell of all your works'): Ps 119:46 expresses the resolve to speak of God's testimonies before rulers, echoing the commitment to declare God's deeds and ways.
Alternative generated candidates
- But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have made the LORD my refuge— to tell of all your works.
- But as for me—how good it is to draw near to God! I have made the Lord God my refuge, to tell of all your works.
A Psalm of Asaph. Surely God is good to Israel, to the pure in heart. But for me, my feet almost slipped; my steps had nearly faltered.
For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
For there are no pangs of death for them; their bodies are full and sound.
In the toils of men they have no toil; they are not touched like other people.
Therefore pride is their necklace; violence clothes them like a garment.
Their eyes bulge from fat; the imaginations of their heart overflow.
They scoff and speak wickedly; from on high they utter words of oppression.
Their mouths are raised to heaven, and their tongue prowls through the earth.
Therefore their people return to them, and streams of plenty are poured out for them. And they say, “How should God know? Is there knowledge with the Most High?”
Behold, these are the wicked; and they prosper in the world; they increase in riches.
Surely in vain have I cleansed my heart and washed my hands in innocence;
for I was afflicted all day long and rebuked every morning.
If I had said, “I will speak thus,” I would have betrayed the generation of your children.
When I pondered to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task—
until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their latter end.
Truly you set them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin.
How suddenly they are ruined! They are utterly swept away in a moment; they perish by terrors.
Like a dream when one awakes—O Lord—when you arise you despise their image.
When my heart was embittered and my inner parts were distressed,
I was senseless and ignorant; I behaved like a beast before you.
Yet I am continually with you; you hold my right hand.
With your counsel you will guide me, and afterward you will receive me to glory.
Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
For behold, those who are far from you shall perish; you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you. But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the LORD my refuge—To tell of all your works.