New International VersionBut to the wicked person, God says: “What right have you to recite my laws or take my covenant on your lips?
New Living TranslationBut God says to the wicked: “Why bother reciting my decrees and pretending to obey my covenant?
English Standard VersionBut to the wicked God says: “What right have you to recite my statutes or take my covenant on your lips?
Berean Standard BibleTo the wicked, however, God says, “What right have you to recite My statutes and to bear My covenant on your lips?
King James BibleBut 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 King James VersionBut to the wicked God says: “What right have you to declare My statutes, Or take My covenant in your mouth,
New American Standard BibleBut to the wicked God says, “What right do you have to tell of My statutes And to take My covenant in your mouth?
NASB 1995But to the wicked God says, “What right have you to tell of My statutes And to take My covenant in your mouth?
NASB 1977But to the wicked God says, “What right have you to tell of My statutes, And to take My covenant in your mouth?
Legacy Standard BibleBut to the wicked God says, “What right have you to recount My statutes And to take My covenant in your mouth?
Amplified BibleBut to the wicked God says: “What right have you to recite My statutes Or to take My covenant on your lips?
Christian Standard BibleBut God says to the wicked: “What right do you have to recite my statutes and to take my covenant on your lips?
Holman Christian Standard BibleBut God says to the wicked:” What right do you have to recite My statutes and to take My covenant on your lips?
American Standard VersionBut unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, And that thou hast taken my covenant in thy mouth,
Contemporary English VersionBut to the wicked I say: "You don't have the right to mention my laws or claim to keep our agreement!
English Revised VersionBut unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes; and that thou hast taken my covenant in thy mouth?
GOD'S WORD® TranslationBut God says to wicked people, "How dare you quote my decrees and mouth my promises!
Good News TranslationBut God says to the wicked, "Why should you recite my commandments? Why should you talk about my covenant?
International Standard VersionAs for the wicked, God says, "How dare you recite my statutes or speak about my covenant with your lips!
NET BibleGod says this to the evildoer: "How can you declare my commands, and talk about my covenant?
New Heart English BibleBut to the wicked God says, "What right do you have to declare my statutes, that you have taken my covenant on your lips,
Webster's Bible TranslationBut to the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth? Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleTo the wicked, however, God says, “What right have you to recite My statutes and to bear My covenant on your lips?
World English BibleBut to the wicked God says, “What right do you have to declare my statutes, that you have taken my covenant on your lips, Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionAnd to the wicked God has said: What to you—to recount My statutes? That you lift up My covenant on your mouth?
Young's Literal Translation And to the wicked hath God said: What to thee -- to recount My statutes? That thou liftest up My covenant on thy mouth?
Smith's Literal TranslationAnd to the unjust one God said, What to thee to recount my law, and thou wilt lift up my covenant upon thy mouth? Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleBut to the sinner God hath said: Why dost thou declare my justices, and take my covenant in thy mouth ?
Catholic Public Domain VersionBut to the sinner, God has said: Why do you discourse on my justices, and take up my covenant through your mouth?
New American Bible But to the wicked God says: “Why do you recite my commandments and profess my covenant with your mouth?
New Revised Standard Version But to the wicked God says: “What right have you to recite my statutes, or take my covenant on your lips?Translations from Aramaic Lamsa Bible But to the sinner, God says, How have you followed the books of my law? You have observed my covenant lightly,
Peshitta Holy Bible Translated God says to the sinner, "What business do you have with The Books of my Commandments, that you have taken my Covenant in your mouth?"OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917 But unto the wicked God saith: 'What hast thou to do to declare My statutes, And that thou hast taken My covenant in thy mouth?
Brenton Septuagint Translation But to the sinner God has said, Why dost thou declare my ordinances, and take up my covenant in thy mouth?
Additional Translations ... Audio Bible
Context The Mighty One Calls… 15Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor Me.” 16To the wicked, however,Godsays,“What righthave youto reciteMy statutesand to bearMy covenantonyour lips?17For you hate My instruction and cast My words behind you.…
Cross References Matthew 7:21-23Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven. / Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ / Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’
Matthew 23:27-28Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of impurity. / In the same way, on the outside you appear to be righteous, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
Romans 2:21-23you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? / You who forbid adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? / You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law?
