Psalms 73:21,22 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Bible Comments

Thus my heart was grieved I was disturbed, so as I have expressed, with envy and indignation at the prosperity of the wicked. Hebrew, יתחמצ לבבי, jithchamets lebabi, my heart was in a ferment, or, had wrought itself up into a ferment, namely, with unbelieving thoughts, and reasonings on the above-mentioned subject. And I was pricked in my reins I was heartily and deeply wounded in my spirit. So foolish was I, and ignorant Of what I might have known and which, if I had known it aright, would have been perfectly sufficient to have prevented or silenced the disquieting thoughts and perplexing reasonings which have given me so much uneasiness. I was as a beast before thee A most stupid and sottish creature, as though I had not only been devoid of grace, but of reason too. For reason itself, informed by the Holy Scriptures, sufficiently discovered, that, all things considered, I had no sufficient cause to envy the prosperity of wicked men. I minded only present things, as the brutes do, and did not look forward to and consider things to come, as reasonable creatures ought to do. Before thee In thy sight, or judgment, and therefore in truth, Romans 2:2, howsoever I seemed to myself, or others, to have some degree of reason and discretion.

Psalms 73:21-22

21 Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins.

22 So foolish was I, and ignorant:c I was as a beast before thee.d