The Meaning of Psalms 73:8 Explained

Psalms 73:8

KJV: They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily.

YLT: They do corruptly, And they speak in the wickedness of oppression, From on high they speak.

Darby: They mock and speak wickedly of oppression, they speak loftily:

ASV: They scoff, and in wickedness utter oppression: They speak loftily.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

They are corrupt,  and speak  wickedly  [concerning] oppression:  they speak  loftily. 

What does Psalms 73:8 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 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: Psalms 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 73:8 mean?

They scoff and speak wickedly [concerning] oppression loftily they speak
יָמִ֤יקוּ ׀ וִידַבְּר֣וּ בְרָ֣ע עֹ֑שֶׁק מִמָּר֥וֹם יְדַבֵּֽרוּ

יָמִ֤יקוּ ׀  They  scoff 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: מוּק  
Sense: (Hiphil) to mock, deride, jeer.
וִידַבְּר֣וּ  and  speak 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
בְרָ֣ע  wickedly 
Parse: Preposition-b, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
עֹ֑שֶׁק  [concerning]  oppression 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֹשֶׁק  
Sense: oppression, extortion, injury.
מִמָּר֥וֹם  loftily 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מָרֹום  
Sense: height.
יְדַבֵּֽרוּ  they  speak 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.