Psalms — Chapter 50

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1The mighty God, even the LORD, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

21These 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.

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

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

1The Mighty One, God, Jehovah, hath spoken, And called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof.

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

3Our God cometh, and doth not keep silence: A fire devoureth before him, And it is very tempestuous round about him.

4He calleth to the heavens above, And to the earth, that he may judge his people:

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

6And the heavens shall declare his righteousness; For God is judge himself. Selah

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

8I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices; And thy burnt-offerings are continually before me.

9I will take no bullock out of thy house, Nor he-goats out of thy folds.

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

11I know all the birds of the mountains; And the wild beasts of the field are mine.

12If I were hungry, I would not tell thee; For the world is mine, and the fulness thereof.

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

14Offer unto God the sacrifice of thanksgiving; And pay thy vows unto the Most High:

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

16But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, And that thou hast taken my covenant in thy mouth,

17Seeing thou hatest instruction, And castest my words behind thee?

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

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

20Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; Thou slanderest thine own mother`s son.

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

22Now consider this, ye that forget God, Lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver:

23Whoso offereth the sacrifice of thanksgiving glorifieth me; And to him that ordereth his way [aright] Will I show the salvation of God. Psalm 51 For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David; when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.

1A psalm by Asaph. El, God, the Lord has spoken, and summoned the earth to come from the east and west.

2From Zion, the most beautiful of all places, God has come in splendor.

3“May our God come and not be silent.” Consuming fire goes ahead of him, and all around him a storm rages.

4He summons the heavens above, as well as the earth, so that he might judge his people.

5He says: “Assemble my covenant people before me, those who ratified a covenant with me by sacrifice.”

6The heavens declare his fairness, for God is judge. (Selah)

7He says: “Listen, my people. I am speaking! Listen, Israel. I am accusing you. I am God, your God!

8I am not condemning you because of your sacrifices, or because of your burnt sacrifices that you continually offer me.

9I do not need to take a bull from your household or goats from your sheepfolds.

10For every wild animal in the forest belongs to me, as well as the cattle that graze on a thousand hills.

11I keep track of every bird in the hills, and the insects of the field are mine.

12Even if I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and all it contains belong to me.

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

14Present to God a thank offering. Repay your vows to the Most High.

15Pray to me when you are in trouble. I will deliver you, and you will honor me.”

16God says this to the evildoer: “How can you declare my commands, and talk about my covenant?

17For you hate instruction and reject my words.

18When you see a thief, you join him; you associate with men who are unfaithful to their wives.

19You do damage with words, and use your tongue to deceive.

20You plot against your brother; you slander your own brother.

21When you did these things, I was silent, so you thought I was exactly like you. But now I will condemn you and state my case against you.

22Carefully consider this, you who reject God. Otherwise I will rip you to shreds and no one will be able to rescue you.

23Whoever presents a thank offering honors me. To whoever obeys my commands, I will reveal my power to deliver.”

1The Mighty One, God, Yahweh, speaks, and calls the earth from sunrise to sunset.

2Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines out.

3Our God comes, and does not keep silent. A fire devours before him. It is very stormy around him.

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

5“Gather my saints together to me, those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”

6The heavens shall declare his righteousness, for God himself is judge. Selah.

7“Hear, my people, and I will speak; Israel, and I will testify against you. I am God, your God.

8I don’t rebuke you for your sacrifices. Your burnt offerings are continually before me.

9I have no need for a bull from your stall, nor male goats from your pens.

10For every animal of the forest is mine, and the livestock on a thousand hills.

11I know all the birds of the mountains. The wild animals of the field are mine.

12If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it.

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

14Offer to God the sacrifice of thanksgiving. Pay your vows to the Most High.

15Call on me in the day of trouble. I will deliver you, and you will honor me.”

16But to the wicked God says, “What right do you have to declare my statutes, that you have taken my covenant on your lips,

17since you hate instruction, and throw my words behind you?

18When you saw a thief, you consented with him, and have participated with adulterers.

19“You give your mouth to evil. Your tongue frames deceit.

20You sit and speak against your brother. You slander your own mother’s son.

21You have done these things, and I kept silent. You thought that I was just like you. I will rebuke you, and accuse you in front of your eyes.

22“Now consider this, you who forget God, lest I tear you into pieces, and there be no one to deliver.

