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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Psalms 73:1–14. His four-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
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,
I.He lays down, in the first place, that great principle which he is resolved to abide by and not to quit while he was parleying with this temptation, Psa 73:1. Job, when he was entering into such a temptation, fixed for his principle the omniscience of God: Times are not hidden from the Almighty, Job 24:1. Jeremiah's principle is the justice of God: Righteous art thou, O God! when I plead with thee, Jer 12:1. Habakkuk's principle is the holiness of God: Thou art of purer eyes than to behold iniquity, Hab 1:13. The psalmist's, here, is the goodness of God. These are truths which cannot be shaken and which we must resolve to live and die by. Though we may not be able to reconcile all the disposals of Providence with them, we must believe they are reconcilable. Note, Good thoughts of God will fortify us against many of Satan's temptations. Truly God is good; he had had many thoughts in his mind concerning the providences of God, but this word, at last, settled him: "For all this, God is good, good to Israel, even to those that are of a clean heart." Note,
1.Those are the Israel of God that are of a clean heart, purified by the blood of Christ, cleansed from the pollutions of sin, and entirely devoted to the glory of God. An upright heart is a clean heart; cleanness is truth in the inward part.
2.God, who is good to all, is in a special manner good to his church and people, as he was to Israel of old. God was good to Israel in redeeming them out of Egypt, taking them into covenant with himself, giving them his laws and ordinances, and in the various providences that related to them; he is, in like manner, good to all those that are of a clean heart, and, whatever happens, we must not think otherwise.
II.He comes now to relate the shock that was given to his faith in God's distinguishing goodness to Israel by a strong temptation to envy the prosperity of the wicked, and therefore to think that the Israel of God are no happier than other people and that God is no kinder to them than to others.
1.He speaks of it as a very narrow escape that he had not been quite foiled and overthrown by this temptation (Psa 73:2): "But as for me, though I was so well satisfied in the goodness of God to Israel, yet my feet were almost gone (the tempter had almost tripped up my heels), my steps had well-nigh slipped (I had like to have quitted my religion, and given up all my expectations of benefit by it); for I was envious at the foolish." Note, 1. The faith even of strong believers may sometimes be sorely shaken and ready to fail them. There are storms that will try the firmest anchors. 2. Those that shall never be quite undone are sometimes very near it, and, in their own apprehension, as good as gone. Many a precious soul, that shall live for ever, had once a very narrow turn for its life; almost and well-nigh ruined, but a step between it and fatal apostasy, and yet snatched as a brand out of the burning, which will for ever magnify the riches of divine grace in the nations of those that are saved. Now,
2.Let us take notice of the process of the psalmist's temptation, what he was tempted with and tempted to.
(1.)He observed that foolish wicked people have sometimes a very great share of outward prosperity. He saw, with grief, the prosperity of the wicked, Psa 73:3. Wicked people are really foolish people, and act against reason and their true interest, and yet every stander-by sees their prosperity.
[1.]They seem to have the least share of the troubles and calamities of this life (Psa 73:5): They are not in the troubles of other men, even of wise and good men, neither are they plagued like other men, but seem as if by some special privilege they were exempted from the common lot of sorrows. If they meet with some little trouble, it is nothing to what others endure that are less sinners and yet greater sufferers.
[2.]They seem to have the greatest share of the comforts of this life. They live at ease, and bathe themselves in pleasures, so that their eyes stand out with fatness, Psa 73:7. See what the excess of pleasure is; the moderate use of it enlightens the eyes, but those that indulge themselves inordinately in the delights of sense have their eyes ready to start out of their heads. Epicures are really their own tormentors, by putting a force upon nature, while they pretend to gratify it. And well may those feed themselves to the full who have more than heart could wish, more than they themselves ever thought of or expected to be masters of. They have, at least, more than a humble, quiet, contented heart could wish, yet not so much as they themselves wish for. There are many who have a great deal of this life in their hands, but nothing of the other life in their hearts. They are ungodly, live without the fear and worship of God, and yet they prosper and get on in the world, and not only are rich, but increase in riches, Psa 73:12. They are looked upon as thriving men; while others have much ado to keep what they have, they are still adding more, more honour, power, pleasure, by increasing in riches. They are the prosperous of the age, so some read it.
