Psalms 73:12

73:1-14 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. This is a truth which cannot be shaken. Good thoughts of God will fortify against Satan's temptations. The faith even of strong believers may be sorely shaken, and ready to fail. There are storms that will try the firmest anchors. Foolish and wicked people have sometimes a great share of outward prosperity. They seem to have the least share of the troubles of this life; and they seem to have the greatest share of its comforts. They live without the fear of God, yet they prosper, and get on in the world. Wicked men often spend their lives without much sickness, and end them without great pain; while many godly persons scarcely know what health is, and die with great sufferings. Often the wicked are not frightened, either by the remembrance of their sins, or the prospect of their misery, but they die without terror. We cannot judge men's state beyond death, by what passes at their death. He looked abroad, and saw many of God's people greatly at a loss. Because the wicked are so very daring, therefore his people return hither; they know not what to say to it, and the rather, because they drink deep of the bitter cup of affliction. He spoke feelingly when he spoke of his own troubles; there is no disputing against sense, except by faith.

From all this arose a strong temptation to cast off religion. But let us learn that the true course of sanctification consists in cleansing a man from all pollution both of soul and body. The heart is cleansed by the blood of Christ laid hold upon by faith; and by the begun works of the Lord's Spirit, manifested in the hearty resolution, purpose, and study of holiness, and a blameless course of life and actions, the hands are cleansed. It is not in vain to serve God and keep his ordinances.

Behold, these are the ungodly,.... Who say and do as before declared; such as these must be without the knowledge of God, the fear, love, and worship of him: who prosper in the world; in worldly and temporal things, in their bodies and outward estates, but not in their souls and spiritual things: "in this world", as the Targum is; all their prosperity is here; their good things are in this life, their evil things will be in that to come; though ungodly, they prosper in the world, and as long as they are in it; or they are at peace and in case, and are quiet; they have nothing to disturb them, they are not in outward trouble, and their sins do not distress them, and they have no concern about another world: they increase in riches; which they are in the pursuit of, and overtake and enjoy in great abundance; whereby they become mighty and powerful, as the word (o) for "riches" signifies: these words are the observation of the psalmist, and which was the occasion of the following temptation he was led into. (o) "vires", Junius & Tremellius; "potentiam", Piscator.

Psalm 73:12 . Behold, these are the ungodly who prosper in the world — This is their condition and behaviour in it. “The temptation is now stated in its full force. As if he had said, These worthless, ungodly, blasphemous wretches, whose characters I have been delineating, these are the men who prosper in the world, who succeed in every thing they undertake, and roll in riches! What are we to think of God, his providence, and his promises?”

Verse 12. - Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; rather, and they prosper always. They increase in riches. This is the impression which the psalmist has received from the general course of human affairs in his day. It is closely allied to the view taken by Job ( Job 21:7-15 ). Psalm 73:12

12 . Behold, such are the wicked! And being always at ease they have gotten much substance. At ease is a favourite word in Job: e.g. Job 3:26 ; Psalm 12:6 (A.V. prosper ); Job 16:12 ; Job 20:20 ; Job 21:23 ; cp. Jeremiah 12:1 . 12–14 . The Psalmist’s temptation as he contemplated the scene. Some commentators regard these verses as the continuation of the speech in Psalm 73:11 , giving the thoughts of the followers of the wicked, the speaker in Psalm 73:13-14 being any individual among them. But it is preferable to regard them as the words of the Psalmist himself, expressing the thoughts which he had been tempted to indulge. (1) The form of the sentence, Behold, such &c., points to a summing up (cp. Job 5:27 ; Job 8:19-20 ; Job 18:21 ); (2) ‘the wicked’ is a more natural designation for the Psalmist than for their own followers to use; (3) there is nothing to shew that the speaker in Psalm 73:15 is another than the speaker in Psalm 73:13-14 ; (4) the LXX (followed by the P.B.V.) inserts And I said at the beginning of Psalm 73:13 .

Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world - This is also to be understood as the language of the good man perplexed and embarrassed by the fact that the wicked are prosperous and happy. The meaning is, "Lo, these are wicked people - people of undoubted depravity; they are people who live regardless of God; and yet they are peaceful, tranquil, happy, prospered." This was one of the facts which so much embarrassed the psalmist. If there had been any doubt about the character of those people, the case would have been different. But there was none. They were people whose character for wickedness was well known, and yet they were permitted to live in peace and prosperity, as if they were the favorites of heaven. The literal meaning of the words rendered "who prosper in the world" is, "tranquil (or secure) for the age;" that is, forever, or constantly. They know no changes; they see no reverses; they are the same through life. They are always tranquil, calm, happy, successful. They increase in riches - literally, "They become great in substance." They make constant accumulations in wealth, until they become great.

The persons speaking are now those apostates who, deluded by the good fortune and free-thinking of the ungodly, give themselves up to them as slaves. concerning the modal sense of ידע, quomodo sciverit, vid., Psalm 11:3 , cf. Job 22:13 . With וישׁ the doubting question is continued. Bצttcher renders thus: nevertheless knowledge is in the Most High (a circumstantial clause like Proverbs 3:28 ; Malachi 1:14 ; Judges 6:13 ); but first of all they deny God's actual knowledge, and then His attributive omniscience. It is not to be interpreted: behold, such are (according to their moral nature) the ungodly (אלּה, tales, like זה, Psalm 48:15 , Deuteronomy 5:26 , cf. המּה, Isaiah 56:11 ); nor, as is more in accordance with the parallel member Psalm 73:12 and the drift of the Psalm: behold, thus it befalleth the ungodly (such as they according to their lot, as in Job 18:21 , cf. Isaiah 20:6 ); but, what forms a better connection as a statement of the ground of the scepticism in Psalm 73:11 , either, in harmony with the accentuation: behold, the ungodly, etc., or, since it is not הרשׁעים: behold, these are ungodly, and, ever reckless ( Jeremiah 12:1 ), they have acquired great power. With the bitter הנּה, as Stier correctly observes, they bring forward the obvious proof to the contrary. How can God be said to be the omniscient Ruler of the world?

- the ungodly in their carnal security become very powerful and mighty, but piety, very far from being rewarded, is joined with nothing but misfortune. My striving after sanctity (cf. Proverbs 20:9 ), my abstinence from all moral pollution (cf. Proverbs 26:6 ), says he who has been led astray, has been absolutely (אך as in 1 Samuel 25:21 ) in vain; I was notwithstanding (Ew. 345, a) incessantly tormented (cf. Psalm 73:5 ), and with every morning's dawn (לבּקרים, as in Psalm 101:8 , cf. לבקרים in Job 7:18 ) my chastitive suffering was renewed. We may now supply the conclusion in thought in accordance with Psalm 73:10 : Therefore have I joined myself to those who never concern themselves about God and at the same time get on better.