Psalm 73 16

Psalm 73:16 kjv

When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me;

Psalm 73:16 nkjv

When I thought how to understand this, It was too painful for me?

Psalm 73:16 niv

When I tried to understand all this, it troubled me deeply

Psalm 73:16 esv

But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task,

Psalm 73:16 nlt

So I tried to understand why the wicked prosper.
But what a difficult task it is!

Psalm 73 verses

Psalm 73 16 Meaning

Psalm 73:16 expresses the psalmist Asaph's profound intellectual and spiritual struggle. After observing the baffling prosperity of the wicked and his own suffering despite righteousness, he dedicated significant mental effort to comprehending this apparent injustice in God's governance. However, his earnest endeavor to reconcile these observations with divine goodness and justice proved fruitless. Instead of yielding clarity or peace, this internal deliberation only resulted in deep distress, feeling laborious and grievous to his spirit. The verse highlights the limitation of human reason alone to fully grasp the complexities of God's ways when confronted with life's profound paradoxes.

Psalm 73 16 Context

Psalm 73 belongs to the psalms of Asaph (Psalms 50, 73-83), which often delve into national and theological crises. Chapter 73 specifically addresses the problem of theodicy – how a just God can allow the wicked to prosper and the righteous to suffer. The psalm opens with Asaph's affirmation of God's goodness to Israel (v. 1), quickly transitioning to his near-stumble in faith (v. 2) due to the apparent ease, arrogance, and lack of trouble of the wicked (v. 3-12). This deeply troubles Asaph, making him feel that his own purity and righteousness have been in vain (v. 13-14). He hesitates to voice his inner turmoil openly, fearing it might mislead others (v. 15). Verse 16 captures his intense internal battle, reflecting his solitary intellectual effort to resolve this profound dilemma, which only leads to weariness and pain. This verse sets the stage for the dramatic turning point in verse 17, where his understanding is finally revealed when he enters God's sanctuary. Historically and culturally, the psalm confronts the prevalent, albeit simplistic, retribution theology common in ancient Israel – the belief that good deeds lead directly to blessings and bad deeds to curses. Asaph's experience challenges this straightforward view, demanding a deeper theological understanding that transcends immediate observations and simple cause-and-effect assumptions.

Psalm 73 16 Word analysis

• When I thought: (Hebrew: וָאֲחַשְּׁבָה - va'akhashshevah)
  • Derived from the root חָשַׁב (chashav), meaning "to think, reckon, devise, calculate, plan."
  • Significance: This implies a deliberate, intense, and intellectual process. Asaph was actively trying to figure it out, engaging in deep contemplation and reasoning rather than just passively wondering. It highlights the rigorous mental effort he applied to his spiritual crisis.
• how to understand/to know: (Hebrew: לָדַעַת - la'da'at)
  • From the root יָדַע (yada), meaning "to know, perceive, understand, experience, discern."
  • Significance: Asaph sought more than superficial information; he yearned for profound insight, an intellectual and spiritual comprehension of God's ways in the face of perceived injustice. He desired not just facts but genuine wisdom.
• this: (Hebrew: זֹאת - zot)
  • Refers directly to the specific paradox and moral dilemma described in the preceding verses (73:2-15): the inexplicable prosperity of the wicked, their defiance of God, and the seemingly futile struggle of the righteous.
  • Significance: It underscores the particular source of his deep perplexity and anguish—the observed disconnect between morality and apparent divine justice in the world.
• it was too arduous/grievous/painful: (Hebrew: הָיָה עָמָל - hayah 'amal)
  • הָיָה (hayah) - "it was," denotes the outcome or state of being.
  • עָמָל ('amal) - From a root signifying "toil, labor, trouble, sorrow, misery, painful effort, distress." It connotes a burden that is not merely difficult but physically and emotionally taxing, often fruitless.
  • Significance: Asaph's mental labor did not lead to clarity but to suffering. His attempt to reason through God's dealings proved not just challenging but ultimately overwhelming and distressful, signifying the limitation of human intellect alone in resolving divine mysteries. It emphasizes the deep emotional and spiritual burden.
• for me/in my eyes: (Hebrew: בְּעֵינָי - b'einaï)
  • Literally, "in my eyes," a common Hebrew idiom indicating "in my opinion," "to my perception," "it seemed to me." It emphasizes the subjective and deeply personal nature of his experience.
  • Significance: This phrase highlights that while the problem of theodicy is universal, its arduousness was acutely felt by Asaph personally. It accentuates his subjective anguish and underscores the intimate nature of his struggle with faith.

• Words-group Analysis:
  • "When I thought how to understand this": This entire phrase conveys Asaph's intense, analytical engagement with the spiritual and theological dilemma he faced. He did not passively observe but actively exerted his intellect to find an explanation for what appeared to be divine injustice. This highlights a common human approach to perplexing problems, attempting to solve them through rational thought.
  • "it was too arduous for me": This declares the painful futility of his intellectual striving. Human reasoning, by itself, proved insufficient to penetrate the deep wisdom of God's ways. The outcome was not enlightenment but distress and weariness of spirit, revealing the inherent limits of human comprehension when faced with divine paradoxes without God's own revelation.

Psalm 73 16 Bonus section

• Asaph's wrestling models intellectual honesty within faith, acknowledging that certain biblical truths or realities in the world can initially appear contradictory to human understanding. It validates the honest doubt and rigorous inquiry many believers experience.
• This verse indirectly sets up a theological tension between reliance on human intellectual effort and reliance on divine revelation for understanding spiritual truths. Asaph's failure to resolve the dilemma through his own thoughts paves the way for the profound resolution found through seeking God's perspective.
• The progression of the psalm from struggle (v. 2-16) to breakthrough (v. 17) and renewed affirmation (v. 18-28) provides a spiritual roadmap for believers facing similar crises of faith and perplexing questions about divine justice.

Psalm 73 16 Commentary

Psalm 73:16 serves as a pivotal point in Asaph's spiritual journey, marking the nadir of his despair before the breakthrough of understanding. His rigorous intellectual pursuit, encapsulated by "When I thought how to understand this," reflects a genuine and commendable effort to reconcile his observations of rampant evil and suffering among the righteous with his belief in God's righteousness. Yet, this effort, divorced from a deeper revelation of God's ultimate plan, led only to the profound mental anguish conveyed by "it was too arduous for me." The word 'amal emphasizes a toil that is burdensome and grievous, not just difficult. This verse underscores a crucial spiritual truth: certain aspects of God's sovereign governance and justice, particularly the mystery of evil and suffering, transcend the full grasp of human logic and reason. Attempting to force comprehension solely through human intellect without spiritual insight or divine perspective often leads to frustration, doubt, and spiritual pain rather than clear answers. Asaph’s experience teaches that understanding such divine truths does not come through intensified intellectual computation alone but often through revelation encountered in God's presence, as seen in the very next verse.