If I were hungry, I would not tell thee ,.... Or "say to thee" F23 לא אמר לך "non dicam tibi", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, Musculus; "non dicerem tibi", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Cocceius, Michaelis. ; ask for anything for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof ; with which, was the former his case, he could satisfy himself; see Psalm 24:1 . read more
The world is mine, and the fullness thereof - Ye cannot, therefore, give me any thing that is not my own. read more
False to covenant. God comes to Zion, as he once came to Sinai, amidst fire and tempest, calling upon the heavens and the earth to be his witnesses, while he summons his people to judgment, in which he proclaims how they had been false to the covenant that was between them. I. THE ACCUSATION . ( Psalms 50:7-13 .) 1 . They had forgotten the spiritual relations between them. ( Psalms 50:5-7 .) They were "his saints," "his people; he was God, even their God." And he had to... read more
The psalm consists of four portions: 1. An introduction (divided off by the pause-mark, "Selah," from the rest of the psalm), announcing the "appearance," and calling on heaven and earth to witness it ( Psalms 50:1-6 ). 2. An address to the godly Israelites ( Psalms 50:7-15 ). 3. An address to the ungodly Israelites ( Psalms 50:16-21 ). 4. A conclusion, divided equally between threat and promise ( Psalms 50:22 , Psalms 50:23 ). The psalm is ascribed to Asaph,... read more
The Judge, the judged, and the eternal judgment. A psalm-writer whom we have not met before, appears to have penned this psalm—Asaph. But whether it was by him or for his choir is somewhat uncertain. " Asaph was the leader and superintendent of the Levitic choirs appointed by David ( 1 Chronicles 16:4 , 1 Chronicles 16:5 ; cf. 2 Chronicles 29:30 ). He and his sons presided over four out of the twenty-four groups, consisting each of twelve Levites, who conducted, in turn, the... read more
God the righteous Judge. I. THAT GOD WILL JUDGE ALL MEN . Even now there is judgment. Every act of our lives has its moral character, and carries its consequences of good or evil. But this judgment is but partial and incomplete. Reason, conscience, and Holy Scripture proclaim a judgment to come which will be perfect and final. The supreme Judge of all men is God. He and he alone has the right and the power. Be has perfect knowledge, and cannot err; he has absolute... read more
"The continuance of this dramatic scene," as Professor Cheyne remarks, "scarcely answers to the commencement. The judgment seems to be adjourned, or to be left to the conscience of the defendants.'' The faithful are summoned, and appear, but not to receive unqualified commendation (see Matthew 25:31-40 ). Rather they receive a warning. The strong and prolonged depreciation of sacrifice ( Psalms 50:8-13 ) necessarily implies that in the religion of the time too much stress was laid upon it.... read more
True religion and its counterfeits. The great evil to which Israel was exposed was the separation of religion from morality. This comes out lamentably in their history, and forms the burden of much of the teaching of their prophets. So in this psalm, which contains a powerful demonstration of the worthlessness of religion without godliness. The psalm may help us to consider true religion and its counterfeits. I. SUPERSTITION . ( Psalms 50:7 .) Nothing in religion can be real and... 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
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Psalms 50:7-15
God is here dealing with those that placed all their religion in the observances of the ceremonial law, and thought those sufficient. I. He lays down the original contract between him and Israel, in which they had avouched him to be their God, and he them to be his people, and so both parties were agreed (Ps. 50:7): Hear, O my people! and I will speak. Note, It is justly expected that whatever others doe, when he speaks, his people should give ear; who will, if they do not? And then we may... read more