Psalm 73:22 - Printer Friendly

ESV: I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you.

NIV: I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you.

NASB: Then I was stupid and ignorant; I was like an animal before You.

CSB: I was stupid and didn’t understand; I was an unthinking animal toward you.

NLT: I was so foolish and ignorant — I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you.

KJV: So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee.

NKJV: I was so foolish and ignorant; I was like a beast before You.

Scripture makes a connection between irrational, blindly emotional responses and the inhuman personality of animals (Psalm 49:10, 20; 2 Peter 2:12; Jude 1:10). It may be natural to feel bitterness and anger when we see supposedly-evil people living better lives than we think we deserve (Psalm 73:2–3). More careful thought reveals that those attitudes are short-sighted and ultimately rooted in our own limited understanding (Psalm 73:15–21).

In that spirit, Asaph confesses that his initial sense of envy was a sin; he acted like an animal. Animals have emotions, personality, and a measure of self-awareness; they do not have a spirit that enables them to worship God (Genesis 1:27). Asaph's initial reaction was as if he had no connection with God. He says he was ignorant. He acted as though he did not know God was alive and capable of dealing with the arrogant wicked.

Use of the word "beast" in Hebrew is interesting. The term is mostly used in reference to livestock, as done here. A plural form of a very similar Hebrew word, thought to be a singular word from Egyptian derivation, appears in Job 40:15, where most English translations keep the term almost intact, transliterating behē'mot as Behemoth. Today we use the term "behemoth," in reference to a monstrous, large, or plodding animal.

Because unregenerate mankind is depraved, he cannot see things from God's perspective. The apostle Paul told the Corinthians: "The natural [unregenerate] person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Corinthians 2:14). Asaph, therefore, confessed that in bitterly envying those who reject God, he had acted like an unbeliever.

Psalm 73:15–28 gives a fitting resolution to Asaph's complaint (Psalm 73:2–3). He was disturbed by the contrast between the seemingly prosperous wicked and the difficulties of the righteous. Many today feel the same conflict. An eternal perspective gave the answer he needed to those hard examples. In short, wickedness does come with risks, and earthly life is not all there is to our existence. Even in the context of the natural world, evil invites negative consequences and disaster. In eternity, judgment on godlessness is absolutely guaranteed.

Seeing godless people thrive, even as they hatefully mock God, while believers suffer, leads many people to a crisis of faith. This was the case for Asaph. Using exaggerated imagery, he complains to the Lord that it seems as if evil people have easy lives, while godly people suffer. Further reflection reminds Asaph that sin does lead to consequences, both in this life and the next. He confesses his sins of bitterness and resolves to trust God more deeply.

This psalm is the first in a collection which corresponds to Leviticus and the overall theme of worship. Asaph, who wrote Psalm 73, confesses that seeing prosperity among wicked people brought him bitterness and envy. That nearly caused him to lose trust in God. Carefully considering God and His eternal truth led Asaph to a stronger faith. Job chapter 21, in which trial-laden Job also complains about the success of some wicked people, mentions many of the same ideas as Psalm 73.

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.