King James Version
Psalms 73
28 verses with commentary
God Is Good to the Pure in Heart
A Psalm of Asaph. Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart. of: or, for Truly: or, Yet of: Heb. clean of heart
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.</strong> This opening declaration establishes the psalm's theological foundation before the psalmist recounts his crisis of faith. The Hebrew word <em>akh</em> (אַךְ, "truly" or "surely") is an emphatic particle expressing a conclusion reached after struggle. Asaph has worked through his doubts and now affirms what he almos...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(1) **Truly.**—See Note, Psalm 62:2. This particle often, like the Latin *at, *introduces a rejoinder to some supposed statement.
Dryden’s lines express the feeling of this opening—
“Yet sure the gods are good! I would fain think so,
If they would give me leave!
But virtue in distress, and vice in triumph,
Make atheists of mankind.”
The question arises whether the second clause of the verse limits...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
35-36. of which a picture is given, under the figure of a flourishing tree (compare Margin), which soon withers.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 73
Chapter Outline
The psalmist's temptation.(1-14)
How he gained a victory over it.(15-20)
How he profited by it.(21-28)
**Verses 1-14**
The psalmist was strongly tempted to envy the prosperity of the wicked; a common temptation, which has tried the graces of many saints. But he lays down the great principle by which he resolved to abide. It is the goodness of God. T...
Read full commentary →But as for me, my feet were almost gone ; my steps had well nigh slipped.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped.</strong> Having stated the truth in verse 1, Asaph now confesses how close he came to abandoning it. The Hebrew construction <em>va'ani</em> (וַאֲנִי, "but as for me") creates a sharp contrast with the theological affirmation just made. The emphatic personal pronoun highlights the tension between objective truth and s...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(2) **Slipped.**—Literally, *were poured out. *This metaphor for weakness and instability is obvious. Comp.
“Dissolvuntur enim turn demum membra *fluuntque.”*
LUCRETIUS, iv. 920.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
35-36. of which a picture is given, under the figure of a flourishing tree (compare Margin), which soon withers.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 73
Chapter Outline
The psalmist's temptation.(1-14)
How he gained a victory over it.(15-20)
How he profited by it.(21-28)
**Verses 1-14**
The psalmist was strongly tempted to envy the prosperity of the wicked; a common temptation, which has tried the graces of many saints. But he lays down the great principle by which he resolved to abide. It is the goodness of God. T...
Read full commentary →For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.</strong> Asaph now identifies the cause of his near-fall: envy triggered by observing wicked people prospering. The Hebrew <em>qinna</em> (קִנֵּאתִי, "I was envious") denotes jealousy, passionate desire for what another possesses. This emotion, though natural, becomes spiritually dangerous when directed toward the u...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(3) **Foolish.**—Better, *arrogant.*
**When I saw.**—Perhaps the conjunction is wrongly supplied, and the word “saw” here is synonymous with “envied” in the first clause. (Comp. Latin *invideo.*)
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
37. By "the end" is meant reward (Pr 23:18; 24:14), or expectation of success, as in Psa 37:38, which describes the end of the wicked in contrast, and that is cut off (compare Psa 73:17).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 73
Chapter Outline
The psalmist's temptation.(1-14)
How he gained a victory over it.(15-20)
How he profited by it.(21-28)
**Verses 1-14**
The psalmist was strongly tempted to envy the prosperity of the wicked; a common temptation, which has tried the graces of many saints. But he lays down the great principle by which he resolved to abide. It is the goodness of God. T...
Read full commentary →For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm. firm: Heb. fat
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KJV Study Commentary
Observing that the wicked have 'no bands in their death' and their 'strength is firm' suggests they die peacefully and live comfortably. This contradicts expected divine justice—shouldn't sinners suffer and the righteous prosper? The apparent anomaly creates the psalm's crisis. Yet temporal prosperity is deceptive; without Christ, a comfortable death leads to eternal judgment (Luke 16:19-31). The ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(4) **For there are** **no bands in their death.**—This is quite unintelligible, and does not fairly render the Hebrew, which gives, *For there are no bands to their death. *And by analogy of the derivation of *tormenta *from *tor queo, *we might give the Hebrew word *bands *the sense *of pangs, *rendering, “they have a painless death,” if such a statement about the wicked were not quite out of ke...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**38. together--**at once; entirely (Psa 4:8).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 73
Chapter Outline
The psalmist's temptation.(1-14)
How he gained a victory over it.(15-20)
How he profited by it.(21-28)
**Verses 1-14**
The psalmist was strongly tempted to envy the prosperity of the wicked; a common temptation, which has tried the graces of many saints. But he lays down the great principle by which he resolved to abide. It is the goodness of God. T...
