TRV
Study This Verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Psalms 73:15–20. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
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.
I.He kept up a respect for God's people, and with that he restrained himself from speaking what he had thought amiss, Psa 73:15.
He got the victory by degrees, and this was the first point he gained; he was ready to say, Verily, I have cleansed my heart in vain, and thought he had reason to say it, but he kept his mouth with this consideration, "If I say, I will speak thus, behold, I should myself revolt and apostatize from, and so give the greatest offence imaginable to, the generation of thy children." Observe here,
1.Though he thought amiss, he took care not to utter that evil thought which he had conceived. Note, It is bad to think ill, but it is worse to speak it, for that is giving the evil thought an imprimatur - a sanction; it is allowing it, giving consent to it, and publishing it for the infection of others. But it is a good sign that we repent of the evil imagination of the heart if we suppress it, and the error remains with ourselves. If therefore thou hast been so foolish as to think evil, be so wise as to lay thy hand upon thy mouth, and let it go no further, Pro 30:32. If I say, I will speak thus. Observe, Though his corrupt heart made this inference from the prosperity of the wicked, yet he did not mention it to those whether it were fit to be mentioned or no. Note, We must think twice before we speak once, both because some things may be thought which yet may not be spoken and because the second thoughts may correct the mistakes of the first.
2.The reason why he would not speak it was for fear of giving offence to those whom God owned for his children. Note,
(1.)There are a people in the world that are the generation of God's children, a set of men that hear and love God as their Father.
(2.)We must be very careful not to say or do any thing which may justly offend any of these little ones (Mat 18:6), especially which may offend the generation of them, may sadden their hearts, or weaken their hands, or shake their interest.
(3.)There is nothing that can give more general offence to the generation of God's children than to say that we have cleansed our heart in vain or that it is vain to serve God; for there is nothing more contrary to their universal sentiment and experience nor any thing that grieves them more than to hear God thus reflected on.
(4.)Those that wish themselves in the condition of the wicked do in effect quit the tents of God's children.
II.He foresaw the ruin of wicked people.
By this he baffled the temptation, as by the former he gave some check to it. Because he durst not speak what he had thought, for fear of giving offence, he began to consider whether he had any good reason for that thought (Psa 73:16): "I endeavoured to understand the meaning of this unaccountable dispensation of Providence; but it was too painful for me. I could not conquer it by the strength of my own reasoning." It is a problem, not to be solved by the mere light of nature, for, if there were not another life after this, we could not fully reconcile the prosperity of the wicked with the justice of God. But (Psa 73:17) he went into the sanctuary of God; he applied to his devotions, meditated upon the attributes of God, and the things revealed, which belong to us and to our children; he consulted the scriptures, and the lips of the priests who attended the sanctuary; he prayed to God to make this matter plain to him and to help him over this difficulty; and, at length, he understood the wretched end of wicked people, which he plainly foresaw to be such that even in the height of their prosperity they were rather to be pitied than envied, for they were but ripening for ruin. Note, There are many great things, and things needful to be known, which will not be known otherwise than by going into the sanctuary of God, by the word and prayer. The sanctuary must therefore be the resort of a tempted soul. Note, further, We must judge of persons and things as they appear by the light of divine revelation, and then we shall judge righteous judgment; particularly we must judge by the end. All is well that ends well, everlastingly well; but nothing well that ends ill, everlastingly ill. The righteous man's afflictions end in peace, and therefore he is happy; the wicked man's enjoyments end in destruction, and therefore he is miserable.
1.The prosperity of the wicked is short and uncertain. The high places in which Providence sets them are slippery places (Psa 73:18), where they cannot long keep footing; but, when they offer to climb higher, that very attempt will be the occasion of their sliding and falling. Their prosperity has no firm ground; it is not built upon God's favour or his promise; and they have not the satisfaction of feeling that it rests on firm ground.
2.Their destruction is sure, and sudden, and very great. This cannot be meant of any temporal destruction; for they were supposed to spend all their days in wealth and their death itself had no bands in it: In a moment they go down to the grace, so that even that could scarcely be called their destruction; it must therefore be meant of eternal destruction on the other side death - hell and destruction. They flourish for a time, but are undone for ever.
(1.)Their ruin is sure and inevitable. He speaks of it as a thing done - They are cast down; for their destruction is as certain as if it were already accomplished. He speaks of it as God's doing, and therefore it cannot be resisted: Thou castest them down. It is destruction from the Almighty (Joe 1:15), from the glory of his power, Th2 1:9. Who can support those whom God will cast down, on whom God will lay burdens?
