Psalms 73:15

“If I say, I will speak thus, etc.] Either as the wicked do, (<197308>Psalm 73:8,9,11) or rather as he had thought in his own mind, (<197313>Psalm 73:13,14), wherefore he kept it all to himself, and did not make known to others the reasonings of his mind, and the temptations he laboured under: behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children; of whom care should be taken, above all things, that they be not offended, (<401806>Matthew 18:6), or “should condemn”; as the Targum; or as Jarchi, “I should make them transgressors, and wicked persons;” should represent them as if they were men hated and rejected of God, because of their afflictions: the words may be rendered, “behold the…”

“If I say, I will speak thus - If I should resolve to give expression to my feelings. If I should utter all that is passing in my mind and my heart. It is implied here that he had “not” given utterance to these thoughts, but had confined them to his own bosom. He knew how they might be regarded by others; how others might be led to feel as if no confidence was to be placed in God; how this might suggest thoughts to them which would not otherwise occur to them, and which would only tend to fill their minds with distress; how such thoughts might unsettle the foundations of their faith, their peace, their hope, and their joy. I should offend against the generation of thy children - The word…”

“Offend - By grieving, discouraging and tempting them to revolt from God. Psalms 73:16”

“73:15-16 If the psalmist had verbalized his suspicions about the futility of godly living, he would have discouraged God’s people and given God’s enemies an opportunity to blaspheme (cp. John 13:20). Instead, the psalmist internalizes the problem and reflects on it.”

“offend: Sa1 2:24; Mal 2:8; Mat 18:6, Mat 18:7; Rom 14:15, Rom 14:21; Co1 8:11-13 generation: Psa 22:30, Psa 24:6; Pe1 2:9 Psalms 73:16”

“To such, doubt is become the transition to apostasy. The poet has resolved the riddle of such an unequal distribution of the fortunes of men in a totally different way. Instead of כּמו in Psa 73:15, to read כּמוהם (Bצttcher), or better, by taking up the following הנה, which even Saadia allows himself to do, contrary to the accents (Arab. mṯl hḏâ), כּמו הנּה (Ewald), is unnecessary, since prepositions are sometimes used elliptically (כּעל, Isa 59:18), or even without anything further ( Hos 7:16; Hos 11:7) as adverbs, which must therefore be regarded as possible also in the case of כּמו (Aramaic, Arabic כּמא, Aethiopic kem). The poet means to say, If I had made up my mind to the same course…”