[3.]Their end seems to be peace. This is mentioned first, as the most strange of all, for peace in death was every thought to be the peculiar privilege of the godly (Psa 37:37), yet, to outward appearance, it is often the lot of the ungodly (Psa 73:4): There are no bands in their death. They are not taken off by a violent death; they are foolish, and yet die not as fools die; for their hands are not bound nor their feet put into fetters, Sa2 3:33, Sa2 3:34. They are not taken off by an untimely death, like the fruit forced from the tree before it is ripe, but are left to hang on, till, through old age, they gently drop of themselves. They do not die of sore and painful diseases: There are no pangs, no agonies, in their death, but their strength is firm to the last, so that they scarcely feel themselves die. They are of those who die in their full strength, being wholly at ease and quiet, not of those that die in the bitterness of their souls and never eat with pleasure, Job 21:23, Job 21:25. Nay, they are not bound by the terrors of conscience in their dying moments; they are not frightened either with the remembrance of their sins or the prospect of their misery, but die securely. We cannot judge of men's state on the other side death either by the manner of their death or the frame of their spirits in dying. Men may die like lambs, and yet have their place with the goats.
(2.)He observed that they made a very bad use of their outward prosperity and were hardened by it in their wickedness, which very much strengthened the temptation he was in to fret at it. If it had done them any good, if it had made them less provoking to God or less oppressive to man, it would never have vexed him; but it had quite a contrary effect upon them. [1.] It made them very proud and haughty. Because they live at ease, pride compasses them as a chain, Psa 73:6. They show themselves (to all that see them) to be puffed up with their prosperity, as men show their ornaments. The pride of Israel testifies to his face, Hos 5:5; Isa 3:9. Pride ties on their chain, or necklace; so Dr. Hammond reads it. It is no harm to wear a chain or necklace; but when pride ties it on, when it is worn to gratify a vain mind, it ceases to be an ornament. It is not so much what the dress or apparel is (though we have rules for that, Ti1 2:9) as what principle ties it on and with what spirit it is worn. And, as the pride of sinners appears in their dress, so it does in their talk: They speak loftily (Psa 73:8); they affect great swelling words of vanity (Pe2 2:18), bragging of themselves and disdaining all about them. Out of the abundance of the pride that is in their heart they speak big. [1.] It made them oppressive to their poor neighbours (Psa 73:6): Violence covers them as a garment. What they have got by fraud and oppression they keep and increase by the same wicked methods, and care not what injury they do to others, nor what violence they use, so they may but enrich and aggrandize themselves. They are corrupt, like the giants, the sinners of the old world, when the earth was filled with violence, Gen 6:11, Gen 6:13. They care not what mischief they do, either for mischief-sake or for their own advantage-sake. They speak wickedly concerning oppression; they oppress, and justify themselves in it. Those that speak well of sin speak wickedly of it. They are corrupt, that is, dissolved in pleasures and every thing that is luxurious (so some), and then they deride and speak maliciously; they care not whom they wound with the poisoned darts of calumny; from on high they speak oppression. [3.] It made them very insolent in their demeanour towards both God and man (Psa 73:9): They set their mouth against the heavens, putting contempt upon God himself and his honour, bidding defiance to him and his power and justice. They cannot reach the heavens with their hands, to shake God's throne, else they would; but they show their ill-will by setting their mouth against the heavens. Their tongue also walks through the earth, and they take liberty to abuse all that come in their way. No man's greatness or goodness can secure him from the scourge of the virulent tongue. They take a pride and pleasure in bantering all mankind; they are pests of the country, for they neither fear God nor regard man. [4.] In all this they were very atheistical and profane. They could not have been thus wicked if they had not learned to say (Psa 73:11), How doth God know? And is there knowledge in the Most High? So far were they from desiring the knowledge of God, who gave them all the good things they had and would have taught them to use them well, that they were not willing to believe God had any knowledge of them, that he took any notice of their wickedness or would ever call them to an account. As if, because he is Most High, he could not or would not see them, Job 22:12, Job 22:13. Whereas because he is Most High therefore he can, and will, take cognizance of all the children of men and of all they do, or say, or think. What an affront is it to the God of infinite knowledge, from whom all knowledge is, to ask, Is there knowledge in him? Well may he say (Psa 73:12), Behold, these are the ungodly.
(3.)He observed that while wicked men thus prospered in their impiety, and were made more impious by their prosperity, good people were in great affliction, and he himself in particular, which very much strengthened the temptation he was in to quarrel with Providence.
