Psalms 73:20 — Word Study
WLCכַּחֲל֥וֹם מֵהָקִ֑יץ אֲ֝דֹנָי בָּעִ֤יר׀ צַלְמָ֬ם תִּבְזֶֽה׃
BSALike [one] wakingqûwts [as from a prophetic vision] from a dreamchălôwm [a fleeting illusion] so You, O LordʼĂdônây [Adonay, the revered Master] awakenʻûwr [to rouse, to stir into action] [and] despisebâzâh▸ [to hold in contempt, to scorn] their formtselem [image, likeness, or idol]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| כַּחֲל֥וֹם | like a dream | Preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| מֵהָקִ֑יץ | from when awakes | Preposition, verb hiphil infinitive construct common |
| אֲ֝דֹנָי | O Lord | Noun proper |
| בָּעִ֤יר׀ | when waken | Preposition, verb hiphil infinitive construct common |
| צַלְמָ֬ם | image their | Noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
| תִּבְזֶֽה׃ | you will despise | Verb, Qal, imperfect second person masculine singular |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Like one waking from a dream, so You, O Lord, awaken and despise their form. |
| KJV | As a dream when one awaketh; so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image. |
| ASV | As a dream when one awaketh, So, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou wilt despise their image. |
| YLT | As a dream from awakening, O Lord, In awaking, their image Thou despisest. |
| WEB | As a dream when one wakes up, so, Lord, when you awake, you will despise their fantasies. |
| BBE | As a dream when one is awake, they are ended; they are like an image gone out of mind when sleep is over. |
Where they part company is תִּבְזֶֽה — see How Translations Differ.
The structure presents a main clause followed by several subordinate phrases that clarify the actions and subjects involved.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbהוּא
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Psalms 73:20
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — Reflections on the Fate of the Wickedgenerated
Psalm 73:20 presents a vivid image of God's response to the wicked, likening it to the fleeting nature of dreams. The psalmist reflects on the suddenness of God's awakening and contempt for the empty forms that the wicked present, contrasting their apparent success with the reality of their ultimate fate. This verse is part of a larger meditation on the justice of God and the transient nature of worldly success, as seen in the preceding and following verses.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 90:5 | You whisk them away in their sleep; they are like the new grass of the morning— |
| 2 | Job 20:8 | He will fly away like a dream, never to be found; he will be chased away like a vision in the night. |
| 3 | Isaiah 29:7–8 | All the many nations going out to battle against Ariel— even all who war against her, laying siege and attacking her— will be like a dream, like a vision in the night, |
| 4 | Psalm 7:6 | Arise, O LORD, in Your anger; rise up against the fury of my enemies. Awake, my God, and ordain judgment. |
| 5 | Psalm 78:65 | Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, like a mighty warrior overcome by wine. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 6 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — חֲלוֹם, ka.cha.Lomgenerated
The word חֲלוֹם (chalowm) means 'dream' and can refer to both ordinary dreams and those with prophetic significance. It is derived from a root that suggests a connection to dreaming, indicating the ephemeral nature of human experiences, much like the fleeting illusions of life.
In this context, the psalmist uses the imagery of waking from a dream to illustrate how God awakens to the reality of the wicked's actions. This awakening is sudden and transformative, highlighting the contrast between the dreamlike state of the wicked and the clarity of God's judgment.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The translations generally agree on the meaning of the verse.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verbs in this verse are הָקִ֑יץ, בָּעִ֤יר, and תִּבְזֶֽה, which govern the actions described. The structure emphasizes God's awakening and disdain for the wicked's form, with the imagery of a dream serving as a powerful metaphor.
The Hebrew word order places emphasis on God's actions, starting with the awakening and leading to the despising of the wicked's image, creating a stark contrast between divine awareness and human illusion.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates חֲלוֹם as ἐνύπνιον, which carries a similar meaning of a dream. This choice emphasizes the transient nature of the wicked's reality, aligning with the psalmist's metaphor.
