Psalm 73

Psalm 73, My Feet Almost Slipped

Psalm 73 begins Book Three of the Psalms and carries the title, “A Psalm of Asaph.” Asaph was one of the great singers and musicians connected with the worship of Israel during the days of David and Solomon. Scripture identifies him as a leader in the music of the house of God, and also shows that his ministry involved prophetic composition. 1 Chronicles 15:17, “So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel, and of his brethren, Asaph the son of Berechiah, and of the sons of Merari their brethren, Ethan the son of Kushaiah.” 1 Chronicles 15:18, “And with them their brethren of the second degree, Zechariah, Ben, and Jaaziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, Eliab, and Benaiah, and Maaseiah, and Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obededom, and Jeiel, the porters.” 1 Chronicles 15:19, “So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were appointed to sound with cymbals of brass.” 1 Chronicles 16:5, “Asaph the chief, and next to him Zechariah, Jeiel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mattithiah, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and Obededom, and Jeiel, with psalteries and with harps, but Asaph made a sound with cymbals.” 1 Chronicles 16:6, “Benaiah also and Jahaziel the priests with trumpets continually before the ark of the covenant of God.” 1 Chronicles 16:7, “Then on that day David delivered first this psalm to thank the LORD into the hand of Asaph and his brethren.” 1 Chronicles 25:1, “Moreover David and the captains of the host separated to the service of the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with harps, with psalteries, and with cymbals, and the number of the workmen according to their service was.” 2 Chronicles 29:30, “Moreover Hezekiah the king and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praise unto the LORD with the words of David, and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshipped.”

Psalm 73 is one of the clearest biblical treatments of a painful question, why do the wicked prosper while the righteous suffer? Asaph does not write as a skeptic outside the faith. He writes as a worship leader, a servant of God, and a man who knows the truth, yet he is honest about the struggle of his heart. He knows God is good, but what he sees in the world appears to contradict that truth. The wicked seem healthy, wealthy, arrogant, violent, and untouched by judgment. Meanwhile, Asaph feels afflicted, chastened, and worn down. His feet almost slipped because he began measuring reality by what he could see rather than by what God had revealed.

This psalm can be followed by its dominant pronouns. In Psalm 73:1 through Psalm 73:12, Asaph focuses on “they,” meaning the wicked. In Psalm 73:13 through Psalm 73:17, he focuses on “I,” meaning his own inner frustration and near despair. In Psalm 73:18 through Psalm 73:22, the focus turns to “You,” meaning God, as Asaph sees the issue from the divine perspective. In Psalm 73:23 through Psalm 73:28, the language blends “You” and “I,” showing restored fellowship, renewed trust, and final assurance. The movement of the psalm is from confusion to worship, from envy to understanding, from near collapse to renewed confidence in God.

A. The Problem Presented

Psalm 73:1 through Psalm 73:3, The Contradiction Between the Goodness of God and the Prosperity of the Wicked

Psalm 73:1, “Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.”

Psalm 73:2, “But as for me, my feet were almost gone, my steps had well nigh slipped.”

Psalm 73:3, “For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.”

Asaph begins with what he knows to be true, “Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.” This is not a weak statement. It is his settled conviction. Before he describes his confusion, he anchors himself in doctrine. God is good. God is good to His covenant people. God is good to those who are clean in heart. This is the right place to begin when life does not make sense. The believer must start with what God has revealed, not with the confusion of circumstances.

This first verse is important because Asaph is not denying God’s goodness. He is struggling to reconcile God’s goodness with what he sees in the world. The problem is not that he has abandoned theology, but that his theology is being tested. A believer may truly know doctrine and still wrestle deeply with what appears to be injustice. Faith does not mean pretending there are no hard questions. Faith means bringing hard questions into the presence of God.

Asaph says, “But as for me, my feet were almost gone, my steps had well nigh slipped.” His crisis was real. He did not merely have an intellectual question. His spiritual stability was shaken. His feet almost slipped. The imagery suggests a man walking on dangerous ground, nearly losing his footing. He was close to falling into bitterness, envy, despair, or unbelief.

