2 But as for me, my feet H7272 were almost H4592 gone; H5186 H5186 my steps H838 had well nigh H369 slipped. H8210
When I said, H559 My foot H7272 slippeth; H4131 thy mercy, H2617 O LORD, H3068 held me up. H5582
As for me, I will behold H2372 thy face H6440 in righteousness: H6664 I shall be satisfied, H7646 when I awake, H6974 with thy likeness. H8544
And if it seem evil H7489 unto you H4310 to serve H5647 the LORD, H3068 choose H977 you this day H3117 whom H5869 ye will serve; H5647 whether the gods H430 which your fathers H1 served H5647 that were on the other side H5676 of the flood, H5104 or the gods H430 of the Amorites, H567 in whose land H776 ye dwell: H3427 but as for me and my house, H1004 we will serve H5647 the LORD. H3068
He that is ready H3559 to slip H4571 with his feet H7272 is as a lamp H3940 despised H937 in the thought H6248 of him that is at ease. H7600
But as for me, when they were sick, H2470 my clothing H3830 was sackcloth: H8242 I humbled H6031 my soul H5315 with fasting; H6685 and my prayer H8605 returned H7725 into mine own bosom. H2436
But G1161 I see G991 another G2087 law G3551 in G1722 my G3450 members, G3196 warring against G497 the law G3551 of my G3450 mind, G3563 and G2532 bringing G163 me G3165 into captivity G163 to the law G3551 of sin G266 which G3588 is G5607 in G1722 my G3450 members. G3196 O wretched G5005 man G444 that I am! G1473 who G5101 shall deliver G4506 me G3165 from G1537 the body G4983 of this G5127 death? G2288
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Psalms 73
Commentary on Psalms 73 Matthew Henry Commentary
Psalm 73
This psalm, and the ten that next follow it, carry the name of Asaph in the titles of them. If he was the penman of them (as many think), we rightly call them psalms of Asaph. If he was only the chief musician, to whom they were delivered, our marginal reading is right, which calls them psalms for Asaph. It is probable that he penned them; for we read of the words of David and of Asaph the seer, which were used in praising God in Hezekiah's time, 2 Chr. 29:30. Though the Spirit of prophecy by sacred songs descended chiefly on David, who is therefore styled "the sweet psalmist of Israel,' yet God put some of that Spirit upon those about him. This is a psalm of great use; it gives us an account of the conflict which the psalmist had with a strong temptation to envy the prosperity of wicked people. He begins his account with a sacred principle, which he held fast, and by the help of which he kept his ground and carried his point (v. 1). He then tells us,
If, in singing this psalm, we fortify ourselves against the life temptation, we do not use it in vain. The experiences of others should be our instructions.
A psalm of Asaph.
Psa 73:1-14
This psalm begins somewhat abruptly: Yet God is good to Israel (so the margin reads it); he had been thinking of the prosperity of the wicked; while he was thus musing the fire burned, and at last he spoke by way of check to himself for what he had been thinking of. "However it be, yet God is good.' Though wicked people receive many of the gifts of his providential bounty, yet we must own that he is, in a peculiar manner, good to Israel; they have favours from him which others have not.
The psalmist designs an account of a temptation he was strongly assaulted with-to envy the prosperity of the wicked, a common temptation, which has tried the graces of many of the saints. Now in this account,
Psa 73:15-20
We have seen what a strong temptation the psalmist was in to envy prospering profaneness; now here we are told how he kept his footing and got the victory.
Psa 73:21-28
Behold Samson's riddle again unriddled, Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong sweetness; for we have here an account of the good improvement which the psalmist made of that sore temptation with which he had been assaulted and by which he was almost overcome. He that stumbles and does not fall, by recovering himself takes so much the longer steps forward. It was so with the psalmist here; many good lessons he learned from his temptation, his struggles with it, and his victories over it. Nor would God suffer his people to be tempted if his grace were not sufficient for them, not only to save them from harm, but to make them gainers by it; even this shall work for good.