[1.]He looked abroad and saw many of God's people greatly at a loss (Psa 73:10): "Because the wicked are so very daring therefore his people return hither; they are at the same pause, the same plunge, that I am at; they know not what to say to it any more than I do, and the rather because waters of a full cup are wrung out to them; they are not only made to drink, and to drink deeply, of the bitter cup of affliction, but to drink all. Care is taken that they lose not a drop of that unpleasant potion; the waters are wrung out unto them, that they may have the dregs of the cup. They pour out abundance of tears when they hear wicked people blaspheme God and speak profanely," as David did, Psa 119:136. These are the waters wrung out to them.
[2.]He looked at home, and felt himself under the continual frowns of Providence, while the wicked were sunning themselves in its smiles (Psa 73:14): "For my part," says he, "all the day long have I been plagued with one affliction or another, and chastened every morning, as duly as the morning comes." His afflictions were great - he was chastened and plagued; the returns of them were constant, every morning with the morning, and they continued, without intermission, all the day long. This he thought was very hard, that, when those who blasphemed God were in prosperity, he that worshipped God was under such great affliction. He spoke feelingly when he spoke of his own troubles; there is no disputing against sense, except by faith.
(4.)From all this arose a very strong temptation to cast off his religion.
[1.]Some that observed the prosperity of the wicked, especially comparing it with the afflictions of the righteous, were tempted to deny a providence and to think that God had forsaken the earth. In this sense some take Psa 73:11. There are those, even among God's professing people, that say, "How does God know? Surely all things are left to blind fortune, and not disposed of by an all-seeing God." Some of the heathen, upon such a remark as this, have asked, Quis putet esse deos? - Who will believe that there are gods?
[2.]Though the psalmist's feet were not so far gone as to question God's omniscience, yet he was tempted to question the benefit of religion, and to say (Psa 73:13), Verily, I have cleansed my heart in vain, and have, to no purpose, washed my hands in innocency. See here what it is to be religious; it is to cleanse our hearts, in the first place, by repentance and regeneration, and then to wash our hands in innocency by a universal reformation of our lives. It is not in vain to do this, not in vain to serve God and keep his ordinances; but good men have been sometimes tempted to say, "It is in vain," and "Religion is a thing that there is nothing to be got by," because they see wicked people in prosperity. But, however the thing may appear now, when the pure in heart, those blessed ones, shall see God (Mat 5:8), they will not say that they cleansed their hearts in vain.
Historical interpretation
Three Centuries of Reception
7 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
Let us come also, if you wish, to the circumcision of lips. I think that he would be "uncircumcised in lips" who has not yet ceased from silly talk, from obscene language, who disparages good people, who slanders his neighbors, who instigates quarrels, who promotes false accusations, who sets brothers against themselves by making false statements, who utters vain words, inept words, profane words, shameless words, filthy words, injurious words, wanton words, blasphemous words, and other words that are unworthy of a Christian. But if anyone curbs his mouth from all these things and "orders his words with judgment," if he restrains verbosity, governs his tongue, keeps his words in due bounds, that person deservedly is said to be circumcised in lips. But also those "who speak iniquity on high and stretch out their tongue against heaven," as the heretics do, are to be called uncircumcised and unclean in their lips. But he is circumcised and clean who always speaks the word of God and brings forward sound doctrine fortified with evangelic and apostolic norms. In this way, therefore, also circumcision of lips is given in the church of God.
“They have set their mouth against heaven, and their tongue has passed over the earth.” We learn the meaning of “to set one’s mouth against heaven” from the younger of the two brothers, who returned to his father and said, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.” But those who think that freedom to sin is given to them by some inevitability of birth are setting their mouth against heaven. Such people usually spare neither heaven nor earth, that they may believe that people’s lives are governed by the course of the stars, as it were. They leave nothing to providence, nothing to good character. And would that they also had returned like that one of the two young men—the good Lord would not have denied them a remedy! And yet, even if they do not wish to be healed, the Lord keeps open the option of a return, so that those in Israel who were driven out by the blindness of their own hearts may come back through the fullness of the church. Thus they may spend the days of their lives, not in emptiness but filled with good works and faith, when the Lord has filled them with his spiritual favor. Learn how they may return. “A partial blindness only has befallen Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles should enter and thus all Israel should be saved.” But it was fitting that the mystery be fulfilled, that God should shut up all things in unbelief, that is, that he should refute and convict them. (For when two parties contend, if one is the stronger, it is said, “He has shut up the other.”)45 And thus, by his mercy, that people indeed went back among the heirs, so that the world might be made subject to God. But they were led astray by the delusion of their late wickedness, so that they would not believe that God had foreknowledge of things hidden. But that they may be redeemed at some time, the Lord has kept open for them the option of future salvation and has said, “Therefore will my people return here.” What is “here”? It is “to me, to my equity and justice, to my worship.” “And full days will be procured for them.” This you will interpret as follows, that the people who have believed are assuredly redeemed. According to this, even though those who have not believed are not redeemed, still the redemption of the people is granted as a special favor of God.
