Psalms 73:7

Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish. THEIR EYES STAND OUT WITH FATNESS. They are so pampered with rich living that their very eyes stand out with the fatness of their bodies (). The external obesity reflects the inward self-indulging carnality (). Contrasted with sunken eyes, which mark dejection and sorrow. THEY HAVE MORE THAN HEART COULD WISH - literally., 'they exceed (pass beyond) the imaginations of their heart.' I prefer this translation to Hengstenberg's, 'The thoughts of their heart flow over,' like a river which cannot be confined within its own boundaries....

7._Their eye goeth out for fatness. _(167) He now adds, that it is not wonderful to see the ungodly breaking forth with such violence and cruelty, since, by reason of fatness and pampering, their eyes are ready to start out of their heads. Some explain the words _goeth out _as meaning, that their eyes being covered and hidden with fat, were, so to speak, lost, and could not be perceived in their sockets. But as fat causes the eyes to project from the head, I prefer retaining the proper meaning of the words. Let it, however, be observed, that David is not to be understood as speaking of the bodily countenance, but as expressing metaphorically the pride with which the ungodly are inflated on account of the abundance which they possess. They so glut and intoxicate themselves with their prosperity, that afterwards they are ready to burst with pride. The last clause of the verse is also expla...

1-14 The psalmist was strongly tempted to envy the prosperity of the wicked; a common temptation, which has tried the graces of many saints. But he lays down the great principle by which he resolved to abide. It is the goodness of God. This is a truth which cannot be shaken. Good thoughts of God will fortify against Satan's temptations. The faith even of strong believers may be sorely shaken, and ready to fail. There are storms that will try the firmest anchors. Foolish and wicked people have sometimes a great share of outward prosperity. They seem to have the least share of the troubles of this life; and they seem to have the greatest share of its comforts. They live without the fear of God, yet they prosper, and get on in the world. Wicked men often spend their lives without much sickness, and end them without great pain; while many godly persons scarcely know what health is, and die...

Verse Psalms 73:7. _THEIR EYES STAND OUT WITH FATNESS_] "Their countenance is changed because of fatness."-_Chaldee_. By fatness, or corpulency, the natural lines of the face are _changed_, or rather _obliterated_. The characteristic distinctions are gone; and we see little remaining besides the _human hog_. _THEY HAVE MORE THAN HEART COULD WISH._] I doubt this translation. _Whose heart_ ever said, _I have enough_, which had not its portion with God? It would be more literal to say, "They surpass the thoughts of their heart." They have _more_ than they _expected_, though _not more_ than they _wish_....

THEIR EYES STAND OUT WITH FATNESS - As the fruit of their high living. They are not weakened and emaciated by toil and want, as other men often are. Compare the notes at Psalms 17:10. THEY HAVE MORE THAN HEART COULD WISH - Margin, “they pass the thoughts of the heart.” Literally, “the imaginations or thoughts of the heart pass;” pass along; pass forth. The meaning seems to be, not that they have more than heart could desire, as in our translation - for that would not probably be true; nor, that the thoughts of the heart are “disclosed,” as Prof. Alexander supposes - for that idea does not seem to be in the language; but that their thoughts, their plans, their purposes, pass freely along without any obstruction; their wishes are all gratified; their purposes are accomplished; they have all that they wish. Whateve

EXPOSITION THIS is the first of the "Psalms of Asaph," whereof the present book contains eleven. They are characterized by a preponderating use of the name "Elohim" over that of" Jehovah," by a great calmness and solemnity of tone, and by a pervading melancholy. The present psalm has for its subject the well worn problem of the prosperity of the wicked (Job 21:7; Psalms 37:1; Jeremiah 12:1, etc.). The writer has been troubled with respect to it, and has well nigh fallen away from God in consequence (verse 2); but, after a severe struggle (verses 13-16), his eyes have been enlightened on the subject, and he has found an explanation which is satisfactory to him (verses 17-20). He contrasts his

Ver. 7 THEIR EYES STAND OUT WITH FATNESS,.... Or their face, the eyes being put for the whole face; so the Targum, "their face is changed, because of fatness;'' see Job 15:27, otherwise through fatness the eyes are almost enclosed: or "it goes forth out of the fatness of their eyes" i; that is, either "pride", which shows itself in haughty looks and scornful airs, through the abundance possessed; or "violence", seen in the fierceness of the eyes, and fury of the countenance; or "their eyes go out through fatness" k that is, through the plenty they enjoy, their eyes go out in lust after lawful objects: THEY HAVE MORE THAN HEART COULD WISH; that they themselves could have wished for heretofore, though not now; for what is it that a worldly covetous heart cannot and does not wish for? if it had all the world, it would not satisfy it: or "the imaginations

You may have noticed that the 73 rd Psalm and the 37 th Psalm are on the same subject; it will help you to recall this fact if you remember that the figures are the same, only reversed. Psalms 73:1. _Truly God is good to Israel,_ Settle that matter in your hearts, whatever doubts may distress or disturb your mind, fix this point as certain: «Truly God is good to Israel,» Psalms 73:1. _Even to such as are of a clean heart. But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped._ He was a good man, one of the leaders in Israel, yet he had to make this confession, «My feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped.» Psalms 73:3. For I w

III. THE LEVITICUS SECTION: BOOK THREE: PSALM 73-89 The third division of the book of Psalms corresponds in character to the third book of the Pentateuch, the book of Leviticus. That is the book of the Sanctuary, of Holiness. And this section, which is the shortest, also has the same character. Each Psalm brings the sanctuary of Israel in view, with the same prophetic-dispensational character as in the first two books. The Companion Bible gives the following division of the 17 Psalms: Psalm 73-89, The Sanctuary in Relation to Jehovah. PSALMS OF ASAPH CONCERNING THE SANCTUARY (73-77) Psalms 73 The Problem of the Suffering of the Righteous _ 1. The perplexity (Psalms 73:1)_ 2. Departure from God ...

BOOK III. PSS. LXXIII.- LXXXIX. LXXIII. The Hope of Immortality. Here the Psalter reaches its highest elevation. Job, in Job 19:25 f.*, believes that God will vindicate his innocence even after death, and is confident that he himself, in spite of death, will see God. Job, however, expresses no belief that he will live for ever. He is to see God for a moment; he does not expect that he will abide with God continually. This is just what the Psalmist does expect. This belief flows from the depths of his spiritual experience, and he utters it with intensity of conviction and in calm and measured language. He has seen the prosperity of the godless and has all but lost his faith in God. He will not, however, condemn the generation of God's children, or admit that their piety has been in vain. God teaches him how precarious the prosperity of the wicked is, and leads him to the conviction that...