Psalms 50:12-22

12 If I had need of food, I would not give you word of it; for the earth is mine and all its wealth.

13 Am I to take the flesh of the ox for my food, or the blood of goats for my drink?

14 Make an offering of praise to God; keep the agreements which you have made with the Most High;

15 Let your voice come up to me in the day of trouble; I will be your saviour, so that you may give glory to me.

16 But to the sinner, God says, What are you doing, talking of my laws, or taking the words of my agreement in your mouth?

17 Seeing that you have no desire for my teaching, turning your back on my words.

18 When you saw a thief, you were in agreement with him, and you were joined with those who took other men's wives.

19 You have given your mouth to evil, your tongue to words of deceit.

20 You say evil of your brother; you make false statements against your mother's son.

21 These things have you done, and I said nothing; it seemed to you that I was such a one as yourself; but I will make a protest against you, and put them in order before your eyes.

22 Now keep this in mind, you who have no memory of God, for fear that you may be crushed under my hand, with no one to give you help:

Psalms 50:12-22 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.