The Meaning of Psalms 73:1 Explained

Psalms 73:1

KJV: {A Psalm of Asaph.} Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.

YLT: A Psalm of Asaph. Only -- good to Israel is God, to the clean of heart. And I -- as a little thing, My feet have been turned aside,

Darby: {A Psalm of Asaph.} Truly God is good to Israel, to such as are of a pure heart.

ASV: Surely God is good to Israel, Even to such as are pure in heart.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

{{A Psalm  of Asaph.  }} Truly God  [is] good  to Israel,  [even] to such as are of a clean  heart. 

What does Psalms 73:1 Mean?

Study Notes

ended
Lit. to be ended, i.e. in complete answer. 2 Samuel 23:1-4 .

Context Summary

Psalm 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: Psalm 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 73:1 mean?

A Psalm of Asaph Truly good to Israel God [is] to such as are pure in heart
מִזְמ֗וֹר לְאָ֫סָ֥ף אַ֤ךְ ט֭וֹב לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֥ל אֱלֹהִ֗ים לְבָרֵ֥י לֵבָֽב

מִזְמ֗וֹר  A  Psalm 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִזְמֹור  
Sense: melody, psalm.
לְאָ֫סָ֥ף  of  Asaph 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָסָף  
Sense: the father of Hezekiah’s secretary.
אַ֤ךְ  Truly 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אַךְ  
Sense: indeed, surely (emphatic).
ט֭וֹב  good 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: טָבַב 
Sense: good, pleasant, agreeable.
לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֥ל  to  Israel 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
אֱלֹהִ֗ים  God  [is] 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
לְבָרֵ֥י  to  such  as  are  pure  in 
Parse: Preposition-l, Adjective, masculine plural construct
Root: בַּר  
Sense: pure, clear, sincere.
לֵבָֽב  heart 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֵבָב  
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, soul, understanding.