Psalms 73:27

27 For lo! they that draw away far themselves from thee shall perish; thou hast lost all men that do fornication from thee. (For lo! they who take themselves far away from thee, shall perish; thou shalt destroy all those who wantonly abandon thee.)

Psalms 73:27 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 73:27

For, lo, they that are far from thee
Who are alienated from the life of God, far from the law of God, and subjection and obedience to it; and from righteousness either moral or evangelical, and from the love and fear of God, and worship of him:

shall perish;
not merely at death, as even righteous men do, but be lost eternally:

thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee;
that follow after other gods, and worship them; which is spiritual adultery and fornication, the Scriptures often speak of, and intend by it idolatry; see ( Deuteronomy 31:16 ) or who set their hearts and affections upon the creature, and have them alienated from God; and love the creature more and besides the Creator: the past tense seems to be put for the future, and so some render it, "thou shalt destroy", or "cut off" ^F9; destroy them soul and body, and punish them with an everlasting destruction in hell; the Targum is,

``that wander from thy fear;''

that is, from the worship of God.

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FOOTNOTES:

F9 (htmuh) "perdes", Tigurine version, Musculus, so some in Vatablus; "exscindes", Michaelis.

Psalms 73:27 In-Context

25 For why what is to me in heaven; and what would I of thee on earth? (For what is there for me in heaven, but thee? and what else do I desire here on earth, but thee?)

26 My flesh and mine heart failed; God of mine heart, and my part is God [into] without end. (Though my flesh and my heart fail; but God is my strength, and my portion forever.)

27 For lo! they that draw away far themselves from thee shall perish; thou hast lost all men that do fornication from thee. (For lo! they who take themselves far away from thee, shall perish; thou shalt destroy all those who wantonly abandon thee.)

28 But it is good to me to cleave to God; and to set mine hope in the Lord God. That I tell all thy preachings, in the gates of the daughter of Zion. (But it is good for me to cleave to God; and to trust in the Lord God. And that I tell out all thy works, or all of thy deeds.)