“Therefore their pride has gripped them; they are covered with their iniquity and their wickedness.” Iniquity affords a bad covering, and if anyone wishes to hold it over us, we ought to remove it; else he may begin to come into judgment with us. And if anyone tries to carry off our spiritual tunic that we have received, remove the cloak of iniquity and take up the covering of faith and of patience, with which David covered himself in fasting, so that he would not lose the garment of virtue. Fasting is itself a covering. Indeed, unless a sober fasting had served to cover the holy Joseph, he would have been stripped by the wanton adulteress. Had Adam chosen to cover himself with that fasting, he would not have been made naked. But because he tasted of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil contrary to heaven’s prohibition and violated the fast imposed on him by taking the food of incontinence, he knew that he was naked. Had he fasted, he would have kept the clothing of faith and would not have beheld himself uncovered. Let us not, therefore, clothe ourselves with iniquity and wickedness; else it may be said about one of us, “He clothed himself in cursing.” Adam clothed himself badly; while he searched for coverings of leaves, he received the sentence of a curse. The Jews clothed themselves with a curse, for in regard to them it is written, “Their injustice will go forth as from fat; it has passed into the condition of their heart.” For from “fat” is derived “fatty,” that is, “rich.” For just as a soul that is fed on good things and stuffed with virtues is filled “as with fat and richness,” as it is written, so iniquity, which proceeds, as it were, from fat, is not symbolized as thin and poor but as filled with vices. In fact, they did not fall into error by some chance misstep but passed into sacrilege by plan and intent.
Hence we should know that the Holy Spirit has condemned those detestable people who hold such views. For what other people does he specifically condemn except the Arians, who say that the Son of God does not experience periods of time and years? For there isn’t anything with which that God is not familiar. If, however, Christ is God and Christ is the highest God, then he is God above all things. Notice how outraged the blessed David was with such people who limit the Son of God’s knowledge. He says, “They do not share the troubles common to human beings, and they will not be plagued like other people. They are burdened with their pride; they are clothed in iniquity and impiety. Their iniquity is proportionate with their portliness. They extend into the condition of the heart.” Without a doubt he condemns those who believe that divine things must be determined from the “condition of the heart.” For God is not subject to [any temporal] condition or order because these are things that are peculiar to human beings and according to succeeding generations. But we know that they do not always occur according to some formal plan but more often happen according to some secret and hidden mystery.“They have thought,” he says, “and they have spoken wickedly and sinfully against God. They have set their mouth against heaven.” And so we see that he condemns those who are responsible for impious blasphemy and who claim for themselves the right to arrange the secrets of heaven according to the manner of human nature.
We have seen that rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen. In this world, he reclined at table and feasted elegantly every day, while the poor man Lazarus would gather what fell from his table. When he was in torments in hell, he could not lean back and rest; but with great difficulty he lifted up only his eyes to Abraham, not his whole body, and asked him to send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and to cool his tongue. Therefore “there was no rest to his death nor strength in his affliction.” For scourges have no value after death. And so, while David was in this bodily life, he made himself ready for scourges, so that the Lord might receive him as one that had been chastised. Think again, I ask you, on holy Job. He was covered all over with sores, afflicted in all his limbs and filled with pain over his entire body. He dissolved clods of earth with the corrupt matter and the liquid from his wounds, and since he could not rest in this body, he found death a repose. And so, thinking of his own case, he said, “Death is a repose for a person.” He, therefore, was not moved in his affliction, nor did he totter in the morass of his own speech, for “in all those things, he did not sin with his lips,” even as Scripture testifies. Rather, he found strength in his affliction, through which he was strengthened in Christ. And thus both Job and David, because they were scourged here, had strength in their afflictions, because “the father scourges the son whom he receives.” But those who are not scourged here are not received as sons there. And there “they are not in the toils of people and they shall not be scourged with people,” so that they may be scourged forever with the devil.
