The Meaning of Psalms 73:3 Explained

Psalms 73:3

KJV: For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

YLT: The peace of the wicked I see, That there are no bands at their death,

Darby: For I was envious at the arrogant, seeing the prosperity of the wicked.

ASV: For I was envious at the arrogant, When I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For I was envious  at the foolish,  [when] I saw  the prosperity  of the wicked. 

What does Psalms 73:3 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 73:1-15 - Deceptive Prosperity
The opening psalms of this third Book of Psalms are by Asaph; see 2 Chronicles 29:30. The r.v. margin substitutes only for surely in Psalms 73:1. There is none good but God and God is only good. "His every act pure goodness is; His path unsullied light." Israel, as here intended, is not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. See John 1:47 and Romans 2:28-29.
We have in these verses a good man's temptation. In every age God's people have asked whether God can possibly know all that is taking place on the earth, and if He does know, why He allows evil to prosper. The dark spirit who is ever at our elbow whispers that we should have done as well, and better, if we had not been quite so scrupulous in our business dealings; and we are held back from giving expression to our thoughts only by the fear that we might cause God's weaker children to stumble. This reticence is, of course, wholly commendable. A Christian man confessed the other day that the irreligion of his children was due to his critical and captious speech. By all means keep these dark and faithless thoughts locked in your own breast; you have no right to scatter thistle-down. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 73

1  The prophet, prevailing in a temptation
2  Shows the occasion thereof, the prosperity of the wicked
13  The wound given thereby, diffidence
15  The victory over it, knowledge of God's purpose

What do the individual words in Psalms 73:3 mean?

For I [was] envious of the boastful the prosperity of the wicked when I saw
כִּֽי־ קִ֭נֵּאתִי בַּֽהוֹלְלִ֑ים שְׁל֖וֹם רְשָׁעִ֣ים אֶרְאֶֽה

קִ֭נֵּאתִי  I  [was]  envious 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: קָנָא  
Sense: to envy, be jealous, be envious, be zealous.
בַּֽהוֹלְלִ֑ים  of  the  boastful 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: הָלַל 
Sense: to shine.
שְׁל֖וֹם  the  prosperity 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שָׁלֹום  
Sense: completeness, soundness, welfare, peace.
רְשָׁעִ֣ים  of  the  wicked 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: רָשָׁע  
Sense: wicked, criminal.
אֶרְאֶֽה  when  I  saw 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.