When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me;
Parallel translations
- WEB When I tried to understand this, it was too painful for me;
- BSB When I tried to understand all this, it was troublesome in my sight
- ESV But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task,
- NKJV When I thought how to understand this, It was too painful for me—
- NASB When I thought of understanding this, It was troublesome in my sight
- NLT So I tried to understand why the wicked prosper. But what a difficult task it is!
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
When he tried to understand the prosperity of the wicked, the problem was too painful and burdensome for him.
Overview
Asaph admits that human reasoning alone could not resolve his perplexity. The puzzle of evil's prosperity exceeded his understanding. This confession of intellectual limits prepares the way for the decisive shift that comes not through reasoning but through entering God's presence in worship.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Eccl 8:17Then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because though a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea farther; though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it.
- Ps 97:2Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne.
- Ps 77:19Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known.
- Rom 11:33O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
- Luke 18:32–34For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on:
- Prov 30:2–3Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man.
- Ps 39:6Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.
- John 16:18–19They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? we cannot tell what he saith.
- Ps 36:6Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: O LORD, thou preservest man and beast.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 73:16 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.