Read full commentary →They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men. in: Heb. in the trouble of other men like: Heb. with
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KJV Study Commentary
The wicked are 'not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men.' They seem exempt from normal human suffering—no financial stress, health problems, or relational conflicts. This exemption offends the righteous who do suffer despite faithfulness. Yet immunity from earthly troubles may indicate immunity from divine discipline—God corrects His children (Hebrews 12:6) but leaves ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**39-40. strength--**(Psa 27:1; 28:8).
**trouble--**straits (Psa 9:9; 10:1). In trust and quietness is the salvation of the pious from all foes and all their devices.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 73
Chapter Outline
The psalmist's temptation.(1-14)
How he gained a victory over it.(15-20)
How he profited by it.(21-28)
**Verses 1-14**
The psalmist was strongly tempted to envy the prosperity of the wicked; a common temptation, which has tried the graces of many saints. But he lays down the great principle by which he resolved to abide. It is the goodness of God. T...
Read full commentary →Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment.
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KJV Study Commentary
Pride adorns the wicked like a chain (jewelry worn proudly), and violence covers them like a garment (clothing worn daily). Their character traits—arrogance and brutality—are displayed openly, not hidden in shame. They're unashamed of qualities Scripture condemns. This moral inversion, where evil is celebrated rather than mourned, marks advanced cultural decay (Isaiah 5:20). Yet God opposes the pr...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(6) **Therefore.**—Better,
“Therefore pride is their necklace,
And violence their mantle.”
The first metaphor might have been suggested either by the fact that the rich lavished large sums on jewellery, especially necklaces (see Note, Song of Solomon 1:10), or possibly from the usual description of the proud as “stiffnecked.”
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**39-40. strength--**(Psa 27:1; 28:8).
**trouble--**straits (Psa 9:9; 10:1). In trust and quietness is the salvation of the pious from all foes and all their devices.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 73
Chapter Outline
The psalmist's temptation.(1-14)
How he gained a victory over it.(15-20)
How he profited by it.(21-28)
**Verses 1-14**
The psalmist was strongly tempted to envy the prosperity of the wicked; a common temptation, which has tried the graces of many saints. But he lays down the great principle by which he resolved to abide. It is the goodness of God. T...
Read full commentary →Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish. have: Heb. pass the thoughts of the heart
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KJV Study Commentary
Their eyes 'stand out with fatness' suggests excessive indulgence producing physical corpulence. 'They have more than heart could wish' means they exceed even their own greedy desires. This describes people whose lives revolve around material accumulation and sensual pleasure. Yet Jesus warns that a person's life doesn't consist in abundance of possessions (Luke 12:15). The rich fool's barns were ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(7) **Stand out with fatness.**—Literally, *go out from fat. *Which, if referring to the appearance, is exactly the opposite to what we should expect. *Sunken in fat *would express the idea of gross sensuality. The *eyes *and *heart *are evidently used as in Jeremiah 22:17, the *eyes *as giving the outward index of what the *heart *wishes; and if we take the *eyes *here to mean not the organs of s...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 73
Chapter Outline
The psalmist's temptation.(1-14)
How he gained a victory over it.(15-20)
How he profited by it.(21-28)
**Verses 1-14**
The psalmist was strongly tempted to envy the prosperity of the wicked; a common temptation, which has tried the graces of many saints. But he lays down the great principle by which he resolved to abide. It is the goodness of God. T...
Read full commentary →They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily.
