Bible Strands
Psalms 73:1
A Psalm of Asaph. Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Asaph opens a psalm addressed to God, declaring a truth he is about to struggle with. The next verse reveals his feet had nearly slipped, so this is a confession made at the edge of doubt.
The words — 'akh (אַךְ, H389) is an emphatic particle meaning "surely, indeed, after all," signaling a conclusion reached through difficulty rather than easy affirmation.
The thread — "Pure in heart" echoes Matthew 5:8, where purity of heart is the condition for seeing God, and Psalms 84:11, where God withholds no good thing from the upright.
Why it lands — The verse states God's goodness as fact, but its immediate context is a man who almost lost his footing. It asks the reader to hold a truth steady even when experience contradicts it.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
A Psalm of Asaph. Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.
Cross-references
- Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
- Psalms 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
- Psalms 84:11 For the LORD God is a sun and a shield; the LORD gives grace and glory; He withholds no good thing from those who walk with integrity.
- Luke 12:32 Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.
- James 4:8 Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
- John 1:47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, He said of him, “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is no deceit.”
- Romans 2:28 A man is not a Jew because he is one outwardly, nor is circumcision only outward and physical.
- 1 Chronicles 25:1 Additionally, David and the commanders of the army set apart some of the sons of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun to prophesy with the accompaniment of lyres, harps, and cymbals. The following is the list of the men who performed this service:
- 2 Chronicles 29:30 Then King Hezekiah and his officials ordered the Levites to sing praises to the LORD in the words of David and of Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with gladness and bowed down and worshiped.
- Psalms 24:4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear deceitfully.