Psalms 50:1-14

God the Judge of the Righteous and the Wicked.

1 1The Mighty One, God, the LORD, has spoken, And summoned the earth 2from the rising of the sun to its setting.
2 Out of Zion, 3the perfection of beauty, God 4has shone forth.
3 May our God 5come and not keep silence; 6Fire devours before Him, And it is very 7tempestuous around Him.
4 He 8summons the heavens above *, And the earth, to judge His people:
5 "Gather My 9godly ones to Me, Those who have made a 10covenant with Me by 11sacrifice."
6 And the 12heavens declare His righteousness, For 13God Himself is judge. Selah.
7 "14Hear, O My people, and I will speak; O Israel, I will testify against you; I am God, 15your God.
8 "I do 16not reprove you for your sacrifices, And your burnt offerings are continually before Me.
9 "I shall take no 17young bull out of your house Nor male goats out of your folds.
10 "For 18every beast of the forest is Mine, The cattle on a thousand hills.
11 "I know every 19bird of the mountains, And everything that moves in the field is Mine.
12 "If I were hungry I would not tell you, For the 20world is Mine, and all it contains.
13 "Shall I eat the flesh of 21bulls Or drink the blood of male goats?
14 "Offer to God 22a sacrifice of thanksgiving And 23pay your vows to the Most High;

Psalms 50:1-14 Meaning and Commentary

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.

Cross References 23

  • 1. Joshua 22:22
  • 2. Psalms 113:3
  • 3. Psalms 48:2; Lamentations 2:15
  • 4. Deuteronomy 33:2; Psalms 80:1; Psalms 94:1
  • 5. Psalms 96:13
  • 6. Leviticus 10:2; Numbers 16:35; Psalms 97:3; Daniel 7:10
  • 7. Psalms 18:12, 13
  • 8. Deuteronomy 4:26; Deuteronomy 31:28; Deuteronomy 32:1; Isaiah 1:2
  • 9. Psalms 30:4; Psalms 37:28; Psalms 52:9
  • 10. Exodus 24:7; 2 Chronicles 6:11; Psalms 25:10
  • 11. Psalms 50:8
  • 12. Psalms 89:5; Psalms 97:6
  • 13. Psalms 75:7; Psalms 96:13
  • 14. Psalms 49:1; Psalms 81:8
  • 15. Exodus 20:2; Psalms 48:14
  • 16. Psalms 40:6; Psalms 51:16; Isaiah 1:11; Hosea 6:6
  • 17. Psalms 69:31
  • 18. Psalms 104:24
  • 19. Matthew 6:26
  • 20. Exodus 19:5; Deuteronomy 10:14; Psalms 24:1; 1 Corinthians 10:26
  • 21. Psalms 50:9
  • 22. Psalms 27:6; Psalms 69:30; Psalms 107:22; Psalms 116:17; Hosea 14:2; Romans 12:1; Hebrews 13:15
  • 23. Numbers 30:2; Deuteronomy 23:21; Psalms 22:25; Psalms 56:12; Psalms 61:8; Psalms 65:1; Psalms 76:11

Footnotes 5

  • [a]. "Selah" may mean: "Pause, Crescendo" or "Musical interlude"
  • [b]. Or "to"
  • [c]. Or "in My mind;" lit "with Me"
  • [d]. Lit "its fullness"
  • [e]. Lit "strong ones"
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