I know all the fowls of the mountains, and the wild beasts of the field are mine ; literally, are ' with me. All creation is God's, known to him, and owned by him, to be dealt with at his pleasure. How, then, should he need gifts from men? read more
If I were hungry, I would not tell thee ; i.e. suppose it possible that I could be hungry, I should not have recourse to man; for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof —and I should have recourse to it. read more
Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? But is it to be supposed, can any suppose it possible, that I, the Lord of heaven and earth, the invisible Author of all things, both visible and invisible, can need material sustenance, and can condescend to find any sustenance in bulls' flesh and goats' blood? Scarcely did even the grossest of the heathen take this view. A vapour, an odour ( κνίσση ), was thought to ascend from the victims sacrificed, and this penetrated to the... read more
Offer unto God thanksgiving . The one offering acceptable to God is praise and thanksgiving out of a pure heart. This was designed to be the accompaniment of all sacrifice, and was the ground of acceptability in every case where sacrifice was acceptable. And pay thy vows unto the Most High ; i.e. "and so pay thy vows." So offer thy worship, and it will be accepted. read more
And call upon me in the day of trouble (comp. Psalms 20:1 ). I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. The meaning is, "Then, when thou shalt offer unto me a true worship ( Psalms 50:14 ), if thou wilt call upon me in the day of trouble, I will assuredly deliver thee, and so give thee occasion for glorifying me." read more
The day of trouble. I. HERE IS A DAY THAT WILL COME TO ALL . You may not have hitherto known "trouble;" if so, be thankful, but prepared. The immunity of the past is no protection. Sooner or later it will be said to you, as Eliphaz said to Job, "Now it is come upon thee" ( Job 4:5 ). And this is well. To be without trouble would be to lack one of the chief disciplines of life, and to lay us under the suspicion of being "bastards, not sons." II. HERE IS A DUTY ... read more
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? The wicked assumed that they were true Israelites. They were familiar with the words of God's statutes, and with the terms of the covenant. They claimed the right of enforcing them against others ( Romans 2:18-20 ), while in their own persons they set them at nought ( Psalms 50:18-20 ). God declares that they have no right to assume to be teachers of others... read more
While even the more godly among the Israelites have been thus, to a certain extent, reproved ( Psalms 50:8-14 ), the psalmist now addresses to the ungodly, the open and wilful transgressors, a far sterner rebuke. They claim the privileges of God's covenanted servants ( Psalms 50:16 ), but perform none of the duties ( Psalms 50:17-20 ), thus bringing down upon themselves a terrible menace. read more
Hypocrisy. God speaks to the whole nation in the previous part of the psalm; here to hypocrites. I. THEY MADE PROFESSION OF RELIGION , WHICH THEIR LIVES CONTRADICTED . ( Psalms 50:16-20 .) 1 . They treated the Divine Law with open contempt. ( Psalms 50:17 .) Because they "hated" the control that it imposes. 2 . They were guilty of the grossest violations of that Law. ( Psalms 50:18-20 .) Theft, adultery, and false witness, not only against their... read more
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The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 50:10
For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills . So the Revised Version, Dr. Kay, Canon Cook, the Four Friends, and others; but many critics regard such a rendering as impossible. Of these, some translate, "And the cattle upon the hills, where there are thousands" (Hupfeld, Hengstenberg, etc.); while others read אלהים for אלף , and render, "And the cattle upon the mountains of God" (Olshausen, Cheyne). read more