The Meaning of Psalms 73:2 Explained

Psalms 73:2

KJV: But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped.

YLT: As nothing, have my steps slipped, For I have been envious of the boastful,

Darby: But as for me, my feet were almost gone, my steps had well nigh slipped;

ASV: But as for me, my feet were almost gone; My steps had well nigh slipped.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But as for me, my feet  were almost  gone  {08675;05186:08803}; my steps  had well nigh  slipped. 

What does Psalms 73:2 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 73:2 mean?

But [as for] me almost - had stumbled my feet [nearly] - had slipped My steps
וַאֲנִ֗י כִּ֭מְעַט נטוי [נָטָ֣יוּ] (רַגְלָ֑י) כְּ֝אַ֗יִן שפכה [שֻׁפְּכ֥וּ] (אֲשֻׁרָֽי)

וַאֲנִ֗י  But  [as  for]  me 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, first person common singular
Root: אֲנִי  
Sense: I (first pers.
כִּ֭מְעַט  almost 
Parse: Preposition-k, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: מְעַט  
Sense: littleness, few, a little, fewness.
נטוי  - 
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, masculine singular construct
[נָטָ֣יוּ]  had  stumbled 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: נָטָה 
Sense: to stretch out, extend, spread out, pitch, turn, pervert, incline, bend, bow.
(רַגְלָ֑י)  my  feet 
Parse: Noun, fdc, first person common singular
Root: רֶגֶל  
Sense: foot.
כְּ֝אַ֗יִן  [nearly] 
Parse: Preposition-k, Adverb
Root: אַיִן 
Sense: nothing, not, nought n.
שפכה  - 
Parse: Verb, QalPass, Perfect, third person feminine singular
[שֻׁפְּכ֥וּ]  had  slipped 
Parse: Verb, QalPass, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: שֶׂפֶק 
Sense: to pour, pour out, spill.
(אֲשֻׁרָֽי)  My  steps 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: אָשֻׁר 
Sense: step, going.