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KJV Study Commentary
The wicked 'corrupt' others through their speech, speaking 'wickedly concerning oppression' from their lofty position. They use rhetorical skill to justify exploitation and pervert justice. Speaking 'loftily' indicates arrogant confidence that their power immunizes them from consequences. This describes corrupt leaders who twist language to legitimize injustice. Yet God hears every word (Matthew 1...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(8) **They are corrupt . . .**—This, which is the Rabbinical rendering, is now universally abandoned in favour of another derivation of the verb. The Masoretic arrangement of the clauses may be also improved on:
*“*They scoff and speak of wickedness,
Of violence from their eminence they speak,”
where the first clause means, *they speak mockingly of wickedness, *or *make a jest of sin.*
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
PSALM 38 Psa 38:1-22. To bring to remembrance, or, remind God of His mercy and himself of his sin. Appealing to God for relief from His heavy chastisement, the Psalmist avows his integrity before men, complains of the defection of friends and persecution of enemies, and in a submissive spirit, casting himself on God, with penitent confession he pleads God's covenant relation and his innocence of t...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 73
Chapter Outline
The psalmist's temptation.(1-14)
How he gained a victory over it.(15-20)
How he profited by it.(21-28)
**Verses 1-14**
The psalmist was strongly tempted to envy the prosperity of the wicked; a common temptation, which has tried the graces of many saints. But he lays down the great principle by which he resolved to abide. It is the goodness of God. T...
Read full commentary →They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth.
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KJV Study Commentary
Setting their mouth 'against the heavens' means blaspheming God directly. Their tongue 'walketh through the earth' suggests pervasive influence—their evil speech spreads everywhere. This describes comprehensive rebellion: vertical (against God) and horizontal (corrupting society). Their words violate both tables of the law. Yet God's truth will ultimately silence all blasphemy (Revelation 21:8), a...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(9) **They set.**—The last clause is repeated here under a figure more defined:
“They have set their mouth in [not *against] *the heavens,
While their tongue walketh through the earth.”
an image very expressive of a towering pride, *vaunting *itself to the skies, and trumpeting its own praises through the world.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
PSALM 38 Psa 38:1-22. To bring to remembrance, or, remind God of His mercy and himself of his sin. Appealing to God for relief from His heavy chastisement, the Psalmist avows his integrity before men, complains of the defection of friends and persecution of enemies, and in a submissive spirit, casting himself on God, with penitent confession he pleads God's covenant relation and his innocence of t...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 73
Chapter Outline
The psalmist's temptation.(1-14)
How he gained a victory over it.(15-20)
How he profited by it.(21-28)
**Verses 1-14**
The psalmist was strongly tempted to envy the prosperity of the wicked; a common temptation, which has tried the graces of many saints. But he lays down the great principle by which he resolved to abide. It is the goodness of God. T...
Read full commentary →Therefore his people return hither: and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them.
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KJV Study Commentary
The people 'return hither' and 'waters of a full cup are wrung out to them' depicts masses following wicked leaders and imbibing their lies fully. The full cup represents complete acceptance of corrupt ideology. This shows how influential the wicked become, drawing crowds to themselves. Yet popularity doesn't validate truth; broad is the way to destruction (Matthew 7:13). Believers must resist cul...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(10) **Therefore.**—The Prayer Book version has undoubtedly caught the meaning here. It plainly describes the popularity gained (the surest way) by the self-applause described in the preceding verse. This version depends on the Hebrew margin, *Therefore do the people turn hither *(*i.e., to *them), *and full waters *(*i.e., *a cup full of adulation and flattery) *are sucked out by them.*
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
PSALM 38 Psa 38:1-22. To bring to remembrance, or, remind God of His mercy and himself of his sin. Appealing to God for relief from His heavy chastisement, the Psalmist avows his integrity before men, complains of the defection of friends and persecution of enemies, and in a submissive spirit, casting himself on God, with penitent confession he pleads God's covenant relation and his innocence of t...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 73
Chapter Outline
The psalmist's temptation.(1-14)
How he gained a victory over it.(15-20)
How he profited by it.(21-28)
**Verses 1-14**
The psalmist was strongly tempted to envy the prosperity of the wicked; a common temptation, which has tried the graces of many saints. But he lays down the great principle by which he resolved to abide. It is the goodness of God. T...
Read full commentary →And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High?
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KJV Study Commentary
The wicked ask, 'How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High?' This questions God's omniscience and moral governance. If God doesn't know or care about injustice, they can act wickedly without consequence. This practical atheism denies divine oversight even while giving lip service to God's existence. Yet 'the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth' (2 Chronicles...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(11-14) The mutual relation of these verses has been the subject of many conflicting opinions. The following is the arrangement that seems preferable—
“And people say, How shall God know?
And does the Most High take notice of it?
Lo! there are wicked men, And yet, always at ease, they amass riches.
It is in vain then that I have kept my heart pure.
