Psalms 73:5 · Bible study
Psalms 73:5 Commentary: The Enigma of the Wicked’s Exemption
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why do the wicked seem free from common human troubles? Asaph's crisis of faith and the sanctuary resolution examined from the Hebrew.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The wicked appear free from the common burdens and afflictions that weigh on humanity, creating a crisis of faith.
- Key words: עמל (trouble/labor), אנוש (mortal man), נגע (stricken/plagued).
- Main debate: Is this an objective statement about the wicked or a reflection of the psalmist’s envious perception?
- Theological theme: Theodicy, the prosperity of the wicked tests the believer’s trust in God’s justice.
- Best use: Preaching on envy, doubt, and the necessity of gaining God’s perspective in his presence.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
They are free of the burdens others carry; they are not afflicted like other men.
WEB World English Bible 2000
They are free from burdens of men, neither are they plagued like other men.
KJV King James Version 1769
They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
They are not in trouble asothermen; Neither are they plagued likeothermen.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
In the misery of mortals they are not, And with common men they are not plagued.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
They have not the hardships of mankind, neither are they plagued like [other] men:
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And they knew not both in the going out and on the highest top. As with axes in a wood of trees,
Translations in other languages (10 available)
No están ellos en el trabajo humano; ni son azotados con los otros hombres.
Não são tão oprimidos como o homem comum, nem são afligidos como os outros homens;
Ils n’ont aucune part aux souffrances humaines,
Sie sind nicht in Unglück wie andere Leute und werden nicht wie andere Menschen geplagt.
Zij zijn niet in de moeite als andere mensen, en worden met andere mensen niet geplaagd.
Non sono travagliati come gli altri mortali, né son colpiti come gli altri uomini.
W pracy ludzkiej nie są, a kaźni, jako inni ludzie, nie doznawają.
показывали себя подобными поднимающему вверх секиру на сплетшиеся ветви дерева;
他們不像 別人 受苦，也不 像 別人 遭災。
They are not in trouble as others are; they have no part in the unhappy fate of men.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Psalms 73:5
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that this verse captures the psalmist’s perception of the wicked as exempt from the common lot of human suffering. Barnes notes the Hebrew phrase ba‘amal ’enosh (“in the trouble of mankind”), the wicked simply “are not” found there. Gill points to ‘amal speaking of toil and labor: the wicked do not wear themselves out for a living. The Cambridge Bible calls this an observation that “they escape the common lot of humanity.” Calvin situates the verse in Asaph’s crisis: seeing the godless flourish almost caused him to abandon faith. The consensus holds that the verse is not an objective fact but a description of the temptation that nearly undid the psalmist’s trust in God’s goodness.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Literal observation: Barnes and Cambridge read the verse as a straightforward description that the wicked often escape common troubles, forming the basis of the temptation.
- Subjective perception: Calvin and Matthew Henry argue that the psalmist’s envy distorts his view; the verse reflects how things appear to a shaken faith, not a universal fact.
- Theological critique: Some modern scholars (informed by the broader wisdom tradition) see the verse as exposing the inadequacy of a simple retribution theology, preparing for a deeper understanding of God’s ways.
What is clear: The verse functions as the pivot of the psalmist’s crisis, describing his experience of the wicked’s apparent immunity from trouble and setting up the need for divine perspective.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Nature of the statement in v. 5 | It describes the psalmist's perception of the wicked as exempt from ordinary human trouble. | Some (e.g., Barnes, Cambridge) treat it as a descriptive observation of a pattern; others (Calvin, Matthew Henry) emphasize it as a distorted perception colored by envy. |
| Textual issue in v. 4-5 | The Hebrew of verse 4 contains a difficult word (לָמוֹת, often read as 'their death' or repointed). | Keil & Delitzsch and others propose emending to a different reading ('they have no pangs'); the Masoretic Text is retained by most English translations. |
| The role of the sanctuary resolution | The sanctuary (v. 17) provides the key perspective that resolves the crisis. | Disagreement exists over whether that resolution emphasizes eschatological judgment (future destruction of the wicked) or present reorientation of trust in God’s character. |
| How this verse relates to retribution theology | It presents an apparent exception to the claim that righteousness brings blessing. | Some see it as a critique of simplistic retribution (God’s ways are inscrutable); others see it as affirming retribution in the long run, with the wicked's downfall certain. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Psalm 73 stands in the wisdom tradition, blending lament with personal testimony. Its author, Asaph, was a Levite appointed by David to lead temple music (1 Chronicles 16:4-5). The psalm wrestles with the foundational covenant promise that obedience brings blessing and disobedience brings curse (Deuteronomy 28). What Asaph observed contradicted that framework: the wicked flourished while he suffered. Verse 5 voices this crisis.
Israelite culture assumed a direct link between righteousness and well-being. The book of Job already challenged a simple retribution view, and Psalm 73 pushes further. The phrase “they are not in trouble as other men” reflects an exception to the expected pattern. The Hebrew ‘amal (toil/trouble) and naga‘ (stricken/plagued) suggests both weariness and divine discipline. The wicked appear untouched by the ordinary hardships and the Fatherly correction that Proverbs 3:11-12 describes.
Culturally, the “chain of pride” in verse 6 (ornamental necklaces, often badges of office) and the “fatness” of verse 7 (prosperity) paint a picture of arrogant self-sufficiency. This makes the psalmist’s temptation poignant: why should the righteous suffer while the wicked wear their pride like jewelry? The answer comes only in verse 17, when Asaph enters the sanctuary, the place of God’s presence, and sees their end. That shift from observation to revelation is the psalm’s turning point.