23Whoever offers the sacrifice of thanksgiving glorifies me, and prepares his way so that I will show God’s salvation to him.”

Summary
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
Videos
Reflection

Summary

A prophetic judgment psalm of Asaph — God summons the earth to judge His people: He does not need their sacrifices (He owns all cattle) but calls for thanksgiving, obedience, and integrity rather than empty ritual.

Authorship & Background

Author: Multiple authors — primarily David (73 psalms attributed), plus Asaph (12), Sons of Korah (11), Solomon (2), Moses (1), Heman (1), Ethan (1), and anonymous. The Psalter was compiled over approximately 1000 years and served as Israel's hymnal and prayer book. The book is divided into five 'books' (1-41, 42-72, 73-89, 90-106, 107-150), paralleling the five books of Moses. Key themes: worship, lament, praise, trust, kingship, creation, wisdom, Messianic prophecy, and the full range of human emotion brought before God.
Classification: Prophetic/Judgment Psalm Attributed Author: Asaph (A Psalm of Asaph) Key Themes: God as judge of His people, true worship vs. empty ritual, God's self-sufficiency, thanksgiving as true sacrifice, hypocrisy exposed
Historical Context: Psalm 50 is the first of twelve psalms attributed to Asaph (50, 73-83), the chief musician appointed by David to lead worship before the Ark of the Covenant (1 Chronicles 16:4-5). Asaph was both a musician and a "seer" (prophet) — 2 Chronicles 29:30 calls him "Asaph the seer." This prophetic identity shapes Psalm 50, which reads more like a prophetic oracle than a hymn or prayer. God Himself speaks through most of the psalm in first person.
The psalm presents a divine courtroom scene (theophany): God summons all creation as witnesses (vv. 1-6), then addresses two groups within His own people. To the formally religious (vv. 7-15), He says: "I don't need your sacrifices — I own everything. What I want is thanksgiving, vow-keeping, and genuine dependence." To the openly wicked who claim covenant membership (vv. 16-21), He delivers a devastating rebuke: "You hate My instruction, consort with thieves and adulterers, and think I'm like you — but judgment is coming."
This psalm is remarkable for its insistence that God does not need anything from human beings. "If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof" (v. 12). God is entirely self-sufficient. He does not need our sacrifices, worship, or service. What He desires is relationship — gratitude, trust, and moral integrity. This theological principle is foundational to understanding worship throughout Scripture (cf. Isaiah 1:11-17; Amos 5:21-24; Micah 6:6-8; Romans 12:1).
Structure:
  • The Divine Theophany: God Appears as Judge (vv. 1-6)
  • Address to the Faithful: True Worship (vv. 7-15)
  • Address to the Wicked: Hypocrisy Exposed (vv. 16-21)
  • Final Warning and Promise (vv. 22-23)

Map & Geography

  • Zion (v.2): The hill on which Jerusalem/the Temple stood; often used poetically for God's dwelling.

Reflection

  • 1. God does not need our worship — He wants our hearts. This recalibrates everything. We do not worship because God is deficient without it. We worship because gratitude is the proper response of creatures to their Creator. Our offerings add nothing to God's fullness; they express our recognition of His fullness.
  • 2. Thanksgiving is the sacrifice God desires. Verse 14 replaces animal sacrifice with grateful praise. Under the new covenant, the "sacrifice of praise" (Hebrews 13:15) is our continual offering. A thankful heart honors God more than any external ritual performed without genuine gratitude.
  • 3. God's silence is not approval. Verse 21 warns us against interpreting God's patience as permission. When we sin without immediate consequence, we may think God doesn't notice or doesn't care. But He is keeping record and will "set them in order before thine eyes." Patience is opportunity for repentance, not endorsement of sin.
  • 4. "Call upon me" — God wants our dependence. Verse 15 is an extraordinary invitation: bring your troubles to Me, and I will deliver you. God is not honored by our self-sufficiency but by our trust. Calling upon Him in the day of trouble is itself an act of worship — it acknowledges that He alone can save.
  • 5. Religious words without righteous living are hypocrisy. The wicked recite God's statutes and take His covenant on their lips (v. 16) while hating discipline and keeping company with adulterers (vv. 17-18). God is not deceived by external conformity. He looks at the heart and the life — not just the lips. Integrity must match profession.