And washed my hands in innocence;
For I have been...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
PSALM 38 Psa 38:1-22. To bring to remembrance, or, remind God of His mercy and himself of his sin. Appealing to God for relief from His heavy chastisement, the Psalmist avows his integrity before men, complains of the defection of friends and persecution of enemies, and in a submissive spirit, casting himself on God, with penitent confession he pleads God's covenant relation and his innocence of t...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 73
Chapter Outline
The psalmist's temptation.(1-14)
How he gained a victory over it.(15-20)
How he profited by it.(21-28)
**Verses 1-14**
The psalmist was strongly tempted to envy the prosperity of the wicked; a common temptation, which has tried the graces of many saints. But he lays down the great principle by which he resolved to abide. It is the goodness of God. T...
Read full commentary →Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.
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KJV Study Commentary
The summary 'these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches' restates the problem: wicked people succeed materially. This observation challenged covenant theology that promised blessing for obedience. The psalmist's temptation was concluding that righteousness is futile if wickedness produces prosperity. Yet temporal wealth is fleeting (1 Timothy 6:17), while righteousnes...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
5-8. The loathsomeness, corruption, and wasting torture of severe physical disease set forth his mental anguish [Psa 38:6]. It is possible some bodily disease was connected. The
loins are the seat of strength. His exhaustion left him only the power to groan [Psa 38:9].
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 73
Chapter Outline
The psalmist's temptation.(1-14)
How he gained a victory over it.(15-20)
How he profited by it.(21-28)
**Verses 1-14**
The psalmist was strongly tempted to envy the prosperity of the wicked; a common temptation, which has tried the graces of many saints. But he lays down the great principle by which he resolved to abide. It is the goodness of God. T...
Read full commentary →Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency.
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KJV Study Commentary
The psalmist's despairing conclusion: 'Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain; and washed my hands in innocency for nought.' If righteousness brings no advantage and wickedness no disadvantage, why pursue holiness? This represents the crisis point before resolution. The temptation is abandoning righteousness when it doesn't pay immediate dividends. Yet verse 17 will reverse this conclusion when e...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
5-8. The loathsomeness, corruption, and wasting torture of severe physical disease set forth his mental anguish [Psa 38:6]. It is possible some bodily disease was connected. The
loins are the seat of strength. His exhaustion left him only the power to groan [Psa 38:9].
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 73
Chapter Outline
The psalmist's temptation.(1-14)
How he gained a victory over it.(15-20)
How he profited by it.(21-28)
**Verses 1-14**
The psalmist was strongly tempted to envy the prosperity of the wicked; a common temptation, which has tried the graces of many saints. But he lays down the great principle by which he resolved to abide. It is the goodness of God. T...
Read full commentary →For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning. chastened: Heb. my chastisement was
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KJV Study Commentary
The righteous experience continual plague—'all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.' This contrasts sharply with verse 5's description of the wicked's exemption from trouble. Daily discipline seems to punish rather than reward faithfulness. Yet Hebrews 12:6-11 reinterprets this: God's chastening proves sonship, producing righteousness's peaceful fruit. The 'plague' is act...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
5-8. The loathsomeness, corruption, and wasting torture of severe physical disease set forth his mental anguish [Psa 38:6]. It is possible some bodily disease was connected. The
loins are the seat of strength. His exhaustion left him only the power to groan [Psa 38:9].
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 73
Chapter Outline
The psalmist's temptation.(1-14)
How he gained a victory over it.(15-20)
How he profited by it.(21-28)
**Verses 1-14**
The psalmist was strongly tempted to envy the prosperity of the wicked; a common temptation, which has tried the graces of many saints. But he lays down the great principle by which he resolved to abide. It is the goodness of God. T...
Read full commentary →If I say, I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children.
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KJV Study Commentary
The psalmist restrains himself: 'If I say, I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children.' Public expression of doubt would damage other believers' faith. This shows pastoral concern—not broadcasting struggles that might shipwreck weaker saints. Honesty with God doesn't require publicizing every doubt to the congregation. Mature believers guard their influence, ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(15) **If I say . . .**—Or, *If, thought I, I should reason thus, I should be faithless to the generation of thy sons. *Or, perhaps, *if it ever occurred to my mind to speak thus, *the Hebrew often using two finite verbs to express one thought. (See, *e.g., *Psalm 73:8; Psalm 73:19.)
