Psalms 73:20

As a dream when [one] awaketh; [so], O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image.

As a dream {H2472} when one awaketh {H6974}{H8687)}; so, O Lord {H136}, when thou awakest {H5782}, thou shalt despise {H959}{H8799)} their image {H6754}.

They are like a dream when one awakens; Adonai, when you rouse yourself, you will despise their phantoms.

Like one waking from a dream, so You, O Lord, awaken and despise their form.

As a dream when one awaketh, So, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou wilt despise their image.

Psalms 73:20 offers a powerful conclusion to Asaph's struggle with the prosperity of the wicked, revealing the ultimate futility and transient nature of earthly success apart from God. It serves as a vivid metaphor for divine judgment and the fleeting illusion of worldly power.

Historical and Cultural Context

This verse is found within Psalm 73, a wisdom psalm attributed to Asaph, a chief musician and seer in King David's court. The psalm grapples with a common human dilemma observed throughout history: why do the ungodly, who often appear proud and unburdened by trouble, seem to prosper, while the righteous suffer? Asaph confesses his near stumble (Psalm 73:2) due to envy of the wicked's apparent ease. His perspective dramatically shifts when he enters "the sanctuary of God" (Psalm 73:17), where he gains divine understanding of their ultimate end. Ancient Near Eastern cultures often viewed dreams as significant, but also recognized their ephemeral nature upon waking, providing a relatable image for the fleeting reality of the wicked's success.

Key Themes and Messages

  • The Illusion of Earthly Prosperity: The primary theme is the comparison of the wicked's seemingly stable and powerful position to a dream. While a dream can feel intensely real and impactful during its duration, it utterly dissolves and becomes insignificant upon waking. Similarly, the wealth, power, and glory of the ungodly, though impressive in this life, are ultimately insubstantial and will vanish when God's reality intervenes.
  • Divine Revelation and Judgment: The phrase "when thou awakest" is an anthropomorphism, not implying God sleeps, but rather signifying His decisive intervention, the manifestation of His justice, or the revealing of His true perspective. It marks the moment when God's active judgment or truth exposes the emptiness of worldly pride and power.
  • The Futility of Ungodly Living: God's act of "despising their image" signifies His utter contempt for the false constructs, pride, and apparent achievements of those who reject Him. Their "image"—their self-made glory, status, and perceived invincibility—is revealed as worthless and contemptible in His sight, stripped of all its illusory power.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew word for "image" (tselem) in this context refers not to a physical idol but to the outward appearance, the false facade of power, security, and success that the wicked project. It's the illusion they create and live by. God will "despise" (bazah) it, meaning He will hold it in contempt, render it insignificant, and expose its utter worthlessness and unreality.

Related Scriptures

The concept of the wicked's fleeting prosperity is a recurring theme in Scripture. Similar to how a dream vanishes, Job 20:8 states that the wicked "shall flee away as a dream". The ultimate manifestation of God "awakening" to judge is a theme explored in prophecies of the Day of the Lord, where the wicked will be consumed, as when Malachi 4:1 speaks of the day that "shall burn as an oven". This verse also resonates with the broader message of Psalm 37:35-36, which speaks of seeing the wicked in great power and then looking again and finding them gone.

Practical Application

Psalms 73:20 offers profound comfort and correction for believers today. It reminds us not to be envious or dismayed by the temporary success or apparent immunity of the ungodly. What seems real and powerful in this world is often an illusion that will ultimately vanish in the light of God's truth and judgment. It encourages patience, trust in divine timing, and a focus on eternal truths and God's unwavering character rather than on the fleeting, deceptive realities of this temporal world. Our hope and security are not in earthly prosperity or power, but in the enduring presence and justice of the Lord.

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Job 20:8

    He shall fly away as a dream, and shall not be found: yea, he shall be chased away as a vision of the night.

  • Psalms 78:65

    Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep, [and] like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine.

  • Isaiah 29:7

    And the multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel, even all that fight against her and her munition, and that distress her, shall be as a dream of a night vision.

  • Isaiah 29:8

    It shall even be as when an hungry [man] dreameth, and, behold, he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh, and, behold, [he is] faint, and his soul hath appetite: so shall the multitude of all the nations be, that fight against mount Zion.

  • Psalms 7:6

    Arise, O LORD, in thine anger, lift up thyself because of the rage of mine enemies: and awake for me [to] the judgment [that] thou hast commanded.

  • Psalms 39:6

    Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up [riches], and knoweth not who shall gather them.

  • Psalms 90:5

    Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are [as] a sleep: in the morning [they are] like grass [which] groweth up.

Add TrulyRandomVerse to your Home Screen for quick access!

← Back