Psalms 73:27

"For, behold, those who are far from you shall perish. You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to you."

Key Reflection

In the context of Psalms 73, this verse speaks directly to God's justice and faithfulness. The original audience would have understood that those who reject or distance themselves from God will face destruction, reflecting a covenant relationship where obedience brings blessing and disobedience brings judgment. This idea resonates with their understanding of divine retribution, emphasizing that God maintains his authority even when his people stray.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish -All that are estranged from thee; all who are not thy friends. They will certainly be destroyed. For them there can be no hope. This is the fact which solved the difficulty of the psalmist in regard to the divine dealings with people,Psalms 73:3-7. The fact that there will be a righteous judgment, in which God will deal with people according to their deserts, made all plain. ComparePsalms 73:16-20. Thou hast destroyed -That is, Thou wilt certainly destroy. The psalmist places himself in the future, and speaks of this as if it were already done. It will be so certainly done that he could speak of it as if it were already accomplished.

More from Psalms 73

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

Go deeper with Bible.talk - your AI Bible study companion