Amplified Bible
Psalms 50:16
16But to the wicked God says: “What right have you to recite My statutes Or to take My covenant on your lips?
Psalms 50:16 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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?
- New International Version (NIV)But to the wicked person, God says: “What right have you to recite my laws or take my covenant on your lips?
- English Standard Version (ESV)But to the wicked God says: "What right have you to recite my statutes or take my covenant on your lips?
- New King James Version (NKJV)But to the wicked God says: “What right have you to declare My statutes, Or take My covenant in your mouth,
Context of Psalms 50:16
14Offer to God the sacrifice of thanksgiving And pay your vows to the Most High; 15Call on Me in the day of trouble; I will rescue you, and you shall honor and glorify Me.” But to the wicked God says: “What right have you to recite My statutes Or to take My covenant on your lips? 17For you hate instruction and discipline And cast My words behind you [discarding them]. 18When you see a thief, you are pleased with him and condone his behavior, And you associate with adulterers.
Read all of Psalms 50Psalms 50:16 word by word
וְלָ֤רָשָׁ֨ע׀ אָ֘מַ֤ר אֱלֹהִ֗ים מַה־לְּ֭ךָ לְסַפֵּ֣ר חֻקָּ֑י וַתִּשָּׂ֖א בְרִיתִ֣י עֲלֵי־פִֽיךָ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- But unto the wickedרָשָׁעrâshâ‛ · wickedH7563
- Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- saithאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- What hast thou to do to declareסָפַרsâphar · to recountH5608
- my statutesחֹקchôq · statute: decreeH2706
- thou shouldest takeנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: raiseH5375
- my covenantבְּרִיתberîyth · covenantH1285
- in thy mouthפֶּהpeh · lipH6310
Cross-references for Psalms 50:16
- Isaiah 48:22“There is no peace for the wicked,” says the Lord.
- Isaiah 55:6Seek the Lord while He may be found; Call on Him [for salvation] while He is near.
- Ezekiel 18:27Again, when a wicked man turns away from his wickedness which he has committed and practices justice and righteousness, he will save his life.
- Proverbs 26:7Like the legs which are useless to the lame, So is a proverb in the mouth of a fool [who cannot learn from its wisdom].
- Isaiah 1:11“What are your multiplied sacrifices to Me [without your repentance]?” Says the Lord. “I have had enough of [your] burnt offerings of rams And the fat of well-fed cattle [without your obedience]; And I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls or lambs or goats [offered without repentance].
- Isaiah 48:1“Hear this, O house of Jacob, you who are called by the name of Israel And who come from the seed of Judah, You who swear [allegiance] by the name of the Lord And invoke the God of Israel, But not in truth (sincerity) nor in righteousness [with moral and spiritual integrity].
- Isaiah 58:1“Cry aloud, do not hold back; Lift up your voice like a trumpet, And declare to My people their transgression And to the house of Jacob their sins.
- Jeremiah 7:4Do not trust in the deceptive and lying words [of the false prophets who claim that Jerusalem will be protected by God because of the temple], saying, ‘This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord.’
- Matthew 7:3Why do you look at the [insignificant] speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice and acknowledge the [egregious] log that is in your own eye?
- John 4:24God is spirit [the Source of life, yet invisible to mankind], and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
- Acts 19:13Then some of the traveling Jewish exorcists also attempted to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I implore you and solemnly command you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches!”
- Romans 2:17But if you bear the name “Jew” and rely on the Law [for your salvation] and boast in [your special relationship to] God,
- 1 Corinthians 9:27But [like a boxer] I strictly discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached [the gospel] to others, I myself will not somehow be disqualified [as unfit for service].
- 2 Peter 2:15Abandoning the straight road [that is, the right way to live], they have gone astray; they have followed the way of [the false teacher] Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the reward of wickedness;
- Psalms 25:14The secret [of the wise counsel] of the Lord is for those who fear Him, And He will let them know His covenant and reveal to them [through His word] its [deep, inner] meaning.
- Psalms 78:36Nevertheless they flattered Him with their mouths And lied to Him with their tongues.
Commentaries on Psalms 50:16
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16But unto the wicked - The bloodthirsty priests, proud Pharisees, and ignorant scribes of the Jewish people.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16But unto the wicked God saith - This commences a second part of the subject. See the introduction. Thus far the psalm had reference to those who were merely external worshippers, or mere formalists, as showing that such could not be approved and accepted in the day of judgment; that spiritual religion - the offering of the “heart” - was necessary in order to acceptance with God. In this part of the psalm the same principles are applied to those who…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-23Verses 16-23 Hypocrisy is wickedness, which God will judge. And it is too common, for those who declare the Lord's statutes to others, to live in disobedience to them themselves. This delusion arises from the abuse of God's long-suffering, and a wilful mistake of his character and the intention of his gospel. The sins of sinners will be fully proved on them in the judgment of the great day. The day is coming when God will set their sins in order, sins of…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16-21This message is against the wicked, who only pretend to listen to God.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 16-2016-20. the wicked--that is, the formalists, as now exposed, and who lead vicious lives (compare Ro 2:21, 23). They are unworthy to use even the words of God's law. Their hypocrisy and vice are exposed by illustrations from sins against the seventh, eighth, and ninth commandments.Read the comment
Topics related to Psalms 50:16
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Psalms 50
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- The Treasury of David
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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