Psalm 50

Psalm 50 belongs to Book II of the Psalms (Psalms 42–72), and its superscription reads "A Psalm of Asaph." It follows Psalm 49, which deals with wealth and death. In this psalm God summons his own people like a judge in a court of law and examines their worship and their lives.

Structure

• Verses 1–6: "The mighty God, even the LORD" calls the earth "from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof." God shines forth out of Zion and comes amid fire and tempest. He calls heaven and earth as witnesses and commands that his saints be gathered, "those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice."
• Verses 7–15: God speaks to his people. He does not rebuke them for any lack of burnt offerings. Every beast of the forest and "the cattle upon a thousand hills" belong to God, and God does not eat flesh. He therefore tells them to offer thanksgiving, pay their vows, and call upon him in the day of trouble.
• Verses 16–21: God speaks to the wicked. They recite his statutes yet hate instruction, keep company with thieves and adulterers, and slander their own brothers. Because God kept silence, they thought he was "altogether such an one as" themselves. God declares that he will now reprove their sin.
• Verses 22–23: God warns those who forget him and promises to show salvation to the one who offers the sacrifice of thanksgiving and orders his conduct aright.

Key Verses

• Psalm 50:14 "Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High" — summarizes the kind of sacrifice God desires.
• Psalm 50:15 "And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee" — widely memorized as a promise that God answers prayer.
• Psalm 50:23 "Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me" — the conclusion of the entire psalm.

People and Places

• Asaph: The name in the superscription. Chronicles presents him as a Levite who directed temple music in the time of David. His name is also attached to Psalms 73–83. Opinions differ on whether the superscription refers to Asaph himself or to the guild of singers descended from him.
• God: Verse 1 combines the names "the Mighty One" (El), "God" (Elohim), and "the LORD" to convey the majesty of the judge.
• Zion: The place from which God shines forth and appears.

Points for Reflection

• Interpreters differ on whether this psalm rejects sacrifice itself. Verse 8 states that God does not reprove the people for their burnt offerings. For this reason many commentators read the psalm not as abolishing sacrifice but as critiquing merely formal sacrifice devoid of heart and life. This reading aligns with the message of Isaiah 1, Amos 5, and Micah 6.
• The phrase "those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice" in verse 5 recalls the Sinai covenant, ratified with blood (Exodus 24:8). "Sacrifice" here refers to Old Testament temple sacrifice and is distinct from Korean ancestral rites.
• Some scholars call this form, in which God summons witnesses and brings charges against his people, a "covenant lawsuit."
• The next psalm, Psalm 51, likewise states that God desires a broken spirit rather than sacrifice (Psalm 51:16–17), so the two psalms are often read as a pair. The New Testament "sacrifice of praise" (Hebrews 13:15) is also read in connection with this psalm's "sacrifice of thanksgiving."

In the Korean Church

• Verses 14 and 23 are frequently used as sermon texts for Thanksgiving and Wheat Harvest Thanksgiving. They are also cited to explain the meaning of thanksgiving offerings.
• Verse 15 is often read in sermons and during pastoral visits as an exhortation to pray in times of hardship.