The Greek rendering of the verbs reflects a similar urgency and action, suggesting that the translators understood the weight of God's awakening and response to the wicked's forms.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 73:20 compares God's awakening to the suddenness of waking from a dream. The psalmist reflects on how God despises the empty forms of the wicked, emphasizing the contrast between their fleeting success and God's ultimate judgment.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It indicates that God holds in contempt the empty and illusory nature of the wicked's existence, which lacks true substance.
The dream imagery illustrates the fleeting and insubstantial nature of the wicked's success, highlighting the sudden awakening of God's judgment.
It reflects the psalmist's reverence and acknowledgment of God's authority and power over all creation, including the wicked.
We learn that while the wicked may seem to prosper temporarily, their ultimate fate is one of judgment and disdain from God.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways have I seen the fleeting nature of success in my own life?
- How can I ensure that my actions align with God's values rather than the empty forms of the wicked?
- What does it mean for me to awaken to the reality of my life and choices?
- How can I cultivate a deeper reverence for God in my daily life?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Augustine of Hippo quotes this verse to illustrate the transient nature of the wicked's existence, comparing it to a dream that vanishes upon waking.
"Like as the dream of one rising up" [Psalms 73:20]. How have they vanished? As vanishes the dream of one rising up.Early Church Fathers on Psalms 73 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 73:20 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAs a dream when one awaketh,.... So will be all the temporal felicity of wicked men, all an illusion, all a dream; when they lift up their eyes in hell, and awake in the resurrection, they will find
Read John Gill on Psalms 73 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryUntil I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end. -The victory which he gained over his doubts in the sanctuary when he understood the end of the godless. Verse 17.
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 73 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleTheir happiness is like that in a dream, wherein a man seems to be highly pleased and transported with ravishing delights, but when he awakes he finds himself deceived and unsatisfied. Awakest, i.e. stirrest up thyself to punish them. Or rather, when they shall awake out of the pleasant dream of this vain, sinful life by death, and the torments following it. For this seems to agree best with the metaphor here before mentioned. And the Hebrew words being only these, in awaking, may be applied either to God or to them, as the context directs. Despise their image; not so much really, for so God ever did despise it, in the height of all their glory; but declaratively, things being oft said to…
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 73 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 73:20 As a dream when [one] awaketh; [so], O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image.Ver. 20. As a dream when one awaketh] Such is the wicked man’ s pomp and bravery, know, what are dreams but pleasant follies and delusions, the empty bubbles of the mind, children and tales of fancy, idle and fruitless notions, mere baubles? See Isaiah 29:7-8. The fisherman in Theocritus dreamt that he was some demi-god; but when he awaked all his golden hopes vanished ( Sic Mycillus apud Lucian). The Chaldee explaineth it, As the dream of a drunken man; who, sleeping on the steep of a rock, may think himself a king; and starting for joy, may soon break his neck at the bottom. So, O…
Read John Trapp on Psalms 73 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(20) As a dream.—Better, “As a man on waking (despises) his dream, So, O Lord, on rousing thyself, thou wilt Despise their shadow.” an image of the result of the Divine judgment on the vain and boastful tyrants, which may be illustrated by Henry V.’s rising with his royalty to self-respect:— “I have long dreamt of such a kind of man, So surfeit-swell’d, so old, and so profane; But, being awake, I do despise my dream.”
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 73 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 20. As a dream when one awaketh] So their goods fled away. Their possession was a dream-their privation, real. Thou shalt despise their image.] While destitute of true religion, whatever appearance they had of greatness, nobility, honour, and happiness; yet in the sight of God they had no more than the ghost or shade of excellence which God is said here to despise. Who would be rich at such risk and dishonour?
