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Psalms, 50

1. <A Psalm of Asaph.> The mighty God, [even] the LORD, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof.

1. The God of gods, the Lord has spoken, he summons the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting.

2. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined.

2. God has shone from Zion, perfect in beauty.

3. Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him.

3. God is no longer silent, he comes; before him is a devouring fire, around him a raging storm.

4. He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people.

4. He calls to the heavens above, and to the earth below, that he may judge his people:

5. Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.

5. "Gather before me my faithful ones, who made a covenant with me by sacrifice."

6. And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God [is] judge himself. Selah.

6. The heavens will proclaim his sentence, for God himself is the judge.

7. Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify against thee: I [am] God, [even] thy God.

7. "Hear, O my people, for I am speaking. I will accuse you, O Israel, I am God, your God!

8. I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt offerings, [to have been] continually before me.

8. Not for your sacrifices do I reprove you, for your burnt offerings are ever before me.

9. I will take no bullock out of thy house, [nor] he goats out of thy folds.

9. I need no bull from your stalls, nor he-goat from your pens.

10. For every beast of the forest [is] mine, [and] the cattle upon a thousand hills.

10. For I own all the beasts of the forest and the animals of my thousand hills.

11. I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field [are] mine.

11. All the birds of the air I know; all that move in the fields are mine.

12. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world [is] mine, and the fulness thereof.

12. I need not tell you if I were hungry, for mine is the world and all that it contains.

13. Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?

13. Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats?

14. Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High:

14. Yet offer to God a sacrifice of thanks, and fulfill your vows to the Most High.

15. And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.

15. Call on me in time of calamity; I will deliver you, and you will glorify me."

16. But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or [that] thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth?

16. But God says this to the wicked: "What right have you to mouth my laws, or to talk about my covenant?

17. Seeing thou hatest instruction, and castest my words behind thee.

17. You hate my commands and cast my words behind you.

18. When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers.

18. You join a thief when you meet one; you keep company with adulterers.

19. Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit.

19. You have a mouth of evil and a deceitful tongue.

20. Thou sittest [and] speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother's son.

20. You speak ill of your brother, and slander your own mother's son.

21. These [things] hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether [such an one] as thyself: [but] I will reprove thee, and set [them] in order before thine eyes.

21. Because I was silent while you did these things, you thought I was like you. But now I rebuke you and make this charge against you.

22. Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear [you] in pieces, and [there be] none to deliver.

22. Give this a thought, you who forget God, lest I tear you to pieces with no one to help you.

23. Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth [his] conversation [aright] will I shew the salvation of God.

23. Those who give with thanks offerings honor me, but the one who walks blamelessly, I will show him the salvation of God."



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Footnotes:

50:1-6 - God manifests Himself as the supreme Judge, summoning the whole earth. God's presence in judgment reveals His authority and the sacredness of His demands (see also Psalm 96:13 and Matthew 25:31-32).

50:7-15 - God does not desire empty sacrifices, but a sincere and obedient heart. The psalmist emphasizes that true worship is expressed in gratitude and invocation to God in times of need (see also Hosea 6:6 and Romans 12:1).

50:16-23 - The hypocrisy of the wicked is exposed; those who despise God's law have no place in His presence. This passage emphasizes the importance of living in accordance with God's Word to avoid judgment (see also Psalm 1:1-6 and James 1:22-24).

50:22:00 - The call to repentance is a central theme; God urges those who forget His word to reconsider their ways. This highlights God's mercy and the opportunity to turn to Him (see also Isaiah 55:6-7 and Acts 3:19).

50:23:00 - Those who live in gratitude and obey God are those who glorify Him. The psalmist concludes that true worship is linked to submission and integrity before God (see also Psalm 34:1 and 1 Peter 2:9).

Verses related to Psalms, 50:

Psalm 50, by Asaph, presents God as the supreme judge. What does God really want from His people? This powerful psalm portrays a divine court, where God calls heaven and earth to witness. He rebukes empty religious formalism and calls for sincere worship and genuine obedience. The text emphasizes the sovereignty of God, the insufficiency of heartless rituals, and the importance of gratitude. Psalm 50 challenges authentic and practical faith. Consider with us five biblical passages that echo the call to true worship in this confronting psalm.

Matthew 25:31-33: "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, with all the angels, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left." - This description of the final judgment reflects Psalm 50's theme of God judging his people.

Hebrews 13:15: "Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise, which is the fruit of lips that confess his name." - This verse echoes Psalm 50:14,23, which talks about offering sacrifices of thanksgiving and praise.

Micah 6:6-8: "With what will I present myself to the Lord and stand before the exalted God? Shall I present myself with burnt offerings, with yearling calves? Will he be satisfied with thousands of rams, with ten thousand streams of oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has shown you, O man, what is good and what the Lord requires: Do justice, love faithfulness, and walk humbly with your God." - This passage reflects the theme of Psalm 50 about what God really wants from his people, beyond ritual sacrifices.

Acts 17:24-25: "The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth, and does not dwell in sanctuaries made with hands. He is not served by the hands of men, as if he needed something, because he himself gives life, breath and other things to everyone." - Paul's speech in Athens echoes the theme of Psalm 50:9-12 about God not needing material offerings.

Romans 2:21-24: "Do you, who teach others, not teach yourself? You, who preach against theft, steal? You, who say that one should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You, who hate idols, rob their temples? Do you, who pride yourself on the law, dishonor God by disobeying the law? As it is written: 'The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.'" - This passage from Paul reflects the theme of Psalm 50:16-21 about the hypocrisy of those who profess God's law but do not practice it.

FAQ:

What does it mean that "God the Lord spoke and called the earth" in Psalm 50?

It means that God has authority over all creation and calls all nations to account before Him. (Psalm 50:1-2)

How does God describe sacrifices in Psalm 50?

God says He has no need for human sacrifices, for everything necessary already belongs to Him. He seeks obedience and gratitude more than ritualistic sacrifices. (Psalm 50:8-13)

What does Psalm 50 teach about true worship?

Psalm 50 teaches that true worship of God comes from the heart, with actions of righteousness and faithfulness, not just rituals. (Psalm 50:14-15)

How does God assert His authority over the world in Psalm 50?

God asserts His authority over all creation, saying that He owns it all. He demands sincere worship and obedience from His people. (Psalm 50:10-12)

What does "Whoever offers thanksgiving honors me" mean in Psalm 50?

It means that by giving thanks to God and living according to His will, we honor His sovereignty and power. (Psalm 50:23)


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