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
5-8. The loathsomeness, corruption, and wasting torture of severe physical disease set forth his mental anguish [Psa 38:6]. It is possible some bodily disease was connected. The
loins are the seat of strength. His exhaustion left him only the power to groan [Psa 38:9].
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-20**
The psalmist having shown the progress of his temptation, shows how faith and grace prevailed. He kept up respect for God's people, and with that he restrained himself from speaking what he had thought amiss. It is a sign that we repent of the evil thoughts of the heart, if we suppress them. Nothing gives more offence to God's children, than to say it is vain to serve God; for...
Read full commentary →When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me; too: Heb. labour in mine eyes
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KJV Study Commentary
The attempt to understand through reason—'When I thought to know this'—failed: 'it was too painful for me.' Human intellect alone cannot resolve theodicy's mysteries. The problem of evil and prosperity's distribution exceed rational explanation without divine revelation. This intellectual humility recognizes that finite minds cannot comprehend infinite wisdom (Isaiah 55:8-9). Resolution requires n...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(16) **When I thought . . .***—i.e., when I reflected in order to know this*—when I tried to think the matter out, get at the bottom of it. (For the sense of the verb, comp. Psalm 78:5; Proverbs 16:9.)
**It was too painful.**—See margin.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
9. That God can hear (Ro 8:26).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-20**
The psalmist having shown the progress of his temptation, shows how faith and grace prevailed. He kept up respect for God's people, and with that he restrained himself from speaking what he had thought amiss. It is a sign that we repent of the evil thoughts of the heart, if we suppress them. Nothing gives more offence to God's children, than to say it is vain to serve God; for...
Read full commentary →Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.</strong> This verse marks the psalm's decisive turning point. After cataloguing the prosperity of the wicked (verses 4-12) and confessing his own despair (verses 13-16), Asaph identifies the moment when his perspective transformed. The Hebrew <em>ad</em> (עַד, "until") signals the transition from confusion to clarity.<br>...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(17) **Then understood I . . .**—Rather, *I considered their end. *The Temple service, with its blessings on righteousness, and stern warnings against wickedness, as they were read from the Book of the Law or from one of the prophets, or were chanted from some ancient song, gave the needed turn to the psalmist’s speculations. He began to think not of the present, but the future; not of the advanta...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**10. My heart panteth--**as if barely surviving.
**light ... from me--**utter exhaustion (Psa 6:7; 13:3).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-20**
The psalmist having shown the progress of his temptation, shows how faith and grace prevailed. He kept up respect for God's people, and with that he restrained himself from speaking what he had thought amiss. It is a sign that we repent of the evil thoughts of the heart, if we suppress them. Nothing gives more offence to God's children, than to say it is vain to serve God; for...
Read full commentary →Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction.
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KJV Study Commentary
After gaining God's perspective, the psalmist recognizes: 'Surely thou didst set them in slippery places; thou castedst them down into destruction.' The wicked's prosperity is precarious—slippery footing before inevitable fall. God sovereignly positions them for judgment; their destruction isn't accidental but divinely ordained. This echoes Proverbs 16:18—pride precedes destruction. What looked li...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
11-12. Friends desert, but foes increase in malignity.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-20**
The psalmist having shown the progress of his temptation, shows how faith and grace prevailed. He kept up respect for God's people, and with that he restrained himself from speaking what he had thought amiss. It is a sign that we repent of the evil thoughts of the heart, if we suppress them. Nothing gives more offence to God's children, than to say it is vain to serve God; for...
Read full commentary →How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors.
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KJV Study Commentary
The wicked's destruction comes suddenly: 'How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors.' Instantaneous judgment contrasts with long prosperity—years of ease end in moment of terror. 'Utterly consumed' emphasizes completeness; nothing remains. This describes both temporal judgments (sudden calamities) and eternal judgment (the rich man's immediate tor...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(19) **In a moment.**—Literally, *in a wink. *(Comp. “In the twinkling of an eye.”)
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
11-12. Friends desert, but foes increase in malignity.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-20**
The psalmist having shown the progress of his temptation, shows how faith and grace prevailed. He kept up respect for God's people, and with that he restrained himself from speaking what he had thought amiss. It is a sign that we repent of the evil thoughts of the heart, if we suppress them. Nothing gives more offence to God's children, than to say it is vain to serve God; for...
Read full commentary →As a dream when one awaketh; so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image.