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 73 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges20. As a dream] Cp. Job 20:8; Isaiah 29:7. when thou awakest] When thou arousest thyself, a different word from that in the previous line, used in Psalms 7:6, Psalms 35:23, of God bestirring Himself to judgement. The word may mean in the city (R.V. marg. and the Ancient Versions); but this rendering yields no satisfactory sense: the paraphrase of P.B.V., ‘so shalt thou make their image to vanish out of the city,’ is quite unjustifiable. their image] Cp. Psalms 39:6, note. All their brave pomp is a phantom, a mere counterfeit of reality, an eidolon; and God rates it at its true value.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 73 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleAs a dream when one awaketh - Their prosperity is like the visions of a dream; the reality is seen when one awakes.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 73 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
Like one waking from a dream, so You, O Lord, awaken and despise their form.
As a dream when one wakes up, so, Lord, when you awake, you will despise their fantasies.
Like one waking from a dream, so You, O Lord, awaken and despise their form.
They are like a dream after one wakes up. O Lord, when you awake you will despise them.
Tyndale line
As a dream when one awaketh; so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image.
As a dream when one awaketh, So, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou wilt despise their image.
As a dream when one awaketh; so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image.
As a dream when one awaketh; so , O LORD, when thou awakest, thou wilt despise their image.
As a dreame when one awaketh! O Lord, when thou raisest vs vp, thou shalt make their image despised.
Strictly literal
As a dream, when one awaketh, wilt thou, Lord, on arising despise their image.
As a dream from awakening, O Lord, In awaking, their image Thou despisest.
As a dream from awakening, O Lord, || In awaking, You despise their image.
As a dream after awaking, O Lord, reject thou in wrath their image.
They are like a dream after one wakes up; Lord, when you arise, you will think nothing of those dreams.
From the Latin
Have regard to thy covenant: for they that are the obscure of the earth have been filled with dwellings of iniquity.
Simplified
Like waking up from a dream, Lord—when you get up you will forget all about them!
As a dream when one is awake, they are ended; they are like an image gone out of mind when sleep is over.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint show agreement in the core message of the verse, with four out of six words matched. The Septuagint's word order differs, but the essential themes of awakening and contempt remain consistent.
כַּחֲל֥וֹם מֵהָקִ֑יץ אֲ֝דֹנָי בָּעִ֤יר׀ צַלְמָ֬ם תִּבְזֶֽה׃
4 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Psalms 73:20
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
The Hebrew word חֲלוֹם (chalowm) means 'dream' and can refer to both ordinary dreams and those with prophetic significance. It is derived from a root that suggests a connection to dreaming. The Aramaic equivalent is חֵ֫לֶם (chelem).
חֲלוֹם n.m. dream
ordinary dream of sleep
dreams with prophetic meaning
base
H2472 חֲלוֹם dream
2472 chalowm khal-ome'
or (shortened) chalom {khal-ome'}; from 2492; a
dream:--dream(-er).
see HEBREW for 02492
חֲלוֹם (cha.lom) — dream.
1) dream
1a) dream (ordinary)
1b) dream (with prophetic meaning)
Aramaic equivalent: che.lem (חֵ֫לֶם "dream" H2493)
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHR/Ncmsa
Dream
God has frequently made use of dreams in communicating his will to men. The most remarkable instances of this are recorded in the history of Jacob (Gen. 28:12; 31:10), Laban (31:24), Joseph (37:9-11), Gideon (Judg. 7), and Solomon (1 Kings 3:5). Other significant dreams are also recorded, such as those of Abimelech (Gen. 20:3-7), Pharaoh’s chief butler and baker (40:5), Pharaoh (41:1-8), the Midianites (Judg. 7:13), Nebuchadnezzar (Dan. 2:1; 4:10, 18), the wise men from the east (Matt. 2:12), and Pilate’s wife (27:19).