"They have thought and have spoken spitefulness" [Psalm 73:8]. But men do speak spitefulness even with fear: but these men how? "Iniquity on high they have spoken." Not only they have spoken iniquity; but even openly, in the hearing of all, proudly; "I will do it;" "I will show you;" "you shall know with whom you have to do;" "I will not let you live." You might have but thought such things, not have given utterance to them! Within the chambers of thought at least the evil desire might have been confined, he might have at least restrained it within his thought. Why? Is he perchance lean? "There shall go forth as if out of fatness the iniquity of them." "Iniquity on high they have spoken."
Perhaps someone may say, Why did God cause Pharaoh to be hardened by sparing him, and why did he remove his scourges? At this point I reply with assurance: God removed his scourges so often because by the immense number of his sins Pharaoh did not merit to be rebuked as a son for the amendment of his life, but like an enemy he was allowed to become hardened. Such great sins of his had preceded, and he had despised God so often with wicked boldness, that in him was fulfilled what the Holy Spirit said concerning such people: “They are free from the burdens of mortals and are not afflicted like the rest of humanity. So pride adorns them as a necklace; as a robe violence clothes them. Out of their crassness comes iniquity.” Behold how a person is hardened if he does not deserve to be chastised by our Lord for his correction. Moreover, what is written concerning those whom God’s mercy does not allow to become hardened? “God scourges every son whom he receives”;28 furthermore, “Those whom I love I rebuke and chastise”; and again, “For whom God loves he reproves.” Concerning this hardening the prophet also exclaims to the Lord in the person of the people: “Why do you harden our hearts so that we do not fear you?” Surely, this is nothing else than: You have abandoned our heart, that we should not be converted to you.
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Summary
Psalms 73:8 vividly portrays the profound moral decay and outward arrogance characteristic of the wicked, whose apparent prosperity initially caused the psalmist, Asaph, to waver in his faith. This verse, deeply embedded within a profound meditation on the problem of evil and divine justice, reveals how a corrupt heart manifests in speech that is both oppressive in its content and boastful in its manner, reflecting a profound disregard for God's law and the well-being of others. It serves as a crucial link between the internal state of the wicked and their defiant actions, setting the stage for Asaph's eventual understanding of their ultimate downfall and God's unwavering goodness and justice.
Context
Literary Context
Psalms 73 opens with Asaph's foundational declaration of God's goodness to Israel, particularly to those with pure hearts (Psalm 73:1). However, this immediate affirmation is starkly contrasted by Asaph's raw and honest confession of his near spiritual collapse, triggered by his observation of the seemingly unburdened and prosperous lives of the wicked (Psalm 73:2-3). The preceding verses (Psalms 73:4-7) offer a detailed, almost envious, description of the wicked's apparent ease: their lack of suffering, robust health, pride worn like a necklace, and eyes bulging from fatness, all contributing to their self-perception of invincibility. Verse 8 specifically zooms in on their speech as a direct outflow of this inner corruption and outward arrogance, serving as a crucial link between their internal depravity and their defiant actions. This verbal defiance escalates dramatically in the very next verse, where they audaciously set their mouth against heaven itself (Psalm 73:9), demonstrating the progressive nature of their rebellion.
Historical & Cultural Context
The Book of Psalms, a cornerstone of the Old Testament's wisdom literature, frequently grapples with the complex issue of theodicy—the question of how a just and powerful God can permit evil and injustice to seemingly flourish. In ancient Israelite thought, prosperity was often interpreted as a tangible sign of divine blessing, while suffering was frequently seen as an indicator of divine displeasure or judgment. This prevailing worldview created a profound theological dilemma for the righteous when they observed the wicked flourishing without apparent consequence. Psalms 73 directly confronts this common struggle, offering a profound theological resolution that transcends immediate, superficial appearances. The cultural milieu also placed a significant emphasis on the potent power of the spoken word. Words were not merely ephemeral sounds but were considered active forces, capable of creating or destroying, blessing or cursing. The "oppression" mentioned in the verse would have resonated deeply within a society where the vulnerable—widows, orphans, and sojourners—were often exploited by those in positions of power, a lamentable and recurring theme found throughout prophetic literature, such as in Amos 2:6-7.
