Psalms 73:10 Commentary: The Full Cup of the Wicked

Psalm 73 belongs to the collection of Asaph (Psalms 50, 73, 83). It is a wisdom psalm wrestling with the prosperity of the wicked, a problem classically treated in Job and Habakkuk. The psalmist begins by affirming that God is good to Israel (v1), then confesses that his feet nearly slipped when he saw the wicked’s ease (v2, 3). Verses 4, 9 paint their arrogance: they are free from trouble, their pride is like a chain, their eyes bulge with fatness, and they speak against heaven. Verse 10 then gives the result: “Therefore his people return here, and waters of a full cup are drained by them.” The verse is a hinge between the description of the wicked and the crisis of faith that follows (v11, 14).

Historically, the psalm’s author, Asaph, was a Levite musician appointed by David (1 Chronicles 16:4, 5). The psalm may reflect the pre-exilic period when the temple worship was established, though the problem of unpunished wickedness is timeless. The metaphor of the “cup” recurs in the Old Testament for both blessing (Psalm 23:5) and judgment (Psalm 75:8; Isaiah 51:17). Here, whether the waters represent prosperity or sorrow, they are “full” and “drained”, an image of complete consumption. The Targum reads it as tears; the Septuagint as “days of fullness,” showing that from the earliest translations interpreters struggled with the meaning. This verse captures the moment when the psalmist’s observation of the wicked’s success becomes a severe temptation to doubt God’s justice.

The Hebrew Masoretic Text reads עַמּוֹ (his people) and מֵי מָלֵא (waters of fullness). However, the Septuagint and Syriac versions read “my people,” while the Vulgate and Targum follow the MT. The Septuagint also translates “waters of fullness” as “days of fullness” (reading יְמֵי for מֵי), a reading supported by the Syriac and Ethiopic but not by any Hebrew manuscript, according to Clarke. The Kethiv (written form) and Qere (read form) in the MT are not in dispute for this verse, and no major textual variants affect the overall sense apart from these interpretive differences.

The history of interpretation of Psalm 73:10 is marked by its difficulty. Early versions, Septuagint, Vulgate, Syriac, Ethiopic, all diverge, reading either “my people” or “his people,” and “days of plenty” versus “waters of abundance.” The Targum interpreted the cup as tears of the righteous. In the Reformation, Calvin used the verse to illustrate the battle between faith and carnal reason; the Geneva Bible notes on it briefly. Matthew Henry saw it as part of the psalmist’s account of the temptation to envy. Nineteenth-century commentators like Barnes and Clarke catalogued the variations and offered multiple interpretations, reflective of the verse’s enduring opacity. Across centuries, the verse has served as a window into the struggle of faith when confronted with the success of the wicked.

Three-point outline

1. The Prosperity That Attracts, The wicked’s success draws a crowd. “His people” (whether God’s people or the wicked’s followers) return to them. The psalmist observes that affluence and influence pull others into orbit (v10a).
2. The Cup That Is Drained, “Waters of a full cup are wrung out to them.” This metaphor suggests that those who join the wicked share fully in their pleasures, or, as some commentators suggest, drink the bitter cup of confusion and tears. Either way, the experience is complete and overwhelming (v10b).
3. The Crisis That Follows, The attraction and abundance lead to doubt: “How does God know?” (v11). The psalmist’s own faith is shaken. The verse functions as the trap that nearly catches him (v13, 14).

Five-point outline

1. The Temptation of Sight, The psalmist envied the foolish when he saw their prosperity (v3). Verse 10 shows the visible result: people flock to them.
2. The Ambiguity of “His People”, Are these God’s people turning away, or the wicked’s followers gathering in? The text is intentionally open, challenging hearers to examine whose company they keep.
3. The Full Cup, “Waters of abundance” suggests that the wicked’s prosperity looks intoxicating and satisfying. But the verb “drained” (Niphal of maˈtsah) carries passive force, they are being drunk dry, perhaps to their own ruin.
4. The Echo of Judgment, Psalm 75:8 uses the same cup imagery for God’s wrath. The full cup in 73:10 may foreshadow that the wicked will eventually drink a different cup.
5. The Sanctuary Solution, The psalmist only understood when he entered the sanctuary (v17). Verse 10 is the problem; verse 17 is the answer.

Illustration hooks

• A colleague gets promoted quickly by cutting corners, and others imitate his methods to get ahead. The churchgoer wonders if integrity really pays off.
• Social media feeds show influencers living luxurious, carefree lives. People flock to their platforms, drinking in their lifestyle. The contrast with the quiet, unnoticed life of faithfulness feels sharp.
• A family struggles with debt while their dishonest neighbor flourishes. Patience wears thin when the cup of the wicked seems to overflow.

Questions your congregation is asking

• Is it wrong to want the same prosperity that unbelievers enjoy?
• Why does God let the wicked succeed while the righteous struggle?
• How can I keep my faith when I see people turning away to follow the crowd?

Psalm 73 describes a crisis of faith that many believers experience: the prosperity of the wicked creates doubts about God’s justice. Verse 10 is a difficult but pivotal verse, capturing the moment when people are drawn to the wicked’s success. This session explores who is being attracted and what the “full cup” means, and how the psalmist eventually finds his footing in God’s sanctuary.

Discussion questions

1. Read Psalm 73:1, 14. What do you observe about the wicked in verses 4, 9? What about their lifestyle draws people?
2. Who do you think “his people” refers to in verse 10? What are the different possibilities, and why does it matter?
3. The verse says they “drink up waters of abundance.” What might this image communicate about the experience of those who join the wicked?
4. How does verse 10 connect to the psalmist’s own struggle in verses 13, 14?
5. The same cup imagery appears in Psalm 75:8 as judgment. Does that change how you read this verse? Why or why not?
6. In what situations today do you feel pulled to envy or imitate the success of people who do not follow God?
7. The psalmist only resolves his crisis in the sanctuary (v17). What practices help you regain perspective when you are tempted by the world’s prosperity?