The orientals, and in particular the Jews, greatly regarded dreams, and applied for their interpretation to those who undertook to explain them. We see the antiquity of this custom in the history of Pharaoh’s butler and baker, Ge 40:1-23; and Pharaoh himself and Nebuchadnezzar are also instances. God expressly forbade his people to observe dreams, and to consult explainers of them. He condemned to death all who pretended to have prophetic dreams, even though what they foretold came to pass, if they had any tendency to promote idolatry, De 13:1-3. But they were not forbidden, when they thought they had a significant dream, to address the prophets of the Lord, or the high priest in his ephod, to have it explained. The Lord frequently made known his will in dreams, and enabled…
→ Evanescent Job 20:8
→ Vanity of Ec 5:3,7
→ INSTANCES OF
Of Abimelech,, concerning Sarah Ge 20:3
Of Jacob, concerning the ladder Ge 28:12
The ring-straked cattle Ge 31:10-13
Concerning his going down into Egypt Ge 46:2
Of Laban, concerning Jacob Ge 31:24
Of Joseph, concerning the sheaves Ge 37:5-10
Of Midianite concerning the cake of barley Jud 7:13
קִיץ (quts) is a Hebrew verb meaning to awake or wake up, primarily in the Hiphil form, which indicates causing to awaken. The entries emphasize its literal and figurative use, relating to the abruptness of waking, and suggest a connection to similar roots. There are no significant disagreements among the lexicons.
[קִיץ] vb. Hiph. awake
base
H6974 [קִיץ] Hiph. awake
6974 quwts koots
a primitive root (identical with 6972 through the idea of
abruptness in starting up from sleep (compare 3364)); to awake
(literally or figuratively):--arise, (be) (a-)wake, watch.
see HEBREW for 06972
see HEBREW for 03364
קִיץ (quts) — to awake.
1) to awake, wake up
1a) (Hiphil) to awaken, arouse, show signs of waking, awake
Prep | V-Hiphil-Inf-a — Preposition · verb hiphil infinitive construct commonHR/Vhcc
אֲדֹנָי (Adonay) means 'Lord' and is an emphatic form of another Hebrew word for lord. It is used specifically as a title for God, often in place of Yahweh to show reverence. Variations include אֲדֹנִי and אֲדֹנַי, which help distinguish divine from human references.
אָדוֹן n.m. lord (אֲדֹנִי, אֲדֹנַי, אֲדֹנָי are variations of Mass. pointing to distinguish divine reference fr. human. Pl., with few exc. an intens. pl. of rank; word takes sf. as pl. in all other pers.; so doubtless here. Orig. reading prob. in all cases אֲדֹנַי; אֲדֹנִי now found in J 51 t.)
base
H136 אָדוֹן lord (אֲדֹנִי, אֲדֹנַי, אֲדֹנָי are variations of Mass. pointing to distinguish divine reference fr. human. Pl., with few exc. an intens. pl. of rank; word takes sf. as pl. in all other pers.; so doubtless here. Orig. reading prob. in all cases אֲדֹנַי; אֲדֹנִי now found in J 51 t.)
136 'Adonay ad-o-noy'
am emphatic form of 113; the Lord (used as a proper name of
God only):--(my) Lord.
see HEBREW for 0113
אֲדֹנָי (a.do.nai) — Lord.
Lord - a title, spoken in place of Yahweh in Jewish display of reverence
Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)
N-mp | Suff — Noun properHNpt
Lord
There are various Hebrew and Greek words so rendered.
(1.) Heb. Jehovah, has been rendered in the English Bible LORD, printed in small capitals. This is the proper name of the God of the Hebrews. The form “Jehovah” is retained only in Ex. 6:3; Ps. 83:18; Isa. 12:2; 26:4, both in the Authorized and the Revised Version.
(2.) Heb. ‘adon, means one possessed of absolute control. It denotes a master, as of slaves (Gen. 24:14, 27), or a ruler of his subjects (45:8), or a husband, as lord of his wife (18:12).