Key Themes
Psalms 73:8 contributes significantly to several overarching themes within the psalm and the broader biblical narrative. The primary theme illuminated here is Moral Corruption, where the declaration "They are corrupt" points to a deep-seated spiritual and ethical decay that transcends mere external actions, profoundly influencing their very character and disposition. This internal rot is starkly contrasted with the psalmist's own earnest desire for a pure heart, as stated in Psalm 73:1. Another crucial theme is Oppressive Speech, as their words are not simply idle or thoughtless, but actively contribute to injustice, exploitation, and the perpetuation of harm. This highlights the destructive and active power of language, a concept consistently echoed throughout Scripture, which conversely calls for speech that builds up and imparts grace to listeners (Ephesians 4:29). Finally, the theme of Arrogance and Haughtiness is central, as "they speak loftily" depicts a pride that elevates themselves not only above other human beings but also, as the subsequent verses reveal, above divine accountability. This hubris is consistently portrayed in biblical literature as a dangerous precursor to inevitable downfall and destruction (Proverbs 16:18).
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This Hebrew root signifies "to jeer" or, in an intensified sense, "to blaspheme" and "to be corrupt." In Psalms 73:8, it points to a deep-seated moral and spiritual decay within the wicked. This corruption is not merely a passive state of imperfection but an active disposition towards moral perversion and offensive behavior, manifesting in their speech and actions. It suggests a fundamental rottenness that permeates their very being, leading to their defiant and harmful expressions.
Derived from a root meaning "to oppress," this noun refers specifically to injury, fraud, unjust gain, or extortion obtained through force, exploitation, or deceit. When the wicked "speak wickedly concerning oppression," their words are intrinsically linked to their exploitative practices. Their speech is either about their acts of injustice, boastful of their illicit gains, or serves as a direct means of perpetrating further harm and exploitation. It highlights how their language is an active instrument of their cruelty and avarice.
Stemming from a root meaning "to be high," this word denotes altitude, elevation, or figuratively, elation and haughtiness. In the context of speech, "speaking loftily" vividly portrays the arrogant, boastful, and contemptuous nature of the wicked's communication. They speak as if from a position of unchallenged authority, looking down upon others, and displaying an inflated sense of self-importance. This term encapsulates their hubris and profound disregard for both human and divine authority, foreshadowing their direct defiance of heaven in the following verse.
Verse Breakdown
"They are corrupt"
This opening clause establishes the fundamental character of the wicked. Their very essence is tainted by a profound, internal moral decay. This corruption is not merely a superficial flaw but a deep-seated perversion of their nature, from which all their subsequent words and deeds originate. It signifies a deviation from what is good, righteous, and in alignment with God's design.
"and speak wickedly [concerning] oppression"
This phrase elaborates on how their inherent corruption manifests through their verbal expressions. Their words are not just generally "wicked" but are specifically intertwined with "oppression." While the KJV's "concerning" is an interpretive addition, the Hebrew implies that their words are oppressive, that they promote oppression, or that they boast about their acts of exploitation and unjust gain. Their speech, therefore, is an active tool or a direct reflection of their injustice, serving to either enact or celebrate their harmful actions against others.
"they speak loftily"
This concluding clause describes the manner and attitude of their speech, revealing their profound arrogance and self-exaltation. They communicate with an inflated sense of their own importance, haughtiness, and contempt for others. This "lofty" speech implies a belief that they are above accountability, beyond the reach of human law, and perhaps even superior to divine judgment, demonstrating a profound hubris that sharply distinguishes them from the humble and righteous.