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KJV Study Commentary
The wicked's life is compared to a dream upon waking: 'As a dream when one awaketh; so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image.' Dreams seem real during sleep but vanish upon waking, leaving nothing substantial. Similarly, the wicked's prosperity seems significant now but will prove insubstantial when God 'awakens' to judge. 'Despise their image' means reject their pretensions a...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(20) **As** **a dream.**—Better,
“As a man on waking (despises) his dream,
So, O Lord, on rousing thyself, thou wilt
Despise their shadow.”
an image of the result of the Divine judgment on the vain and boastful tyrants, which may be illustrated by Henry V.’s rising with his royalty to self-respect:—
“I have long dreamt of such a kind of man,
So surfeit-swell’d, so old, and so profane;
But, being a...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
13-14. He patiently submits, uttering no reproaches or replies (Joh 19:9) to their insulting speeches;
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-20**
The psalmist having shown the progress of his temptation, shows how faith and grace prevailed. He kept up respect for God's people, and with that he restrained himself from speaking what he had thought amiss. It is a sign that we repent of the evil thoughts of the heart, if we suppress them. Nothing gives more offence to God's children, than to say it is vain to serve God; for...
Read full commentary →Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins.
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KJV Study Commentary
The psalmist confesses: 'Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins.' The emotional turmoil ('grieved') and visceral pain ('pricked in my reins'—kidneys, seat of deepest feelings) describe the agony of his theological crisis. Doubting God's justice caused profound internal suffering. This validates that spiritual struggles affect us emotionally and physically. Yet this pain drove him...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(21) **Grieved.**—Literally, *grew sour; *or, as we say, “was soured.”
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
13-14. He patiently submits, uttering no reproaches or replies (Joh 19:9) to their insulting speeches;
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 21-28**
God would not suffer his people to be tempted, if his grace were not sufficient, not only to save them from harm, but to make them gainers by it. This temptation, the working of envy and discontent, is very painful. In reflecting upon it, the psalmist owns it was his folly and ignorance thus to vex himself. If good men, at any time, through the surprise and strength of temptat...
Read full commentary →So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee. ignorant: Heb. I knew not before Heb. with
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KJV Study Commentary
The confession deepens: 'So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee.' The psalmist acknowledges his animal-like perspective—focused only on immediate, temporal realities like brute beasts. Lacking eternal perspective reduced him to creature-level thinking, unable to comprehend God's purposes. This humility prepares for restored relationship. Admitting foolishness is the first ste...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(22) **Foolish.**—Better, *brutish.*
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
15-17. for he is confident the
**Lord--**literally, "Sovereign" (to whom he was a servant), would answer his prayer (Psa 3:4; 4:1), and not permit their triumph in his partial halting, of which he was in danger.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 21-28**
God would not suffer his people to be tempted, if his grace were not sufficient, not only to save them from harm, but to make them gainers by it. This temptation, the working of envy and discontent, is very painful. In reflecting upon it, the psalmist owns it was his folly and ignorance thus to vex himself. If good men, at any time, through the surprise and strength of temptat...
Read full commentary →Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand.
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KJV Study Commentary
Despite foolishness, 'Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand.' The 'nevertheless' is stunning—despite the psalmist's beast-like thinking, God maintained relationship. 'Continually' emphasizes God's faithfulness versus human fickleness. 'Thou hast holden' shows divine initiative preserving the relationship. God's grip on His people is stronger than their grip ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
15-17. for he is confident the
**Lord--**literally, "Sovereign" (to whom he was a servant), would answer his prayer (Psa 3:4; 4:1), and not permit their triumph in his partial halting, of which he was in danger.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 21-28**
God would not suffer his people to be tempted, if his grace were not sufficient, not only to save them from harm, but to make them gainers by it. This temptation, the working of envy and discontent, is very painful. In reflecting upon it, the psalmist owns it was his folly and ignorance thus to vex himself. If good men, at any time, through the surprise and strength of temptat...
Read full commentary →Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.
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KJV Study Commentary
God 'will guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.' Divine guidance through Scripture and Spirit directs life's journey. 'Afterward receive me to glory' promises ultimate glorification. This links sanctification (present guidance) with glorification (future reception). The journey has a destination: being received into God's glorious presence. This hope sustains through presen...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(24) **To glory.**—Better, *With honour, *as LXX. and Vulg.; or *achar *may be taken as a preposition: *Lead me after honour**, **i.e., *in the way to get it.