The reason is given in verse 3, “For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” Asaph looked at the wicked and saw prosperity. He saw arrogant men thriving. He saw ungodly men gaining wealth, influence, comfort, and ease. He became envious. This is a painful confession, especially from a worship leader. But Scripture includes it because many believers have faced the same temptation.

The issue is moral confusion. If God is good to the pure in heart, why do the wicked seem to prosper? If righteousness matters, why do unrighteous men often appear to win? If God governs the world, why are the wicked not openly punished? Asaph’s struggle is not foreign to the faithful. Job wrestled with similar questions. The disciples showed a related assumption when they saw the man born blind and asked, “who did sin?” John 9:1, “And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.” John 9:2, “And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?” Their question assumed that suffering must always be tied to immediate personal guilt. Psalm 73 corrects that oversimplified view. The righteous may suffer, and the wicked may prosper for a time, but time is not the same as eternity.

Psalm 73:4 through Psalm 73:9, The Good Life of the Wicked

Psalm 73:4, “For there are no bands in their death, but their strength is firm.”

Psalm 73:5, “They are not in trouble as other men, neither are they plagued like other men.”

Psalm 73:6, “Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain, violence covereth them as a garment.”

Psalm 73:7, “Their eyes stand out with fatness, they have more than heart could wish.”

Psalm 73:8, “They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression, they speak loftily.”

Psalm 73:9, “They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth.”

Asaph describes what he sees among the wicked. He says, “For there are no bands in their death, but their strength is firm.” He has seen ungodly men die in apparent peace. They do not always die in visible agony. They do not always appear terrified. Sometimes they die with calm faces, surrounded by admiration, wealth, and worldly honor. But a peaceful deathbed does not prove a righteous soul. A man may die quietly and still enter judgment. Outward calm can be the silence before eternal terror.

Verse 5 continues, “They are not in trouble as other men, neither are they plagued like other men.” Asaph is describing how things appear to him. The wicked seem to avoid the normal troubles of life. They seem shielded from the burdens that ordinary people bear. While the righteous suffer, the wicked seem comfortable. While the godly are chastened, the ungodly seem untouched.

Verse 6 shows the moral result of their prosperity, “Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain, violence covereth them as a garment.” Because they are not immediately judged, they become more arrogant. Pride becomes their necklace. It is not hidden. They wear it publicly. Violence becomes their garment. It covers them. They are known by it. Their prosperity does not humble them. It feeds their rebellion.

Verse 7 says, “Their eyes stand out with fatness, they have more than heart could wish.” The imagery is intentionally strong. These men are swollen with abundance. They have more than they need and more than they could reasonably desire. Their appetites are satisfied, yet their hearts remain corrupt. Wealth does not sanctify a wicked man. Prosperity without righteousness usually magnifies pride.

Verse 8 says, “They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression, they speak loftily.” Their speech exposes their hearts. They speak wickedly about oppression. They are not ashamed of crushing others. They speak loftily, meaning arrogantly, as if they are above ordinary men and above accountability. Their success has inflated them.

Verse 9 says, “They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth.” Their rebellion is both vertical and horizontal. Vertically, they speak against heaven. They blaspheme God, mock divine authority, and act as if they answer to no one. Horizontally, their tongue walks through the earth. Their influence spreads. Their words travel. Their arrogance becomes public and persuasive. This is especially troubling because wicked men often gain platforms, followers, and admiration. Asaph sees that evil does not merely exist quietly. It boasts.

This section paints a powerful picture of the prosperous wicked. They are proud, violent, corrupt, blasphemous, and influential. They seem to live well, die easily, and speak freely against God. Asaph’s distress is understandable. He is not troubled by imaginary villains. He is troubled by real men who appear to enjoy the benefits of life while despising the God who gave life.

Psalm 73:10 through Psalm 73:14, The Doubts of the Godly

Psalm 73:10, “Therefore his people return hither, and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them.”

Psalm 73:11, “And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High?”

Psalm 73:12, “Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world, they increase in riches.”