Literary Devices
Psalms 73:8 employs several potent literary devices to underscore the pervasive character of the wicked. Parallelism is evident in the progression from their inner state ("They are corrupt") to their outward expression ("speak wickedly concerning oppression") and finally to the arrogant manner of that expression ("they speak loftily"). This creates a cumulative and intensifying effect, deepening the description of their depravity. Metonymy is present in the phrase "speak loftily," where the abstract concept of "haughtiness" or "arrogance" is vividly conveyed through the concrete image of "height" or "speaking from on high." This device effectively paints a picture of their elevated self-perception and disdain for others. Furthermore, the entire description functions as a stark Contrast to the character and speech of the righteous, whose words and lives are meant to reflect humility, justice, and devotion to God. The verse also utilizes Concretization, taking abstract concepts like corruption and oppression and giving them tangible, audible form through the act of speaking, thereby making their wickedness palpable and impactful to the reader.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Psalms 73:8 profoundly illuminates the biblical understanding of sin as a comprehensive corruption that permeates both the inner being and outward expression. It teaches that the heart's condition directly influences the tongue, revealing that wicked speech is not merely a slip of the tongue but an undeniable symptom of a deeper, pervasive moral malady. The verse underscores God's unwavering concern for justice and His absolute abhorrence of oppression, particularly when it is perpetuated, justified, and even celebrated through arrogant words. It challenges the common human tendency to be swayed by outward appearances or superficial prosperity, reminding us that true spiritual insight discerns the underlying character, recognizing that those who "speak loftily" are ultimately setting themselves in defiant opposition to the divine order and God's righteous standards. This profound theological truth lays the groundwork for the psalm's ultimate resolution, where the psalmist's understanding of God's final, inevitable judgment rectifies his initial struggle with the wicked's apparent prosperity.
Reflection and Application
Psalms 73:8 serves as a potent mirror for self-examination and a crucial call for discernment in our interactions with the world. It reminds us that true moral character is not merely about avoiding certain external actions, but fundamentally about the purity and integrity of the heart, from which all words and deeds ultimately flow. The "corrupt" heart inevitably produces "wicked" and "lofty" speech, highlighting the profound and inseparable connection between our inner state and our outward communication. For believers, this verse is a sobering reminder to guard our hearts diligently, recognizing that our words possess immense power—the power to oppress or to uplift, to sow discord or to build peace, to tear down or to edify. It urges us to cultivate genuine humility, to speak truth in love, and to champion justice, especially for the vulnerable and marginalized in society. In a world where arrogant, boastful, and oppressive speech often gains prominence and even appears to thrive, this psalm encourages us to place our unwavering trust in God's ultimate justice, knowing with certainty that He sees beyond the superficial and will hold every word and deed accountable in His perfect timing.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "speak wickedly [concerning] oppression" truly mean in Psalms 73:8?
The phrase "speak wickedly [concerning] oppression" (Hebrew: yedabberu beraʿ ʿōšeq) signifies that the wicked's speech is not merely generally evil, but specifically and intrinsically tied to acts of injustice and exploitation. The KJV's bracketed "concerning" is an interpretive addition, and the Hebrew can be understood more directly as "they speak evil oppression," or "they speak oppression." This implies several possibilities, all pointing to the destructive nature of their words: their words are oppressive in themselves (e.g., threats, false accusations, slander against the vulnerable, or verbal abuse); their words promote or justify their oppressive actions (e.g., rationalizing their exploitation of the poor or weak); or they boast about their unjust gains and the power they wield through oppression. In essence, their language is an active instrument of their wickedness, directly contributing to or celebrating their acts of extortion and injustice, standing in stark contrast to the words of truth, justice, and humility that characterize the righteous, as exemplified in passages like Proverbs 12:17.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Psalms 73:8, with its stark depiction of the wicked's corrupt, oppressive, and arrogant speech, finds its ultimate fulfillment and profound resolution in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. The "lofty" and self-exalting words of the wicked stand in stark contrast to the humble, authoritative, and gracious words of Jesus, who "spoke as one who had authority, and not as their scribes" (Matthew 7:29), yet always with unparalleled compassion, truth, and humility. While the wicked speak of oppression and perpetuate it, Jesus came precisely to "proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed" (Luke 4:18), embodying the very antithesis of their character. He is the perfect embodiment of righteous speech and action, perfectly fulfilling the law and exposing the emptiness and futility of human pride. Furthermore, the psalm's ultimate resolution—the wicked's sudden destruction and God's final, just judgment—is fully realized in Christ, who is appointed by God as the judge of the living and the dead (Acts 10:42). His glorious return will bring a definitive end to all oppressive speech and corrupt power, ushering in an eternal era where truth, righteousness, and justice reign supreme, and every idle word will be accounted for before His throne (Matthew 12:36). Thus, Psalms 73:8, while lamenting the present reality of pervasive evil and injustice, ultimately points forward to the future triumph of Christ, who will silence all wicked and lofty speech and establish His everlasting kingdom of righteousness and peace.