(2.)It is swift and sudden; their damnation slumbers not; for how are they brought into desolation as in a moment! Psa 73:19. It is easily effected, and will be a great surprise to themselves and all about them.
(3.)It is severe and very dreadful. It is a total and final ruin: They are utterly consumed with terrors, It is the misery of the damned that the terrors of the Almighty, whom they have made their enemy, fasten upon their guilty consciences, which can neither shelter themselves from them nor strengthen themselves under them; and therefore not their being, but their bliss, must needs be utterly consumed by them; not the least degree of comfort or hope remains to them; the higher they were lifted up in their prosperity the sorer will their fall be when they are cast down into destructions (for the word is plural) and suddenly brought into desolation.
3.Their prosperity is therefore not to be envied at all, but despised rather, quod erat demonstrandum - which was the point to be established, Psa 73:20. As a dream when one awaketh, so, O Lord! when thou awakest, or when they awake (as some read it), thou shalt despise their image, their shadow, and make it to vanish. In the day of the great judgment (so the Chaldee paraphrase reads it), when they are awaked out of their graves, thou shalt, in wrath, despise their image; for they shall rise to shame and everlasting contempt. See here,
(1.)What their prosperity now is; it is but an image, a vain show, a fashion of the world that passes away; it is not real, but imaginary, and it is only a corrupt imagination that makes it a happiness; it is not substance, but a mere shadow; it is not what it seems to be, nor will it prove what we promise ourselves from it; it is as a dream, which may please us a little, while we are asleep, yet even then it disturbs our repose; but, how pleasing soever it is, it is all but a cheat, all false; when we awake we find it so. A hungry man dreams that he eats, but he awakes and his soul is empty, Isa 29:8. A man is never the more rich or honourable for dreaming he is so. Who therefore will envy a man the pleasure of a dream?
(2.)What will be the issue of it; God will awake to judgment, to plead his own and his people's injured cause; they shall be made to awake out of the sleep of their carnal security, and then God shall despise their image; he shall make it appear to all the world how despicable it is; so that the righteous shall laugh at them, Psa 52:6, Psa 52:7. How did God despise that rich man's image when he said, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee! Luk 12:19, Luk 12:20. We ought to be of God's mind, for his judgment is according to truth, and not to admire and envy that which he despises and will despise; for, sooner or later, he will bring all the world to be of his mind.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
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Subsequent events also go to show how the image of such a person is not found but perishes, since his image is not found in the city of the Lord, that Jerusalem which is above. For the Lord has painted us in his image and likeness, even as he teaches us, saying, “Behold, O Jerusalem, I have painted your walls.” If we have acted well, that heavenly image continues in us; if anyone acts badly, this image is destroyed in him that is the image of him who came down from heaven, and there is in him the image of the earthly. On this account also the apostle says, “Even as we have borne the image of the one that is earthly, let us bear also the image of the other that is heavenly.” Therefore, the images of good continue to shine forth in that city of God. But if anyone has turned aside to graver sins and has not done penance, his image is destroyed or else cast out even as Adam was cast out and excluded from paradise. But whoever has conducted himself in a holy and honorable fashion enters into that city of God15 and brings in his own image so that it may shine in that city of God. “O Lord, in your city you shall reduce their images to nothing,” because those who have clothed themselves with the works of darkness cannot shine in the light. Let us adduce an example from the world. See how the images of good rulers continue in cities, whereas the images of tyrants are destroyed.
Such, then, is the first supposition of true knowledge, that things in the world happen by chance. The second is that “on account of the subterfuges you have placed before them” prodigious success, worldly profits and an abundance of riches. Otherwise, they might plead by way of excuse that they had been less devout by reason of want or of some bitter pain or grief and had been driven to the guilt of robbery and to the desire to plunder under compulsion of poverty. For they were enriched with wealth and exalted with honors, not for tranquility of life or the enjoyment of delight but that complaining might be foreclosed and distress piled up.
Therefore, in regard to the latter, David also says, “They have ceased to be and have perished by reason of their iniquity as the dream of one that wakes up.” This means: The wicked cease to be, and they disappear as a dream does when one first wakes up from sleep, “because they are in darkness and have walked in darkness”;7 not a trace of their good work remains, but they are like those who see a dream. Now one who dreams, dreams at night, whereas night is in darkness. The children of darkness are deprived of the Sun of justice and the splendor of virtue, for they sleep always and do not keep watch, and of them it is appropriately said, “They have slept their sleep and have found nothing.” For indeed, when their souls are separated from the body, and they are, as it were, released from the sleep of the body, they will find nothing, they will possess nothing, and they will lose what they thought they possessed. For although the unwise and foolish person may overflow with riches, he will leave his riches to strangers, and the glory of his house will not descend to hell together with him.
