Psalms 73:16

King James Version

When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me;

Parallel Translations

English Standard Version
But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task,

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then thought I to know this, but it was too painefull for me,

Christian Standard Bible®
When I tried to understand all this,it seemed hopeless

Hebrew Names Version
When I tried to understand this, It was too painful for me;

Easy-to-Read Version
I tried hard to understand all this, but it was too hard for me.

Amplified Bible
When I considered how to understand this, It was too great an effort for me and too painful

American Standard Version
When I thought how I might know this, It was too painful for me;

Contemporary English Version
It was hard for me to understand all this!

Complete Jewish Bible
When I tried to understand all this, I found it too hard for me —

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And when I pondered how I might know this, it was wearisome in mine eyes;

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And I undertook to understand this, but it is too hard for me,

English Revised Version
When I thought how I might know this, it was too painful for me;

Berean Standard Bible
When I tried to understand all this, it was troublesome in my sight

Lexham English Bible
When I thought about how to understand this, it was troubling in my eyes

Literal Translation
And I thought to know this; it was a travail in my eyes,

New Century Version
I tried to understand all this, but it was too hard for me to see

New English Translation
When I tried to make sense of this, it was troubling to me.

New King James Version
When I thought how to understand this, It was too painful for me--

New Living Translation
So I tried to understand why the wicked prosper. But what a difficult task it is!

New Life Bible
It was too hard for me when I tried to understand this,

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
When I reasoned, that I might understand this, A vexation, it was in mine eyes:

Douay-Rheims Bible
(72-16) I studied that I might know this thing, it is a labour in my sight:

George Lamsa Translation
When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me.

Good News Translation
I tried to think this problem through, but it was too difficult for me

New American Standard Bible
When I thought of understanding this, It was troublesome in my sight

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Therfore I considered howe I might vnderstande this: but it was to paynefull in myne eyes.

New Revised Standard
But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task,

Darby Translation
When I thought to be able to know this, it was a grievous task in mine eyes;

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
I gesside, that Y schulde knowe this; trauel is bifore me.

Young's Literal Translation
And I think to know this, Perverseness it [is] in mine eyes,

World English Bible
When I tried to understand this, It was too painful for me;

Revised Standard Version
But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task,

Update Bible Version
When I thought how I might know this, It was too painful for me;

Webster's Bible Translation
When I thought to know this, it [was] too painful for me;

Bible in Basic English
When my thoughts were turned to see the reason of this, it was a weariness in my eyes;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then thought I to vnderstonde this, but it was to harde for me.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
When I pondered to understand this, It was troublesome in my sight

Legacy Standard Bible
When I gave thought to know this,It was trouble in my sight

Contextual Overview

¹⁵ If I say, I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children. ¹⁶ When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me; ¹⁷ Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end. ¹⁸ Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction. ¹⁹ How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors. ²⁰ As a dream when one awaketh; so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

When: Psalms 36:6, Psalms 77:19, Psalms 97:2, Proverbs 30:2, Proverbs 30:3, Ecclesiastes 8:17, Romans 11:33

too painful for me: Heb. labour in mine eyes, Psalms 39:6, Luke 18:32-34, John 16:18, John 16:19

Reciprocal: Genesis 43:18 - the men Job 24:1 - not see Job 37:19 - we Habakkuk 2:1 - stand Acts 8:31 - How

Gill's Notes on the Bible

When I thought to know this,.... How to reconcile the prosperity of the wicked, and the afflictions of the righteous, to the perfections of God, and his wise providence in the government of the world, by the mere dint of reason, without consulting the sacred oracles, or his own and others' experience:

it was too painful for me: too laborious and toilsome, a work he was not equal to; "hic labor, hoc opus"; see Ecclesiastes 8:17.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

When I thought to know this - When I endeavored to comprehend this, or to explain it to myself. The idea is that he “thought” on the subject, or “meditated” on it with a view to be able to understand it. He did not express his opinions and feelings to others, but he dwelt on them in his own mind; not to find additional difficulties, not to confirm himself in opposition to God, and not to find new occasions for distrusting the divine government, but to understand exactly how this was. It was his object to seek and understand “the truth.”

It was too painful for me - Margin, “It was labor in mine eyes.” The Hebrew word rendered “painful,” means properly labor, toil, a burden; and the idea is, that the question was a burden - was too weighty for his weak powers.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Psalms 73:16. When I thought to know this — When I reviewed the history of our fathers, I saw that, though thou hadst from time to time hidden thy face because of their sins, yet thou hadst never utterly abandoned them to their adversaries; and it was not reasonable to conclude that thou wouldst do now what thou hadst never done before; and yet the continuance of our captivity, the oppressive hardships which we suffer, and the small prospect there is of release, puzzle me again. These things have been very painful to me.