Psalms 73:19 Meaning: Consumed by Terrors
How they are suddenly destroyed! They are completely swept away with terrors.
How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors.
How are they become a desolation in a moment! They are utterly consumed with terrors.
How have they become a desolation as in a moment, They have been ended--consumed from terrors.
How are they suddenly made desolate! they pass away, consumed with terrors.
Meaning in one sentence
What does 'consumed with terrors' mean in Psalm 73:19? The psalmist saw the sudden end of the wicked, both external judgment and inner horror.
Context
This verse sits near the end of a psalm where the writer, Asaph, admits he nearly lost faith. He had been looking at wicked people who seemed healthy, wealthy, and arrogant while he struggled to stay faithful. It made no sense to him, and he felt bitter inside (verse 21). But then he went into God's sanctuary, and something shifted. He began to see not just the present moment, but the end of the story. Verses 18, 20 describe what he saw: the wicked are standing on slippery ground. Their success is fragile, and their end comes suddenly and terribly. Verse 19 is his exclamation of awe at how complete that destruction is.
Key Words
Three Hebrew words carry the weight here. Rega means 'a moment', like the blink of an eye. The destruction is not gradual; it is instant. Shammah is the word for 'waste' or 'horror.' It describes a land laid bare, a city left in ruins, but also the appalment that comes with seeing such devastation. The wicked do not just fade away, they become a horror. And ballahot is a rare word for 'terrors,' used mostly in the Book of Job. It means both dreadful events and the terror they produce in the soul. The psalmist is saying that the end of the wicked is not a quiet slipping away. It is a sudden, shocking collapse that leaves nothing behind. When you understand that, the prosperity of the wicked looks very different.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians have read this verse in two main ways. Some, like the commentator Albert Barnes, emphasize that the terrors are not the wicked's own fears but 'things which are suited to overwhelm the soul', external judgments that sweep in. Others, like John Gill, allow both: 'terrible judgments inflicted from without' and 'terrors inwardly seizing upon their minds and consciences.' The word ballahot itself holds both meanings. The psalmist's point is not to settle the psychology of the wicked, but to affirm that God's justice is real and final. Whether the terrors come from outside or from a terrified conscience, the result is the same: the wicked are completely undone.
A common misunderstanding
Some read 'consumed with terrors' as meaning the wicked simply feel guilty and afraid. In fact, the psalmist is describing more than a guilty conscience. As Barnes notes, the terrors are 'things suited to overwhelm the soul', sudden calamities, judgments, or events that destroy everything they trusted. It is not about their feelings, but about God's decisive action that brings their apparent safety to nothing.
Living This Out
This week, you might run into someone who seems to get away with dishonesty, arrogance, or cruelty. It could be a coworker, a neighbour, or someone online. Your first instinct might be to envy them or to doubt whether God sees. Let verse 19 change that. Instead of focusing on their present advantage, ask God to give you eyes for the end, the end of their story and of yours. You may not see it happen suddenly like in this psalm, but you can trust that God's justice is real. Let your hope rest in the sanctuary, not in appearances.
Main takeaway: The apparent success of the wicked is temporary; God's judgment comes suddenly and completely.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
This verse says that people who do bad things might look safe, but God knows when their safe time will end. It can happen very quickly.
For ages 9, 12
Asaph was confused because bad people seemed happy and successful. But when he went to God's house, he saw that their happiness is like a dream that disappears when you wake up. This verse describes how suddenly that happens, like being swept away by something scary. It's a reminder not to envy people who do wrong, because God sees the whole story.
Questions People Ask
What does 'consumed with terrors' mean in Psalm 73:19?
It means the wicked are completely destroyed by terrifying events. Some interpreters think these are external calamities like sudden loss or judgment. Others think it includes the horror that seizes their own minds. The Hebrew word for 'terrors' (ballahot) often appears in Job to describe dread and disaster together.
Is this verse about people being scared or about God punishing them?
Both are possible. The verse describes 'terrors' that completely destroy the wicked. In the context of Psalm 73, the psalmist has just realized that God sets the wicked in slippery places and throws them down. So the terrors are God's judgment, but they also produce real fear.
Why does the psalmist say 'suddenly' when the wicked seemed prosperous for so long?
The psalmist is speaking from the perspective of God's sanctuary, where he sees the end. To human eyes, the wicked appear stable for years. But from God's viewpoint, their destruction happens in a moment, like a dream vanishing when you wake up (verse 20). The suddenness is about the final outcome, not the process.
How does this verse fit with the rest of Psalm 73?
The psalm as a whole is about the struggle of seeing the wicked prosper. Verses 1, 14 describe the temptation to envy them. Verses 15, 17 show the turning point in the sanctuary. Then verses 18, 20 describe the true end of the wicked: slippery places, sudden destruction, and being despised like a dream. Verse 19 is the climax of that realization.
Should I pray for the wicked to be destroyed like this?
No. The psalm is not telling you to wish harm on others. It is a comfort for when you are tempted to envy the wicked. It reminds you that God's justice is certain, so you can let go of bitterness and trust Him. Your prayer should be for your own heart to stay faithful, not for judgment on others.
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