And therefore I conferred with my heart and I said to myself, “if I will speak thus, that I have justified my heart in vain,” and the voice of God replied to me and said, “Behold the generation of your children, to which I have made distribution.” This means: Behold, you find in the Scriptures, O you son of Adam, that I have made distribution to the generation of your children, that wealth may be granted to the wicked simply by chance and not from some merit. Neither are the rewards of virtue the profits of a treasury, just as poverty … is not a punishment for sin. But such things come without distinction, for they roll along on a kind of flow of life that is like a river.
"Like as the dream of one rising up" [Psalm 73:20]. How have they vanished? As vanishes the dream of one rising up. Fancy a man in sleep to have seen himself find treasures; he is a rich man, but only until he awakes. "Like as the dream of one rising up:" so they have vanished, like the dream of one awaking. It is sought then and it is not: there is nothing in the hands, nothing in the bed. A poor man he went to sleep, a rich man in sleep he became: had he not awoke, he were a rich man: he woke up, he found the care which he had lost while sleeping. And these men shall find the misery which they had prepared for themselves. When they shall have awoke from this life, that thing does pass away which was grasped as if in sleep. "Like as the dream of one rising up." And that there might not be said, "What then? A small thing does their glory seem to you, a small thing does their state seem to you, small things seem to you inscriptions, images, statues, distinctions, troops of clients?" "O Lord," he says, "in Your city their image You shall bring to nothing."...He has taken away the pride of rich men, he gives counsel. As if they were saying, We are rich men, thou dost forbid us to be proud, dost prohibit us from boasting of the parade of our riches: what then are we to do with these riches? Is it come to this, that there is nothing which they may do therewith? "Be they rich," he says, "in good works; let them readily distribute, communicate." [1 Timothy 6:18] And what does this profit? "Let them treasure unto themselves a good foundation for the future, that they may lay hold of true life." [1 Timothy 6:19] Where ought they to lay up treasure for themselves? In that place whereunto he set his eye, when entering into the Sanctuary of God. Let there shudder all our rich brethren, abounding in money, gold, silver, household, honours, let them shudder at that which but now has been said, "You shall bring to nothing their image." Are they not worthy to suffer these things, to wit that God bring to nothing their image in His city, because also they have themselves brought to nothing the image of God in their earthly city?
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Summary
Psalms 73:20 serves as the climactic revelation in Asaph's profound spiritual journey, powerfully illustrating the ultimate futility and transient nature of earthly success and pride when disconnected from God. Through a vivid and universally relatable simile, it likens the perceived prosperity and power of the wicked to a dream that completely dissipates upon waking, signifying the Lord's decisive intervention and judgment. This verse reveals that when God acts in His sovereign timing, He will utterly expose, invalidate, and hold in contempt the false constructs, self-exaltation, and illusory achievements of those who reject Him, revealing their supposed glory as nothing more than an insubstantial, contemptible image.
Context
Literary Context
Psalms 73:20 functions as the definitive conclusion to Asaph's deep spiritual crisis and subsequent divine enlightenment. The psalm opens with his raw confession of nearly stumbling in faith due to his vexation and envy over the apparent ease and prosperity of the wicked, who seemed immune to trouble and pain (Psalms 73:2-3). He meticulously details their pride, violence, and blasphemous arrogance, which seemed to defy divine justice (Psalms 73:6-12). Asaph's internal struggle intensifies as he questions the value of his own righteousness and suffering, feeling his efforts were in vain (Psalms 73:13-16). The pivotal turning point in his spiritual journey occurs when he enters "the sanctuary of God" (Psalms 73:17), where he gains a divine, eternal perspective on the ultimate, sudden destruction and downfall of the wicked (Psalms 73:18-19). Verse 20 then serves as the ultimate, definitive statement of this revelation, confirming that the wicked's entire existence, built on pride and self-sufficiency, is as ephemeral and insubstantial as a dream, destined for God's contempt.
Historical & Cultural Context
Psalm 73 is attributed to Asaph, a prominent Levitical musician and seer who served during the reigns of King David and Solomon, suggesting a setting within the established Israelite monarchy. As a wisdom psalm, it addresses a universal human dilemma that was particularly poignant in ancient Israel: the apparent injustice of the wicked prospering while the righteous suffer. This tension challenged the traditional Deuteronomic understanding, which often linked righteousness with material blessing and wickedness with suffering. The psalm offers a deeper, eschatological perspective, moving beyond simplistic retribution. In the Ancient Near East, dreams were often considered significant, sometimes even divine communications, but their fleeting nature upon waking was also a common understanding, making the comparison in Psalms 73:20 highly relatable and impactful. The concept of "image" (צֶלֶם, ṣelem) in this context extends beyond physical idols to encompass one's reputation, status, and the outward appearance of power and success, which were highly valued and often pursued in ancient societies.
