Psalm 73 2

Psalm 73:2 kjv

But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped.

Psalm 73:2 nkjv

But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; My steps had nearly slipped.

Psalm 73:2 niv

But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold.

Psalm 73:2 esv

But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped.

Psalm 73:2 nlt

But as for me, I almost lost my footing.
My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone.

Psalm 73 verses

Psalm 73 2 Meaning

Psalm 73:2 describes the psalmist Asaph's profound spiritual crisis and internal turmoil. He declares that he came perilously close to losing his faith and abandoning his righteous path. His "feet had almost stumbled" and "my steps had nearly slipped" signifies that he was on the verge of falling away from trust in God, not having physically fallen, but being precariously close to spiritual collapse, severely tested by external circumstances and internal doubts.

Psalm 73 2 Context

Psalm 73 is a wisdom psalm attributed to Asaph, one of King David's chief musicians. It begins with a declarative truth about God's goodness (v. 1), but then immediately dives into a candid confession of a deep personal crisis. Verse 2 marks the lowest point of the psalmist's faith struggle. He details his spiritual peril before explaining the cause: his envy and perplexity over the seemingly unpunished prosperity of the wicked, contrasted with his own suffering despite striving for purity (vv. 3-14). The psalm portrays a profound wrestling with the problem of evil and divine justice, a struggle common to many believers. The historical context reflects a time when conventional wisdom often taught that righteousness led to prosperity and wickedness to suffering; the psalmist's experience challenges this simplistic view.

Psalm 73 2 Word analysis

• But as for me (אַךְ אֲנִי, akh ani):
  • אַךְ (akh): "But," "only," "however." This particle marks a sharp contrast, creating an emphatic shift from the universal truth stated in verse 1 ("Truly God is good to Israel") to the psalmist's personal, contradictory experience. It sets the stage for a dramatic turning point in his perspective.
  • אֲנִי (ani): "I," "as for me." The use of the independent personal pronoun emphasizes the deeply personal and subjective nature of this crisis. It is his own struggle, even if the theological problem is universal.
• my feet (רַגְלָי, raglay):
  • Literal: The physical members used for standing and walking.
  • Metaphorical: Represents one's walk of life, direction, moral conduct, spiritual stability, or overall course of existence. In ancient thought, stability of feet often symbolized stability of life and prosperity, while slipping indicated peril or ruin.
• had almost stumbled (כִּמְעַט נָטָה, kim'at natah):
  • כִּמְעַט (kim'at): "Almost," "nearly," "scarce," "not far from." This adverb powerfully indicates a proximity to disaster, but not an actual full fall. The psalmist didn't fully succumb, but came dangerously close.
  • נָטָה (natah): "to stretch out," "to bend," "to incline," "to sway," "to deviate." Here, it signifies a deviation from a straight path, a tottering or leaning that indicates loss of balance and imminent fall. It's the moment just before a full stumble, reflecting a wavering of spiritual resolve.
• my steps (אֲשֻׁרָי, ashurai):
  • Meaning: "My steps," "my goings," "my paths." This is very similar in meaning to "my feet" but often emphasizes the act of moving forward and the chosen course or direction of one's life.
  • Nuance: Implies one's progress and the trajectory of their faithfulness.
• had nearly slipped (כְּאַיִן שֻׁפְּכוּ, ke'ayin shuppeku):
  • כְּאַיִן (ke'ayin): "As if nothing," "almost," "like naught." This phrase further reinforces the precariousness expressed by kim'at. It indicates that his steps became as insubstantial as nothing, losing their grip and substance.
  • שֻׁפְּכוּ (shuppeku): "were poured out," "slipped away," "were overthrown." From the verb שׁפך (shapakh), which generally means "to pour out." In the Hophal (passive causative) conjugation used here, it paints a vivid and stronger picture than natah. It's not just leaning or swaying, but the very foundation or stability of his steps dissolving, as if they were liquids poured onto a smooth surface and scattering. It implies a complete loss of control and a tendency towards spiritual disintegration.
• Words-Group Analysis:
  • "my feet had almost stumbled; my steps had nearly slipped": The parallel phrasing ("feet"/"steps," "stumbled"/"slipped") is a common Hebrew poetic device (parallelism), reinforcing the single idea of extreme spiritual instability from two angles. "Stumbled" often refers to an impediment that causes one to lose balance, while "slipped" suggests losing footing on a slick surface. Both evoke images of danger and loss of firm ground. The double "almost/nearly" underlines the incredible closeness to total spiritual downfall. This pairing of images emphasizes both the internal disorientation and the external vulnerability of the psalmist's faith.

Psalm 73 2 Bonus section

The psalmist's near-fall in Psalm 73:2 serves as a vital anchor point for the entire psalm. It frames the subsequent detailed complaints about the wicked not as mere observations, but as intensely personal, faith-threatening grievances. The honesty of Asaph in confessing his nearly abandoned faith resonates deeply, providing a biblical permission to wrestle with doubt rather than suppress it. This specific verse acts as a bridge from the objective theological statement of God's goodness to the subjective, experiential struggle. The crisis articulated here finds its resolution later in the psalm when the psalmist enters the sanctuary of God, gaining a new, eternal perspective on the destiny of the wicked (v. 17ff). The peril of his steps emphasizes the immense relief and renewed clarity that follows.

Psalm 73 2 Commentary

Psalm 73:2 is a profound opening to one of the Bible's most honest depictions of spiritual crisis. Asaph's confession reveals that intellectual assent to God's goodness (v. 1) does not inoculate one from severe internal struggle. His faith was not just weakened; it was on the brink of collapse, tottering precariously. This moment of extreme vulnerability arises from observing the prosperity of the wicked, which appears to contradict the righteous order he expects from a just God. The imagery of "stumbling" and "slipping" effectively conveys the sensation of losing one's footing on the spiritual path, the very ground of faith becoming unstable beneath him. It is a vital and common human experience that prepares the reader for the detailed spiritual journey Asaph then undertakes to resolve his doubt, demonstrating that even those closest to God can face intense periods of questioning.