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The Goodness of God in Psalm 73 (NOTATIONES BIBLICAE)

ABSTRACT. – Psalm 73, from its opening verse to its closing, focuses on the theology of the goodness of God. The claim that God is good challenges the psalmist in the face of evidence to the contrary, namely, the ostensible prosperity of the godless, and engages him in a struggle to discover and reaffirm how God is good. The psalmist laments not only his particular problem of theodicy, but also his inability to solve it. God manifests his goodness in leading the psalmist to a deeper appreciation of the truth that God is good and ultimately in leading the psalmist to be with him and to experience his eternal and substantial goodness. Insights into this psalm and its theology of God’s goodness are gained by considering its historical and canonical contexts, literary form, and structure; the observations of its patristic and modern commentators; and the tradition of its function within the liturgy of the Church.