Key Themes
The central theme of Psalms 73, powerfully encapsulated in verse 20, is The Illusion and Transience of Earthly Prosperity. The psalm meticulously dismantles the deceptive appearance of the wicked's stability and power, revealing it to be as insubstantial and fleeting as a dream. This leads directly to the theme of Divine Revelation and Inevitable Judgment, where God's "awakening" signifies His decisive intervention and the manifestation of His justice, exposing the emptiness of worldly pride and self-reliance. It underscores the Ultimate Futility of Ungodly Living, demonstrating that the "image"—the self-made glory, status, and perceived invincibility of those who reject God—is ultimately worthless and contemptible in His sight. This profound divine perspective provides immense comfort and vindication for the righteous, reinforcing the ultimate Sovereignty and Justice of God over all human affairs, both temporal and eternal, as seen throughout the book of Psalms.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This word (H2472) refers to a nocturnal vision or a sleep-induced experience. In biblical thought, while dreams could be significant (e.g., prophetic dreams), they were universally understood to be ephemeral, dissolving into nothingness upon waking. Here, it emphasizes the utter insubstantiality and transient nature of the wicked's prosperity and perceived reality. What seems solid and real in the present moment is, from God's eternal perspective, as fleeting and illusory as a dream.
This verb (H5782), used twice in the verse (once implicitly, once explicitly), literally means "to wake" or "to arise." When applied to God ("when thou awakest"), it is an anthropomorphism, attributing a human action to God. It does not imply that God sleeps or is ever inactive, but rather signifies His decisive, active intervention—the moment He rises to execute judgment, reveal His truth, or manifest His power. It marks the transition from a period of apparent divine inaction or patience to a moment of clear, undeniable divine judgment and revelation.
This primitive root (H959) means "to disesteem," "to disdain," or "to contemn." When God "despises" the image of the wicked, it signifies His utter contempt, rejection, and rendering as insignificant or worthless. It is not merely a feeling of disdain but an active declaration of nullity and worthlessness concerning the wicked's self-made glory and perceived power.
While tselem (H6754) can refer to a physical idol or statue (e.g., in Genesis 1:26 for humanity created in God's image), in this context, it refers to the outward appearance, the false facade, the self-constructed glory, or the perceived invincibility of the wicked. It is the illusory projection of power, security, and success that they create for themselves and by which they live. It is not their true being, but the deceptive show they put on, which God will utterly despise.
Verse Breakdown
"As a dream when [one] awaketh;"
This opening clause establishes a powerful simile. The prosperity, power, and apparent stability of the wicked are compared to a dream. While a dream can feel intensely real, vivid, and impactful during its duration, it utterly dissolves, vanishes, and becomes insignificant the moment one wakes up. This metaphor vividly portrays the insubstantial and temporary nature of all worldly achievements and glory that are not rooted in God.
"[so], O Lord, when thou awakest,
" This clause applies the previous simile directly to God's action. The phrase "when thou awakest" is an anthropomorphism, not suggesting God sleeps, but rather signifying His decisive, active intervention. It marks the moment when God, in His sovereign timing, rises to execute judgment, reveal His truth, or manifest His justice. This "awakening" of God is the definitive moment when the true reality of the wicked's situation is exposed. It parallels the "awakening" of the sleeper, but with cosmic, judicial implications.
"thou shalt despise their image."
This final clause reveals the profound consequence of God's "awakening." The Lord will "despise" (hold in contempt, render insignificant, utterly reject) the "image" of the wicked. This "image" refers to their outward show of power, their self-made glory, their perceived invincibility, and the false constructs by which they live. God will expose this facade as worthless, contemptible, and utterly unreal, stripping it of all its illusory power and revealing its true, empty nature. Their entire self-constructed reality, built apart from God, will be seen for the nothingness it truly is.