Psalm 73:13, “Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency.”

Psalm 73:14, “For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.”

Verse 10 is difficult, but the idea appears to involve people returning to the prosperous wicked and drinking deeply from their influence. Success draws followers. Men often gather around those who seem to win. The wicked man becomes a model to others. His prosperity becomes an argument for his way of life. People drink from his cup because they assume success proves wisdom.

Verse 11 gives the theology of the wicked, “How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High?” This is not honest inquiry. It is arrogant unbelief. The wicked speak as if God does not see, does not know, and will not judge. This is practical atheism. A man may claim to believe in God, but if he lives as though God does not see and will not call him to account, he is living as a fool.

Verse 12 summarizes the problem, “Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world, they increase in riches.” Asaph is overwhelmed by the visible facts. The ungodly prosper. They increase in riches. They do not merely survive. They advance. This is the point that nearly breaks him. His doctrine says God is good to the pure in heart, but his eyes see the ungodly prospering.

Then Asaph turns inward, “Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency.” This is the most dangerous sentence in the psalm. He begins to wonder whether holiness is worth it. He questions whether purity has any profit. If the wicked prosper and the righteous suffer, then why pursue holiness? Why cleanse the heart? Why wash the hands? Why walk in obedience?

This is where envy becomes spiritually deadly. It does not merely admire what the wicked have. It begins to despise the path of righteousness. Asaph is tempted to think obedience has been useless. He feels that holiness has paid him in affliction while wickedness has paid others in wealth.

Verse 14 deepens the pain, “For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.” Asaph feels that his life is filled with discipline. “Plagued” describes affliction. “Chastened” suggests correction from God. This makes the problem worse. The wicked seem untouched, while Asaph feels struck by God every morning. He feels as though God is gentle with the wicked and severe with him.

This is emotional language, and it likely includes some exaggeration born out of distress. The wicked are not as secure as they appear, and Asaph’s life is not as pointless as he feels. Still, Scripture does not dismiss his pain. The Bible allows the believer to confess confusion honestly while still being corrected by truth.

B. The Problem Understood

Psalm 73:15 through Psalm 73:17, The Power of a New Perspective

Psalm 73:15, “If I say, I will speak thus, behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children.”

Psalm 73:16, “When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me.”

Psalm 73:17, “Until I went into the sanctuary of God, then understood I their end.”

Verse 15 shows Asaph restraining himself. “If I say, I will speak thus, behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children.” He realizes that if he publicly speaks all his bitter thoughts without correction, he could damage the faith of others. Asaph is honest, but he is not reckless. He understands that leaders must be careful with their words. Doubts may be real, but they should not be spread in a way that causes unnecessary stumbling among God’s people.

This does not mean believers must never confess struggle. It means struggle must be handled faithfully. There is a difference between bringing pain to God for correction and broadcasting unbelief as though it were wisdom. Asaph does not want to betray the generation of God’s children by presenting his temporary confusion as final truth.

Verse 16 says, “When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me.” Asaph cannot solve the problem by human reasoning alone. The facts seem contradictory. God is good, yet the wicked prosper. The righteous pursue purity, yet suffer. The wicked blaspheme God, yet increase in riches. He thinks and thinks, but the burden becomes too painful. There are problems that human observation cannot resolve because human observation is limited to time.

Verse 17 gives the turning point, “Until I went into the sanctuary of God, then understood I their end.” The answer comes in the presence of God. Asaph goes into the sanctuary, the place of worship, sacrifice, prayer, and divine truth. There he gains perspective. The sanctuary does not change the prosperity of the wicked. It changes Asaph’s understanding. He sees their end.

This is the central correction of the psalm. The wicked cannot be judged merely by their present prosperity. They must be judged by their end. A man’s current comfort means nothing if his final destination is destruction. The sanctuary teaches eternity. It teaches holiness. It teaches sacrifice. It teaches that sin must be judged and atoned for. It lifts the believer above the marketplace, the palace, the street, and the noise of the world, and brings him before God.