James 1:22-25Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves. / For anyone who hears the word but does not carry it out is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror, / and after observing himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. ...
Isaiah 29:13Therefore the Lord said: “These people draw near to Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. Their worship of Me is but rules taught by men.
Ezekiel 33:31-32So My people come to you as usual, sit before you, and hear your words; but they do not put them into practice. Although they express love with their mouths, their hearts pursue dishonest gain. / Indeed, you are to them like a singer of love songs with a beautiful voice, who skillfully plays an instrument. They hear your words but do not put them into practice.
Matthew 15:8-9‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. / They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’”
Luke 6:46Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ but do not do what I say?
Titus 1:16They profess to know God, but by their actions they deny Him. They are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good deed.
Jeremiah 7:9-11Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal, and follow other gods that you have not known, / and then come and stand before Me in this house, which bears My Name, and say, ‘We are delivered, so we can continue with all these abominations’? / Has this house, which bears My Name, become a den of robbers in your sight? Yes, I too have seen it, declares the LORD.
1 John 2:4If anyone says, “I know Him,” but does not keep His commandments, he is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
Isaiah 48:1“Listen to this, O house of Jacob, you who are called by the name of Israel, who have descended from the line of Judah, who swear by the name of the LORD, who invoke the God of Israel—but not in truth or righteousness—
Micah 3:11Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets practice divination for money. Yet they lean upon the LORD, saying, “Is not the LORD among us? No disaster can come upon us.”
Matthew 12:34-37You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. / The good man brings good things out of his good store of treasure, and the evil man brings evil things out of his evil store of treasure. / But I tell you that men will give an account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. ...
Romans 2:1-3You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on another. For on whatever grounds you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. / And we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. / So when you, O man, pass judgment on others, yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment?
Treasury of Scripture But to the wicked God said, What have you to do to declare my statutes, or that you should take my covenant in your mouth? wicked Isaiah 48:22 There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked. Isaiah 55:6,7 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: … Ezekiel 18:27 Again, when the wickedman turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive. What Proverbs 26:7 The legs of the lame are not equal: sois a parable in the mouth of fools. Isaiah 1:11-15 To what purposeis the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats… Isaiah 48:1,2 Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, which swear by the name of the LORD, and make mention of the God of Israel,but not in truth, nor in righteousness… thou shouldest Psalm 25:14 The secret of the LORDis with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant. Psalm 78:36-38 Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues… Ezekiel 20:37,38 And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant: … Jump to Previous AgreementCovenantDeclareLipsMouthReciteRecountRightShouldestSinnerStatutesTalkingWickedWordsJump to Next AgreementCovenantDeclareLipsMouthReciteRecountRightShouldestSinnerStatutesTalkingWickedWordsPsalm 50 1.The majesty of God in the church5.His order to gather his saints7.The pleasure of God is not in ceremonies14.but in sincerity of obedienceTo the wicked, however, God says,This phrase introduces a direct address from God to the wicked, setting a tone of divine authority and judgment. In biblical context, "the wicked" often refers to those who live in opposition to God's laws and righteousness. This address is reminiscent of prophetic literature where God speaks directly to His people or their leaders, such as in Isaiah or Jeremiah. The use of "however" indicates a contrast with the preceding verses, which discuss the righteous. This distinction highlights the separation between those who follow God and those who merely pretend to. “What right have you to recite My statutes Here, God questions the legitimacy of the wicked's claim to His laws. The term "statutes" refers to the decrees and commandments given by God, particularly those found in the Torah. This echoes the theme found in the prophets, such as