Literary Devices
Psalms 73:20 is rich in literary devices that amplify its profound message, making it both vivid and memorable. The most prominent is the Simile, introduced by "As a dream," which masterfully compares the fleeting nature of the wicked's prosperity to the insubstantiality of a dream upon waking. This comparison is highly effective, drawing on a universal human experience to convey a deep theological truth about the ephemeral nature of worldly success. The verse also employs Anthropomorphism when it states, "O Lord, when thou awakest." Attributing the human action of "awakening" to God emphasizes His decisive and active intervention in human affairs, without implying any literal sleep or inactivity on His part. Furthermore, the phrase "their image" functions as potent Symbolism, representing the false facade, self-made glory, and perceived power of the ungodly, which God will ultimately expose as worthless. Finally, there is a strong sense of Juxtaposition between the perceived reality of the wicked's temporary success and the ultimate, contemptible reality revealed by God's judgment, creating a stark contrast that underscores the psalm's central message.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Psalms 73:20 profoundly articulates the biblical truth of divine justice and the ultimate vindication of the righteous, serving as a powerful antidote to the temptation of envy and despair when faced with the apparent prosperity of the wicked. Theologically, it underscores God's ultimate sovereignty over history and the absolute certainty of His judgment. What seems real, formidable, and powerful in the temporal realm—such as wealth, status, or influence—is, from God's eternal perspective, an illusion that will inevitably dissolve. This verse reminds believers that true reality is defined by God's truth and His unwavering character, not by fleeting worldly appearances or the deceptive constructs of human pride. It reinforces the wisdom tradition's emphasis on the stark contrast between the ultimate destiny of the righteous and the wicked, providing immense comfort and assurance that God sees, God knows, and God will act decisively to set all things right in His perfect timing.
Reflection and Application
Psalms 73:20 offers profound comfort and a vital reorientation for believers navigating a world where injustice often seems to prevail and the ungodly appear to flourish. It calls us to resist the temptation to envy or be dismayed by the temporary success or apparent immunity of those who disregard God. The verse reminds us that what appears formidable and stable in this world—be it financial empires, political power, social influence, or personal reputation—is, if built apart from God, ultimately an illusion destined to vanish. Our hope and security are not to be found in the fleeting realities of this temporal world, but in the enduring presence, unwavering character, and certain justice of the Lord. It encourages patience, trust in divine timing, and a steadfast focus on eternal truths, knowing that God will ultimately expose all pretense and establish His righteous order. This truth liberates us from the anxiety of comparison and empowers us to live faithfully, knowing that our true reward and vindication come from Him alone, and that true reality is found in His perspective.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does Psalms 73:20 imply that God literally sleeps or is inactive for a period?
No, the phrase "when thou awakest" is an anthropomorphism, a literary device that attributes human characteristics or actions to God. It does not mean that God literally sleeps or is ever inactive. Instead, it signifies God's decisive and active intervention, His rising to execute judgment, to reveal His truth, or to manifest His power in a clear and undeniable way. It highlights a moment of divine initiative where God's justice, which may seem delayed to human eyes, is finally and powerfully revealed. This concept is similar to how God is described as "waking up" to judgment in other psalms, such as Psalm 7:6.
What does it mean for God to "despise their image"?
The "image" (Hebrew: ṣelem) in this context refers not to a physical idol, but to the outward appearance, the false facade, the self-made glory, or the perceived invincibility of the wicked. It encompasses their pride, their self-sufficiency, their accumulated wealth, and their social status—everything they rely on apart from God. To "despise" (Hebrew: bazah) means to hold in contempt, to render insignificant, or to expose as utterly worthless. Therefore, when God "despises their image," He is revealing the utter emptiness and futility of all their worldly achievements and self-exaltation, stripping away their illusory power and showing them to be contemptible in His sight. It's a divine act of deconstruction, revealing the true, insubstantial nature of their supposed reality, much like the prophet Daniel's vision of the statue representing earthly kingdoms being crushed to dust by God's eternal kingdom (Daniel 2:31-45).
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Psalms 73:20 finds its ultimate fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ, particularly in His role as the righteous judge and the one who establishes an eternal kingdom that will never pass away. The "dream" of worldly power, prestige, and prosperity, which the wicked pursue and trust in, is utterly exposed as an illusion in the penetrating light of Christ's truth. While the world seeks to build its own "image" of success and glory, often through self-exaltation and material gain, Christ reveals that true glory is found in humility, self-sacrificial love, and obedience to God (Philippians 2:5-11). The "awakening" of the Lord, signifying divine intervention and judgment, is profoundly manifested in Christ's first coming, which inaugurated the kingdom of God and exposed the spiritual bankruptcy of the world's systems and values (John 18:36). More fully, it anticipates His glorious second coming, when He will return as the ultimate Judge, and all earthly "images" built apart from Him will be utterly despised, consumed, and revealed as nothing before His eternal throne (Matthew 25:31-46; Revelation 20:11-15). In Christ, we behold the true "image" of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15), and believers are being transformed into His likeness, reflecting an eternal reality that stands in stark contrast to the fleeting dreams and vain shows of this passing world (2 Corinthians 3:18).