For Asaph, the sanctuary likely meant the tabernacle or temple worship connected with Israel’s covenant life. For believers today, the principle applies to gathering with God’s people, hearing the Word of God, praying, worshiping, and being reminded of eternal truth. The house of God should not merely echo the world’s concerns. It should restore eternal perspective. Asaph did not need more gossip about the successful wicked. He needed God’s truth.

The key phrase is “then understood I their end.” He did not merely feel better. He understood. Worship must include truth. Emotional comfort is not enough if the mind remains dark. God gave Asaph understanding, and that understanding saved his feet from slipping.

Psalm 73:18 through Psalm 73:20, The Unsafe Place of the Wicked

Psalm 73:18, “Surely thou didst set them in slippery places, thou castedst them down into destruction.”

Psalm 73:19, “How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors.”

Psalm 73:20, “As a dream when one awaketh, so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image.”

Now Asaph sees clearly. Earlier he said his own feet had almost slipped. Now he understands that the wicked are the ones standing in slippery places. Verse 18 says, “Surely thou didst set them in slippery places, thou castedst them down into destruction.” Their apparent security is an illusion. They may look stable, but they are standing on ground that can give way at any moment. Their wealth cannot secure them. Their influence cannot rescue them. Their arrogance cannot protect them. God can cast them down into destruction.

This is why envy of the wicked is foolish. No believer should envy a man standing on the edge of judgment. Present prosperity can hide eternal danger. A wicked man may seem strong, but he is one breath away from facing God.

Verse 19 says, “How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors.” Their fall may come suddenly. The prosperity that seemed permanent can vanish in a moment. Their ease turns to desolation. Their confidence turns to terror. The wicked may live without fear for a season, but they will not die without accountability before God.

Verse 20 says, “As a dream when one awaketh, so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image.” The prosperity of the wicked is compared to a dream. In a dream, a man may think he is rich, powerful, admired, and secure, but when he wakes, it is gone. So it is with the wicked. Their glory is temporary. When God rises in judgment, their image, their appearance, their worldly greatness, their public reputation, and their imagined security will be exposed as empty.

The phrase “when thou awakest” does not mean God has literally been asleep. It means that from the human point of view, God’s patience can look like inactivity. But divine patience is not divine ignorance. God’s delay is not God’s approval. When He acts, judgment will be certain.

Psalm 73:21 through Psalm 73:24, Confessing Foolishness and Receiving Guidance

Psalm 73:21, “Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins.”

Psalm 73:22, “So foolish was I, and ignorant, I was as a beast before thee.”

Psalm 73:23, “Nevertheless I am continually with thee, thou hast holden me by my right hand.”

Psalm 73:24, “Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.”

Asaph now confesses the condition of his own heart. Verse 21 says, “Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins.” His envy had not been harmless. It grieved his heart and pierced him inwardly. The word picture suggests deep inner agitation. He was not at peace because his perspective had been wrong.

Verse 22 is a humble confession, “So foolish was I, and ignorant, I was as a beast before thee.” Asaph realizes that when he ignored eternity, he was thinking like an animal. Beasts live by sight, appetite, instinct, and immediate desire. They do not reason from eternity. When Asaph judged life only by present comfort and visible prosperity, he was acting beneath the dignity of a man made in God’s image and taught by God’s Word.

This is blunt but necessary. Envy of the wicked is not wisdom. It is spiritual ignorance. It forgets judgment, eternity, holiness, and the worth of fellowship with God. It measures life like an animal measures life, by immediate satisfaction.

Verse 23 is one of the great statements of grace in the psalm, “Nevertheless I am continually with thee, thou hast holden me by my right hand.” The word “Nevertheless” is full of mercy. Asaph had been foolish, ignorant, and beast like in his thinking, yet God had not let him go. He was still with God, and God was still holding him. The believer’s security rests not in the perfection of his understanding but in the faithfulness of God.

God held Asaph by his right hand. This is personal, tender, and strong. The God whom Asaph questioned was the same God holding him while he struggled. The believer may stumble in thought, but God holds His own. This does not excuse foolish thinking, but it magnifies grace.

