The Meaning of Psalms 73:12 Explained

Psalms 73:12

KJV: Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.

YLT: Lo, these are the wicked and easy ones of the age, They have increased strength.

Darby: Behold, these are the wicked, and they prosper in the world: they heap up riches.

ASV: Behold, these are the wicked; And, being alway at ease, they increase in riches.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Behold, these [are] the ungodly,  who prosper  in the world;  they increase  [in] riches. 

What does Psalms 73:12 Mean?

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 73:12 mean?

behold these [are] the ungodly and who are at ease always they increase in riches
הִנֵּה־ אֵ֥לֶּה רְשָׁעִ֑ים וְשַׁלְוֵ֥י ע֝וֹלָ֗ם הִשְׂגּוּ־ חָֽיִל

הִנֵּה־  behold 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
אֵ֥לֶּה  these  [are] 
Parse: Pronoun, common plural
Root: אֵהֶל 
Sense: these.
רְשָׁעִ֑ים  the  ungodly 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: רָשָׁע  
Sense: wicked, criminal.
וְשַׁלְוֵ֥י  and  who  are  at  ease 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adjective, masculine plural construct
Root: שָׁלֵו  
Sense: quiet, at ease, prosperous.
ע֝וֹלָ֗ם  always 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֹולָם  
Sense: long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world.
הִשְׂגּוּ־  they  increase 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: שָׂגָה  
Sense: to grow, increase.
חָֽיִל  in  riches 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חַיִל 
Sense: strength, might, efficiency, wealth, army.