Psalms 73:3

King James Version

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

Parallel Translations

English Standard Version
For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

Geneva Bible (1587)
For I feared at the foolish, when I sawe the prosperitie of the wicked.

Christian Standard Bible®
For I envied the arrogant;I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

Hebrew Names Version
For I was envious of the arrogant, When I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

Easy-to-Read Version
I saw that wicked people were successful, and I became jealous of those proud people.

Amplified Bible
For I was envious of the arrogant As I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

American Standard Version
For I was envious at the arrogant, When I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

Contemporary English Version
because it made me jealous to see proud and evil people and to watch them prosper.

Complete Jewish Bible
when I grew envious of the arrogant and saw how the wicked prosper.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
For I was envious at the arrogant, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
For I was jealous of the transgressors, beholding the tranquility of sinners.

English Revised Version
For I was envious at the arrogant, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

Berean Standard Bible
For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

Lexham English Bible
because I envied the boastful when I saw the well-being of the wicked.

Literal Translation
For I was jealous of the proud; I looked upon the peace of the wicked.

New Century Version
because I was jealous of proud people. I saw wicked people doing well.

New English Translation
For I envied those who are proud, as I observed the prosperity of the wicked.

New King James Version
For I was envious of the boastful, When I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

New Living Translation
For I envied the proud when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness.

New Life Bible
For I was jealous of the proud when I saw that all was going well with the sinful.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
For I was envious of the boasters, At the prosperity of the lawless, used I to look.

Douay-Rheims Bible
(72-3) Because I had a zeal on occasion of the wicked, seeing the prosperity of sinners.

George Lamsa Translation
For I was envious of the wicked when I saw the prosperity of the ungodly.

Good News Translation
because I was jealous of the proud when I saw that things go well for the wicked.

New American Standard Bible
For I was envious of the arrogant As I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
For I enuied at the case of the foolishe: I sawe the wicked [flowe] in all kynde of prosperitie.

New Revised Standard
For I was envious of the arrogant; I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

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

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
For Y louede feruentli on wickid men; seynge the pees of synneris.

Young's Literal Translation
The peace of the wicked I see, That there are no bands at their death,

World English Bible
For I was envious of the arrogant, When I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

Revised Standard Version
For I was envious of the arrogant, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

Update Bible Version
For I was envious at the arrogant, When I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

Webster's Bible Translation
For I was envious at the foolish, [when] I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

Bible in Basic English
Because of my envy of the men of pride, when I saw the well-being of the wrongdoers.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And why. I was greued at ye wicked, to se the vngodly in soch prosperite.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
For I was envious of the arrogant As I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

Legacy Standard Bible
For I was envious of the boastful,I saw the peace of the wicked.

Contextual Overview

¹ Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart. ² But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. ³ For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. ⁴ For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm. ⁵ They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men. ⁶ Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment. ⁷ Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish. ⁸ They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily. ⁹ They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth. ¹⁰ Therefore his people return hither: and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

I was: Psalms 37:1, Psalms 37:7, Job 21:7, Proverbs 3:31, Proverbs 24:1, Jeremiah 12:1, James 4:5

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 25:2 - man Job 5:3 - taking Job 8:16 - green Job 9:24 - earth Job 24:23 - it be given Psalms 14:1 - fool Psalms 37:35 - I have Psalms 66:7 - let Psalms 73:12 - prosper Psalms 73:21 - my heart Proverbs 23:17 - not Proverbs 24:19 - neither Ecclesiastes 7:15 - there is a wicked Ecclesiastes 9:1 - no man Ecclesiastes 9:2 - alike Habakkuk 1:3 - General Habakkuk 1:13 - wherefore Malachi 2:17 - Every Luke 6:24 - woe Luke 12:16 - The ground Luke 16:19 - clothed James 5:1 - ye 1 Peter 2:1 - envies

Gill's Notes on the Bible

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 d 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.

d בהוללים "in arrogantes", Gejerus; "stolide gloriosos", Michaelis; "at vain glorious fools", Ainsworth. e שלום "pacem", Pagninus, Musculus, Piscator.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For I was envious at the foolish - The word “foolish” here refers to sinners. It may either refer to them as foolish, or as proud, insolent, vain - for so the word is elsewhere used. See Psalms 14:1.

When I saw the prosperity of the wicked - More literally, “the peace of the wicked.” The reference is not so much to their prosperity in general as to their peace; their conscious safety; their freedom from trouble; and especially their calmness, and their freedom from suffering, in death. From all this he was led for the moment to doubt whether there was any advantage in religion; whether God was just; and whether he befriended the righteous anymore than he did the wicked.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Psalms 73:3. I was envious at the foolish — I saw persons who worshipped not the true God, and others who were abandoned to all vices, in possession of every temporal comfort, while the godly were in straits, difficulties, and affliction. I began then to doubt whether there was a wise providence; and my mind became irritated. It seems to have been a maxim among the ancient heathens, Θεου ονειδος τους κακους ευδαιμονειν, "The prosperity of the wicked is a reproach to the gods." But they had no just conception of a state of future rewards and punishments. Besides, man could not bear prosperity. If men had uninterrupted comforts here, perhaps not one soul would ever seek a preparation for heaven. Human trials and afflictions, the general warfare of human life, are the highest proof of a providence as benevolent as it is wise. Were the state of human affairs different from what it is, hell would be more thickly peopled; and there would be fewer inhabitants in glory. There is reason to doubt whether there would be any religion upon earth had we nothing but temporal prosperity. Indeed, all the following verses are proofs of it.