The thought is not of a reward after death, but of that true honour which would have been lost by adopting the views of the worldly, and is only to be gained by loyalty to God.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
15-17. for he is confident the
**Lord--**literally, "Sovereign" (to whom he was a servant), would answer his prayer (Psa 3:4; 4:1), and not permit their triumph in his partial halting, of which he was in danger.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 21-28**
God would not suffer his people to be tempted, if his grace were not sufficient, not only to save them from harm, but to make them gainers by it. This temptation, the working of envy and discontent, is very painful. In reflecting upon it, the psalmist owns it was his folly and ignorance thus to vex himself. If good men, at any time, through the surprise and strength of temptat...
Read full commentary →Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.</strong> This verse represents the summit of Asaph's transformed perspective—and one of the most profound expressions of devotion in Scripture. Having seen the wicked's ultimate destruction (verses 18-20), Asaph now declares what he has gained: God Himself.<br><br>"Whom have I in heaven but thee?" (<em>...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(25) **And there . . .**—Or, *Besides thee I have no delight on earth.*
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
18. Consciousness of sin makes suffering pungent, and suffering, rightly received, leads to confession.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 21-28**
God would not suffer his people to be tempted, if his grace were not sufficient, not only to save them from harm, but to make them gainers by it. This temptation, the working of envy and discontent, is very painful. In reflecting upon it, the psalmist owns it was his folly and ignorance thus to vex himself. If good men, at any time, through the surprise and strength of temptat...
Read full commentary →My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. strength: Heb. rock
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.</strong> Asaph now acknowledges human frailty while affirming divine sufficiency. This verse contains both confession and confidence, both present weakness and eternal security.<br><br>"My flesh and my heart faileth" (<em>kalah she'eri ulevavi</em>, כָּלָה שְׁאֵרִי וּלְבָבִי) uses <em>kalah</em>, m...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
19-20. Still, while humbled before God, he is the victim of deadly enemies, full of malice and treachery.
**enemies are lively--**literally, "of life," who would take my life, that is, deadly.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 21-28**
God would not suffer his people to be tempted, if his grace were not sufficient, not only to save them from harm, but to make them gainers by it. This temptation, the working of envy and discontent, is very painful. In reflecting upon it, the psalmist owns it was his folly and ignorance thus to vex himself. If good men, at any time, through the surprise and strength of temptat...
Read full commentary →For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee.
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KJV Study Commentary
The contrast with verse 25's devotion is stark: 'For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish; thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee.' Distance from God means destruction. 'Go a whoring' uses adultery imagery for idolatry—loving anything more than God. This spiritual adultery warrants judgment. The psalm resolves: proximity to God brings life (v. 28); distance brings death....
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
19-20. Still, while humbled before God, he is the victim of deadly enemies, full of malice and treachery.
**enemies are lively--**literally, "of life," who would take my life, that is, deadly.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 21-28**
God would not suffer his people to be tempted, if his grace were not sufficient, not only to save them from harm, but to make them gainers by it. This temptation, the working of envy and discontent, is very painful. In reflecting upon it, the psalmist owns it was his folly and ignorance thus to vex himself. If good men, at any time, through the surprise and strength of temptat...
Read full commentary →But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works.</strong> The psalm concludes with Asaph's settled resolution, answering the crisis that began in verse 2. The opening word "but" (<em>va'ani</em>, וַאֲנִי, "but as for me") echoes the same phrase from verse 2, creating an inclusio that frames the psalm's journey.<br><br>"It is ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(28) **Works.**—Not God’s doings, but *works *prescribed to the psalmist, messages entrusted to him; no doubt here the conclusions he had come to, or the truths that had been revealed to him, in contrast with the false opinions from which he had been freed.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
21-22. (Compare Psa 22:19; 35:3). All terms of frequent use. In this Psalm the language is generally susceptible of application to Christ as a sufferer, David, as such, typifying Him. This does not require us to apply the confessions of sin, but only the pains or penalties which He bore for us.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 21-28**
God would not suffer his people to be tempted, if his grace were not sufficient, not only to save them from harm, but to make them gainers by it. This temptation, the working of envy and discontent, is very painful. In reflecting upon it, the psalmist owns it was his folly and ignorance thus to vex himself. If good men, at any time, through the surprise and strength of temptat...
Read full commentary →