inIsaiah 29:13, where God criticizes those who honor Him with their lips but whose hearts are far from Him. The rhetorical question implies that the wicked have no genuine relationship with God, despite their outward appearance of religiosity. and to bear My covenant on your lips? The "covenant" refers to the sacred agreement between God and His people, initially established with figures like Abraham and Moses. To "bear" the covenant on one's lips suggests speaking or teaching it, which implies a position of authority or influence. This phrase critiques those who speak of God's covenant without living in accordance with it, similar to the Pharisees whom Jesus rebuked in the Gospels for their hypocrisy (Matthew 23:27-28). The covenant is not merely a set of rules but a relationship requiring faithfulness and obedience, which the wicked fail to uphold. Persons / Places / Events 1. GodThe speaker in this verse, addressing the wicked. God is portrayed as the ultimate judge and authority over His statutes and covenant. 2. The WickedThose who are being addressed by God. In the context of this Psalm, the wicked are those who outwardly profess God's laws but do not live by them. 3. Statutes and CovenantRefers to God's laws and the sacred agreement between God and His people. The wicked are criticized for reciting these without true adherence. 4. AsaphThe author of Psalm 50, a Levite and one of the leaders of David's choir, who is traditionally credited with writing this Psalm. 5. IsraelThe primary audience of the Psalm, representing God's chosen people who are expected to live according to His statutes and covenant. Teaching Points Authentic FaithTrue faith is demonstrated through actions, not just words. It is not enough to merely recite God's statutes; we must live by them. Self-ExaminationRegularly examine your life to ensure that your actions align with your professed beliefs. Are you living out the statutes you recite? The Danger of HypocrisyHypocrisy in faith can lead to spiritual blindness and judgment. Strive for integrity in your walk with God. The Importance of CovenantUnderstand the seriousness of God's covenant. It is a sacred agreement that requires commitment and obedience. God's Righteous JudgmentGod sees beyond outward appearances and judges the heart. Seek to cultivate a heart that is genuinely aligned with His will. Lists and Questions Top 10 Lessons from Psalm 50
What are the main themes of the Psalms?
Psalm 89:34 insists God will never break His covenant, yet the psalmist laments the downfall of David's lineage--how could this be seen as consistent?
(2 Samuel 22:21-25) How can David claim blamelessness here when other passages (e.g., 2 Samuel 11) describe serious moral failures?
In Psalm 81:13-14, how can we reconcile God's promise to subdue Israel's enemies with historical records of Israel's defeats?(16) But.--The psalm here turns to address a worse class, those who, while undisguisedly wicked, shelter themselves under the name of the covenant. What hast thou to do?--i.e., how darest thou? Verses 16-21. - While even the more godly among the Israelites have been thus, to a certain extent, reproved (vers. 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 (ver. 16), but perform none of the duties (vers. 17-20), thus bringing down upon themselves a terrible menace. Verse 16. - 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 (vers. 18-20). God declares that they have no right to assume to be teachers of others until they have taught themselves - they are unfit even to "take his covenant in their mouth."
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew To the wicked, however,וְלָ֤רָשָׁ֨ע ׀(wə·lā·rā·šā‘)Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Article | Adjective - masculine singular Strong's 7563:Wrong, an, bad personGodאֱלֹהִ֗ים(’ĕ·lō·hîm)Noun - masculine plural Strong's 430:gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlativesays,אָ֘מַ֤ר(’ā·mar)Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 559:To utter, say“What rightמַה־(mah-)Interrogative Strong's 4100:What?, what!, indefinitely whathave youלְּ֭ךָ(lə·ḵā)Preposition | second person masculine singular Strong's Hebrewto reciteלְסַפֵּ֣ר(lə·sap·pêr)Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct Strong's 5608:To count, recount, relateMy statutesחֻקָּ֑י(ḥuq·qāy)Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular Strong's 2706:Something prescribed or owed, a statuteand to bearוַתִּשָּׂ֖א(wat·tiś·śā)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - second person masculine singular Strong's 5375:To lift, carry, takeMy covenantבְרִיתִ֣י(ḇə·rî·ṯî)Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular Strong's 1285:A covenantonעֲלֵי־(‘ă·lê-)Preposition Strong's 5921:Above, over, upon, againstyour lips?פִֽיךָ׃(p̄î·ḵā)Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular Strong's 6310:The mouth, edge, portion, side, according to
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OT Poetry: Psalm 50:16 But to the wicked God says What (Psalm Ps Psa.) |