John Gill Commentary Psalms 73

Truly God is good to Israel
To Israel, literally understood; in choosing them to be his people above all people on earth; in bringing them into a good land; in favouring them with many external privileges, civil and religious; in giving them his word, statutes, and ordinances, as he did not to other nations: or, spiritually understood, the Israel whom God has chosen, redeemed, and called by his special grace; verily of a truth, God is good to these; there is abundant proof and evidence of it; (See Gill on Psalms 34:8),

or "only" God is good to such; though he is good to all in a providential way, yet only to his chosen and redeemed ones in a way of special favour; the goodness others share is but a shadow of goodness, in comparison of what they do and shall partake of; they are blessed with blessings indeed, and are only blessed; so this particle is rendered in (Psalms 62:2Psalms 62:4Psalms 62:5) , or "but", or "notwithstanding" ^F2 , God is good that is, though he suffers the wicked to prosper, and his own people much afflicted, yet he is good to them; he supports them under their afflictions, and makes all to work for their good; gives them grace here, and glory hereafter;

even to such as are of a clean heart ;
this character excludes the carnal Israelites, who were pure in their own eyes, but not cleansed from their filthiness, and describes the true Israel of God, and explains who are meant by them, such as are pure in heart, inwardly Jews, Israelites indeed, in whom there is no guile; this is not natural to men, their hearts are by nature unclean, nor is it in their power to make them clean: this is God's work, he only can create a clean heart, and renew a right spirit; which is done by the sanctifying influences of his grace, and by the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus, and thus purifying their heart's by faith; yet so as not to be free from all impurity of spirit, but as to have a conscience purged from the guilt of sin, and to have the heart sincere and upright towards God.

FOOTNOTES:

• F2: (Ka) "attamen", Tigurine version, Piscator, Gussetius, Michaelis.

But as for me
Who am one of the Israel of God whose heart has been renewed and purified by the grace of God, and to whom he has been kind and good in a thousand instances; yet, ungrateful creature that I am,

my feet were almost gone ;
out of the good ways of God, the ways of truth and holiness just upon the turn, ready to forsake them, and give up all religion as a vain thing:

my steps had well nigh slipped , or "poured out" ^F3 like water; the allusion is to standing on wet and slippery ground, where a man can scarcely keep upon his feet.

It may be observed, that good men are liable to slips and falls, to fall into sin, snares, and temptations, and from their steadfastness in the faith, but not totally and finally; their feet may be "almost", but not "altogether", gone: their steps may "well nigh" slip, but not "quite"; they may fall, but not be utterly cast down; at least they rise again, and are made to stand; for God is able to keep them, and does keep them, from a total and final falling away.

FOOTNOTES:

• F3: (hkpv) "effusi sunt", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, Cocceius; "effusi fuissent", Musculus, Gejerus, Michaelis.

For I was envious at the foolish
The atheists, as in (Psalms 14:1), who deny the creation, as Arama; the wicked, as after explained, as all wicked men are, how wise soever they may be in things natural and civil, yet in religious things, in things of a spiritual nature, they have no understanding; they are proud boasters, glory in themselves, and in their outward attainments, as the word ^F4 here used signifies; the external happiness of these, their riches, health, and ease, were envied by the psalmist; see (Psalms 37:1).

when I saw the prosperity of the wicked ,
or "the peace of the wicked" {e}; with an evil eye. This was the occasion of his slip and fall, this was the temptation he was left unto for a while.

FOOTNOTES:

• F4: (Myllwhb) "in arrogantes", Gejerus; "stolide gloriosos", Michaelis; "at vain glorious fools", Ainsworth.

For there are no bands in their death Nothing that binds and straitens them, afflicts and distresses them; they have no pain of mind nor of body, but die at once, suddenly, in a moment, wholly at ease and quiet, without any bitterness of soul; see (Job 21:13Job 21:23Job 21:25) , or "there are no bands until their death"^F6;

they have no straits nor difficulties all their life long, no distempers nor diseases which may be called "bonds", (Luke 13:12Luke 13:13Luke 13:16) , till they come to die: the Vulgate Latin version is, "there is no respect to their death"; they take no notice of it, they have no care or concern about it; or, as the Targum, ``they are not terrified nor troubled because of the day of their death;'' they put it away far from them, and think nothing about it:

but their strength is firm; they are hale and robust, healthful and sound, to the day of their death; their strength is not weakened in the way by diseases and distempers.

Some take the word rendered "strength" to signify a porch or palace, and translate it, they are strong as a palace, or in a palace, or their palace is strong^F7 their houses are well built, and continue long.

FOOTNOTES:

• F6: (Mtwml) "usque ad mortem eorum", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Gejerus, Michaelis.
• F7: (Mlwa) "palatium vel sicut palatium"; so some in Piscator; "porticus", Schmidt; so R. Jonah, Arama, and Jerom.

They are not in trouble, as other men
Either of body or of mind, as the saints are, who through many tribulations enter the kingdom; or are not in "labour" ^F8 , do not labour for food and raiment, or get their bread by the sweat of their brow, as poor men do; nor are weary, so Arama: "neither are they plagued like other men"; smitten of God, corrected, and chastised by him, as his children are; the rod of God is not upon them, (Job 21:9) .

FOOTNOTES:

• F8: (lmeb) "in labore", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, Musculus, Junius & Tremellius, Gejerus.