The old plural form of this Hebrew word is ’adonai. From a superstitious reverence for the name “Jehovah,” the Jews, in reading their Scriptures, whenever that name…
[GOD]
This name belongs to God by preeminence; and in this sense ought never to be given to any creature. Jesus Christ, as the Messiah, the Son of God, and equal with the Father, is often called Lord in Scripture, especially in the writing of Paul. The word LORD, in the English Bible, when printed in small capitals, stands always for JEHOVAH in the Hebrew. See JEHOVAH.
עוּר (uwr) is a Hebrew verb meaning to rouse or awaken. It encompasses various forms, including to rouse oneself, be incited, or act in an excited manner. The entries suggest a range of uses from literal waking to figurative stirring up of emotions or actions, with different grammatical forms indicating nuances in meaning.
[עוּר] vb. rouse oneself, awake
Qal rouse oneself to activity
Niph. be roused; be incited to activity
Pō‛l. rouse, incite to activity
Pilp. rouse (i.e. raise ?) a cry of destruction
Hithpō‛l. and I was (joyfully) excited, triumphant
Hiph.
rouse
declarative or exhibitive sense, act in an aroused manner, awake
base
H5782 [עוּר] rouse oneself, awake
5782 `uwr oor
a primitive root (rather identical with 5783 through the idea
of opening the eyes); to wake (literally or
figuratively):--(a- )wake(-n, up), lift up (self), X master,
raise (up), stir up (self).
see HEBREW for 05783
עוּר (ur) — to rouse.
1) to rouse oneself, awake, awaken, incite
1a) (Qal) to rouse oneself, awake
1b) (Niphal) to be roused
1c) (Polel) to stir up, rouse, incite
1d) (Hithpolel) to be excited, be triumphant
1e) (Hiphil)
1e1) to rouse, stir up
1e2) to act in an aroused manner, awake
Prep | V-Hiphil-Inf-a — Preposition · verb hiphil infinitive construct commonHR/Vhcc
צֶ֫לֶם (tselem) means 'image' or 'likeness,' and can refer to both physical representations and figurative concepts like illusion or semblance. It is derived from a root meaning to shade, suggesting a resemblance or representation. The term appears in contexts ranging from idols to mere appearances, with some entries noting its use in reference to images of tumors or heathen gods.
צֶ֫לֶם n.m. image
images
image, likeness, of resemblance
fig. = mere, empty, image, semblance
base
H6754 צֶ֫לֶם image . images
. image, likeness, of resemblance
. fig. = mere, empty, image, semblance
6754 tselem tseh'-lem
from an unused root meaning to shade; a phantom, i.e.
(figuratively) illusion, resemblance; hence, a representative
figure, especially an idol:--image, vain shew.
צֶ֫לֶם (tse.lem) — image.
1) image
1a) images (of tumours, mice, heathen gods)
1b) image, likeness (of resemblance)
1c) mere, empty, image, semblance (fig.)
Aramaic equivalent: tse.lem (צְלֵם "image" H6755)
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHNcmsc/Sp3mp
בָזָה (bazah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to despise or hold in contempt. It can be used in different forms: Qal for direct action, Niphal for being despised, and Hiphil for causing someone to despise. The entries emphasize a sense of disdain and worthlessness associated with the term.
בָזָה vb. despise
Qal despise, regard with contempt
Niph.
despised
vile, worthless
despicable, contemptible
Hiph. so as to cause to despise their lords
base
H959 בָזָה despise
959 bazah baw-zaw'
a primitive root; to disesteem:--despise, disdain,
contemn(-ptible), + think to scorn, vile person.
בָּזָה (ba.zah) — to despise.
1) to despise, hold in contempt, disdain
1a) (Qal) to despise, regard with contempt
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be despised
1b2) to be despicable
1b3) to be vile, worthless
1c) (Hiphil) to cause to despise
Also means: ba.zoh (בָּזֹה "to despise" H0960)
V-Qal-Imperf-2ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect second person masculine singularHVqi2ms