Psalms 50

1 A psalm of Asaf: The Mighty One, God, ADONAI, is speaking, summoning the world from east to west.
2 Out of Tziyon, the perfection of beauty, God is shining forth.
3 Our God is coming and not staying silent. With a fire devouring ahead of him and a great storm raging around him,
4 he calls to the heavens above and to earth, in order to judge his people.
5 "Gather to me my faithful, those who made a covenant with me by sacrifice."
6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness, for God himself is judge. (Selah)
7 "Listen, my people, I am speaking: Isra'el, I am testifying against you, I, God, your God.
8 I am not rebuking you for your sacrifices; your burnt offerings are always before me.
9 I have no need for a bull from your farm or for male goats from your pens;
10 for all forest creatures are mine already, as are the animals on a thousand hills;
11 I know all the birds in the mountains; whatever moves in the fields is mine.
12 If I were hungry, I would not tell you; for the world is mine, and everything in it.
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats?
14 Offer thanksgiving as your sacrifice to God, pay your vows to the Most High,
15 and call on me when you are in trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me."
16 But to the wicked God says: "What right do you have to proclaim my laws or take my covenant on your lips,
17 when you so hate to receive instruction and fling my words behind you?
18 When you see a thief, you join up with him, you throw in your lot with adulterers,
19 you give your mouth free rein for evil and harness your tongue to deceit;
20 you sit and speak against your kinsman, you slander your own mother's son.
21 When you do such things, should I stay silent? You may have thought I was just like you; but I will rebuke and indict you to your face.
22 Consider this, you who forget God, or I will tear you to pieces, with no one to save you.
23 "Whoever offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice honors me; and to him who goes the right way I will show the salvation of God."

Psalms 50 Commentary

Chapter 50

The glory of God. (1-6) Sacrifices to be changed for prayers. (7-15) Sincere obedience required. (16-23)

Verses 1-6 This psalm is a psalm of instruction. It tells of the coming of Christ and the day of judgment, in which God will call men to account; and the Holy Ghost is the Spirit of judgement. All the children of men are concerned to know the right way of worshipping the Lord, in spirit and in truth. In the great day, our God shall come, and make those hear his judgement who would not hearken to his law. Happy are those who come into the covenant of grace, by faith in the Redeemer's atoning sacrifice, and show the sincerity of their love by fruits of righteousness. When God rejects the services of those who rest in outside performances, he will graciously accept those who seek him aright. It is only by sacrifice, by Christ, the great Sacrifice, from whom the sacrifices of the law derived what value they had, that we can be accepted of God. True and righteous are his judgments; even sinners' own consciences will be forced to acknowledge the righteousness of God.

Verses 7-15 To obey is better than sacrifice, and to love God and our neighbour better than all burnt-offerings. We are here warned not to rest in these performances. And let us beware of resting in any form. God demands the heart, and how can human inventions please him, when repentance, faith, and holiness are neglected? In the day of distress we must apply to the Lord by fervent prayer. Our troubles, though we see them coming from God's hand, must drive us to him, not drive us from him. We must acknowledge him in all our ways, depend upon his wisdom, power, and goodness, and refer ourselves wholly to him, and so give him glory. Thus must we keep up communion with God; meeting him with prayers under trials, and with praises in deliverances. A believing supplicant shall not only be graciously answered as to his petition, and so have cause for praising God, but shall also have grace to praise him.

Verses 16-23 Hypocrisy is wickedness, which God will judge. And it is too common, for those who declare the Lord's statutes to others, to live in disobedience to them themselves. This delusion arises from the abuse of God's long-suffering, and a wilful mistake of his character and the intention of his gospel. The sins of sinners will be fully proved on them in the judgment of the great day. The day is coming when God will set their sins in order, sins of childhood and youth, of riper age and old age, to their everlasting shame and terror. Let those hitherto forgetful of God, given up to wickedness, or in any way negligent of salvation, consider their urgent danger. The patience of the Lord is very great. It is the more wonderful, because sinners make such ill use of it; but if they turn not, they shall be made to see their error when it is too late. Those that forget God, forget themselves; and it will never be right with them till they consider. Man's chief end is to glorify God: whoso offers praise, glorifies him, and his spiritual sacrifices shall be accepted. We must praise God, sacrifice praise, put it into the hands of the Priest, our Lord Jesus, who is also the altar: we must be fervent in spirit, praising the Lord. Let us thankfully accept God's mercy, and endeavour to glorify him in word and deed.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 50

\\<>\\. This psalm is called a psalm of Asaph; either because it was composed by him under divine inspiration, since he was a prophet and a seer, 1Ch 25:2, 2Ch 29:30; or because it was delivered to him to be sung in public service, he being a chief musician; see 1Ch 16:7; and so it may be rendered, "a psalm for Asaph"; or "unto Asaph" {o}; which was directed, sent, and delivered to him, and might be written by David; and, as Junius thinks, after the angel had appeared to him, and he was directed where he should build an altar to the Lord, 1Ch 21:18. The Targum, Kimchi, and R. Obadiah Gaon, interpret this psalm of the day of judgment; and Jarchi takes it to be a prophecy of the future redemption by their expected Messiah; and indeed it does refer to the times of the Gospel dispensation; for it treats of the calling of the Gentiles, of the abrogation of legal sacrifices, and of the controversy the Lord would have with the Jews for retaining them, and rejecting pure, spiritual, and evangelical worship. {o} Poal "ipsi Asaph", Tigurine version, Vatablus; "Asapho", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; so Ainsworth.

Psalms 50 Commentaries

Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.