Psalm 73

The Book of Psalms is divided into five books. Book II closes with Psalm 72, which ends, "The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended" (Psalm 72:20), and Book III (Psalms 73–89) begins with this psalm. Book III opens with eleven psalms of Asaph (Psalms 73–83).

Outline

• Verse 1 The psalm opens with the confession that God is good to those who are of a clean heart.
• Verses 2–3 The psalmist admits that he was envious when he saw the prosperity of the wicked and that his feet had almost slipped.
• Verses 4–12 The wicked are free of trouble and wear pride and violence like a garment. Though they say, "How doth God know?" they are always at ease, and their riches increase.
• Verses 13–14 The psalmist laments that he has cleansed his heart in vain, for he is plagued all the day long.
• Verses 15–17 He refrains from voicing these thoughts, judging that to say such things aloud would betray God's people. Only when he goes into the sanctuary of God does he understand the end of the wicked.
• Verses 18–20 The wicked stand in slippery places and are suddenly brought to desolation; they are despised like a dream when one awakes.
• Verses 21–22 The psalmist confesses that he was foolish, like a beast, before the Lord.
• Verses 23–26 The Lord is continually with him and holds him by his right hand. The psalmist sings that there is none in heaven or on earth he desires besides the Lord, and that God is the rock of his heart and his portion forever.
• Verses 27–28 The psalm concludes that those who are far from the Lord will perish, and that it is good to draw near to God.

Key Verses

• Psalm 73:17 "Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end." At this verse the psalm turns from lament to assurance.
• Psalm 73:25–26 "Whom have I in heaven but thee?" This passage is the most concentrated expression of the psalm's confession of faith. For more detail, see the article Psalm 73:25–26.
• Psalm 73:28 "But it is good for me to draw near to God." As the conclusion of the entire psalm, this verse redefines what true blessing is.

People and Places

• Asaph: His name appears in the superscription. First Chronicles records him as a Levite in charge of temple music in the time of David. Some hold that Asaph himself composed this psalm; others regard it as the work of a family guild of singers who bore his name.
• The sanctuary of God: The holy place where God is worshiped. It is commonly understood to refer to the Temple in Jerusalem.

Points for Reflection

• Scholars often classify this psalm as a wisdom psalm, sharing the character of wisdom literature. The question of the suffering of the righteous and the prosperity of the wicked also appears in Psalm 37, the Book of Job, and Jeremiah 12.
• Some scholars have proposed dividing the Hebrew consonants of "Israel" in verse 1 differently so as to read "the upright."
• The Hebrew text of verse 10 is difficult, and its meaning varies considerably among translations.
• Interpretations differ on verse 24, "and afterward receive me to glory." Some read it as the hope of being received by God after death; others read it as the restoration of honor in this life.
• The word "portion" in verse 26 is understood as evoking the Levitical tradition, in which the Levites received no land as an inheritance (an allotted share) but had God as their portion.
• "Such as are of a clean heart" in verse 1 is often read alongside "the pure in heart" (Matthew 5:8) in the Beatitudes.

In the Korean Church

Verse 28, "it is good for me to draw near to God," is widely used as a church motto and as a memory verse. Verses 25–26 are also frequently quoted in sermons and confessions of faith.