Verse 24 says, “Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.” Asaph now sees both present guidance and future glory. God will guide him in this life by His counsel. That means the believer needs the wisdom of God, not merely emotions, circumstances, trends, or human advice. Feelings had nearly led Asaph into error. God’s counsel restored him.

The final phrase, “and afterward receive me to glory,” stands in direct contrast to the end of the wicked. The wicked have an afterward of destruction, desolation, and terror. The righteous have an afterward of glory. This is the true comparison. The question is not who has more money today. The question is who has God forever.

Psalm 73:25 through Psalm 73:28, The Glory of a Heavenly Hope

Psalm 73:25, “Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.”

Psalm 73:26, “My flesh and my heart faileth, but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.”

Psalm 73:27, “For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish, thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee.”

Psalm 73:28, “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.”

Verse 25 is the restored cry of the worshiping heart, “Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.” Asaph’s envy is gone. He no longer wants to trade places with the wicked. He has recovered the supreme value of God Himself. Heaven is precious because God is there. Earth is meaningful because God is the believer’s desire. Angels, glory, rewards, fellowship, and eternal life are wonderful, but God Himself is the treasure of heaven.

This verse is not denying that God gives other good gifts. It is declaring that all other gifts are secondary. God is the believer’s highest good. If a man has everything but not God, he has nothing that will last. If a man has God, even when his flesh and heart fail, he has what cannot be taken away.

Verse 26 says, “My flesh and my heart faileth, but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.” Asaph does not pretend to be strong in himself. His flesh can fail. His heart can fail. His body can weaken. His emotions can shake. His understanding can falter. But God is the strength of his heart.

God is also his “portion for ever.” This language recalls Israel’s inheritance system, especially the Levites and priests, who had the LORD as their inheritance. Numbers 18:20, “And the LORD spake unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou have any part among them, I am thy part and thine inheritance among the children of Israel.” Asaph now understands that the wicked may have earthly riches, but he has God. That is the greater inheritance.

Verse 27 says, “For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish, thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee.” Asaph’s doubts about the destiny of the wicked are gone. Those who are far from God shall perish. Distance from God is death. To depart from God for idols, sin, pride, wealth, violence, and worldly pleasure is spiritual adultery. The wicked may prosper temporarily, but if they remain far from God, they will perish.

Verse 28 gives the final conclusion, “But it is good for me to draw near to God.” Earlier, Asaph wondered whether it was vain to cleanse his heart. Now he sees clearly. The good life is not the life of the prosperous wicked. The good life is nearness to God. It is better to suffer near God than to prosper far from Him. It is better to be chastened as a son than comfortable as a rebel. It is better to have God as portion than to have the world as possession.

He says, “I have put my trust in the Lord GOD.” Trust has been restored. The name “Lord GOD” emphasizes sovereign authority and covenant faithfulness. Asaph will no longer interpret God by the prosperity of the wicked. He will interpret life by the character and counsel of God.

The psalm ends with purpose, “that I may declare all thy works.” Asaph’s restored perspective turns into testimony. He will not merely keep the lesson private. He will declare God’s works. The man whose feet almost slipped becomes a witness to others. He can now warn the envious, comfort the afflicted, expose the false security of the wicked, and proclaim the goodness of drawing near to God.

Psalm 73 teaches that envy of the wicked comes from short sighted thinking. When the believer looks only at the present, the prosperity of the wicked can seem unfair and even desirable. But when the believer enters the presence of God and sees the end, everything changes. The wicked are in slippery places. Their glory is like a dream. Their prosperity cannot save them. Their end is destruction unless they repent. The righteous may suffer now, but God holds them, guides them, strengthens them, and afterward receives them to glory.

The final answer to Psalm 73 is not merely that the wicked will be judged. The final answer is that God Himself is better than everything the wicked possess. “Whom have I in heaven but thee?” is the heart of the psalm. Asaph began by nearly slipping because he envied the wicked. He ends by declaring that nearness to God is good, God is his portion forever, and his life must now declare the works of the Lord.