Textual Notes
The Masoretic Text of verse 5 is stable across Hebrew manuscripts. The main textual question involves verse 4, where the phrase לָמוֹת (“their death”) is difficult to parse. Keil & Delitzsch note that some scholars emend to תָּם (“vigorous”) or repoint, producing a reading like “they have no pangs; vigorous and well-nourished is their belly.” This alternative does not affect the wording of verse 5. The Septuagint, Peshitta, and Targum all render verse 5 in line with the traditional Hebrew. No significant variants are attested for the verse itself.
Reception History
Psalm 73 has been a key text for Christian reflection on the problem of evil and the prosperity of the ungodly. Early church writers like Athanasius saw it as a manual for overcoming temptation. Augustine, in his Enarrationes in Psalmos, used the psalm to argue that God’s goodness is not measured by temporal success. During the Reformation, commentators such as Calvin and Luther drew on this psalm to encourage believers to look beyond outward appearances and trust God’s hidden justice. The phrase “entering the sanctuary” became a metaphor for prayer and worship as the lens through which faith sees reality. In modern pastoral care, Psalm 73:5 is frequently cited alongside Job 21 and Jeremiah 12 in discussions of theodicy.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The observation (v. 5): Wicked people appear free from the burdens and afflictions common to humanity. The psalmist’s eyes are fixed on their apparent exemption.
- The temptation (vv. 2-3, 13-14): Envy takes root. Asaph’s “feet almost slipped” because God’s goodness seems unevenly distributed.
- The resolution (vv. 17-20): Entering the sanctuary reorients perspective. The wicked stand on slippery ground; their end is sudden destruction.
Five-point outline
- Exemption from trouble (v. 5): The wicked escape what others endure, pain, discipline, weariness.
- Pride unchecked (v. 6): Their immunity feeds arrogance. They wear pride like an ornament.
- Arrogant speech (vv. 8-9): They mock God and oppress others, speaking as if no higher power governs.
- Their prosperity (vv. 4-12): Health, wealth, and ease seem to confirm their way of life.
- Their destruction (vv. 17-20): The sanctuary reveals the truth: God sets them in slippery places. Their end is certain.
Illustration hooks
- A coworker bends ethics, gets promoted, and never seems to face consequences. You struggle to trust that integrity matters.
- A public figure flouts laws and norms, yet grows richer and more admired. Your inner demand for justice burns.
- You wake each day to chronic pain or financial strain while others breeze through life. The disparity feels like a verdict on your faith.
Questions your congregation is asking
- “Does God see when wicked people prosper? Does he care?”
- “Is it worth being good if the wicked seem to get away with everything?”
- “Where can I take my anger and confusion when life feels unfair?”
Leading a Discussion
Psalm 73 is one of the Bible’s most honest treatments of envy and doubt. Verse 5 touches a raw nerve: the wicked appear to live without the trouble that defines human life. Before you meet together, read the whole psalm (73:1-28). Notice how the psalmist moves from crisis to clarity. This conversation invites you to name your own tensions and find hope in God’s presence.
Discussion questions
- What does this verse (v. 5) reveal about the psalmist’s emotional state? What is he feeling toward the wicked?
- Why might seeing the wicked’s exemption from trouble be especially dangerous to faith? What does it threaten?
- How do verses 1-4 set up the tension that verse 5 intensifies?
- In what ways does our culture tempt us to envy the prosperous, even when their success is morally questionable?
- How does the sanctuary experience (v. 17) change the psalmist’s perspective? What does he see there that he could not see before?
- Where do you see the promise of Proverbs 3:11-12 (discipline as a sign of God’s love) intersecting with this passage? How might that reframe suffering?
- What does it mean, practically, to trust God’s goodness even when appearances scream the opposite?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Job 21:6 | When I remember, I am troubled. Horror takes hold of my flesh. |
| Job 21:9 | Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them. |
| Psalms 73:12 | Behold, these are the wicked. Being always at ease, they increase in riches. |
| Proverbs 3:11 | My son, don’t despise Yahweh’s discipline, neither be weary of his correction; |
| Proverbs 3:12 | for whom Yahweh loves, he corrects, even as a father reproves the son in whom he delights. |
| Jeremiah 12:1 | You are righteous, Yahweh, when I contend with you; yet I would like to plead a case with you. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why are they all at ease who deal very treacherously? |
| Jeremiah 12:2 | You have planted them. Yes, they have taken root. They grow. Yes, they produce fruit. You are near in their mouth, and far from their heart. |
| I Corinthians 11:32 | But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes observes that the wicked appear to receive a special exemption from the common burdens and calamities that afflict humanity. They are conspicuously spared the troubles that strike others, living favored and prosperous while the rest suffer.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin emphasizes that the psalmist nearly abandoned faith by judging only from present circumstances. The remedy is patience: we must let God's providence work in the hidden way He has determined, trusting that in the end the righteous will not lose their reward and the wicked will not escape judgment.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The prosperity of the wicked frees them from the common misery shared by humanity, and this exemption fuels their pride and violence. The metaphors of chains and garments picture their pride and brutality as visible ornaments or official badges, not burdens.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The wicked appear to escape the common hardships and judgments that afflict ordinary people. They are not troubled or plagued in the same way, which sets them apart and makes their prosperity puzzling to the faithful.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill draws a sharp contrast between the wicked and God's own people. The wicked escape the hardships that mark the righteous: bodily affliction, wearying labor for daily bread, and the chastening rod of God that corrects His children.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch argues the original Hebrew for "no pangs until their death" is textually suspect and misplaced, as discussing a painless death interrupts the description of the wicked's prosperity. Their proposed emendation—that the wicked have no pangs at all, with vigorous bodies—better fits the context. They also note the intentionally gloomy style matches the theme.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
As other men - As good men frequently are.