Psalm 50:11 kjv
I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine.
Psalm 50:11 nkjv
I know all the birds of the mountains, And the wild beasts of the field are Mine.
Psalm 50:11 niv
I know every bird in the mountains, and the insects in the fields are mine.
Psalm 50:11 esv
I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine.
Psalm 50:11 nlt
I know every bird on the mountains,
and all the animals of the field are mine.
Psalm 50 11 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 1:26 | Then God said, "Let Us make mankind in Our image, after Our likeness..." | God as Creator and owner of all living things |
| Gen 9:2 | The fear and dread of you will be on every beast of the earth... | Man given dominion under God's ownership |
| Exo 19:5 | Now therefore, if you will obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine. | God's universal ownership of all the earth |
| Deut 10:14 | Behold, to the Lord your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth, with all that is in it. | God's ultimate ownership of everything |
| 1 Chr 29:11-12 | Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty... for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours... | God is owner of all wealth and dominion |
| Job 12:7-10 | But ask the beasts, and they will teach you; the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you... in His hand is the life of every living thing... | God's knowledge and power over creation |
| Job 38:41 | Who provides for the raven its prey, when its young ones cry to God...? | God's care and provision for wild animals |
| Ps 24:1 | The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein. | God's ownership of the entire world |
| Ps 89:11 | The heavens are yours; the earth also is yours; the world and all that fills it, you have founded them. | God's creation implies His ownership |
| Ps 104:24-25, 27-28 | O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all... These all look to you, to give them their food in due season. | God's sustained provision for all creatures |
| Ps 147:9 | He gives to the beast its food, and to the young ravens that cry. | God's provision for wild animals reinforced |
| Isa 40:28 | Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth... | God as the tireless, infinite Creator |
| Jer 27:5 | It is I who by my great power and my outstretched arm have made the earth, with the men and animals that are on the earth... | God's creation of earth, humans, and animals |
| Hos 2:18 | I will make for them a covenant on that day with the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the creeping things of the ground... | God's sovereignty over all creation |
| Jon 4:11 | And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle? | God's concern extends even to animals |
| Mic 4:4 | but they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid, for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken. | Divine provision leading to peace and security |
| Matt 6:26 | Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? | God's knowledge and care for birds |
| Matt 10:29 | Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. | God's minute knowledge of every creature |
| Luke 12:6 | Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. | God's specific knowledge of all creatures |
| Col 1:16 | For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible... all things were created through him and for him. | Christ as agent of creation and God's owner |
| Heb 2:10 | For it was fitting that he, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. | God as the one for whom and through whom all things exist |
Psalm 50 verses
Psalm 50 11 Meaning
Psalm 50:11 declares God's complete knowledge and absolute ownership over all wild animals, specifically "the birds of the mountains" and "the wild beasts of the field." This statement serves to challenge the human notion that God requires material offerings or gains anything from human sacrifices, as He inherently possesses all creation and knows every living thing in meticulous detail. It highlights His self-sufficiency and infinite sovereignty over every corner of the earth.
Psalm 50 11 Context
Psalm 50 is a dramatic divine summons, often categorized as a "prophetic liturgy" or a "divine lawsuit." God is portrayed as judge, calling heaven and earth to witness His arraignment of His own people, Israel. The core message challenges their understanding of worship, particularly concerning sacrifices. They had faithfully offered countless animals, but their hearts were far from God. Verses 9-13 specifically highlight God's argument against their misconception that He needs their material offerings. Verse 11, following His declaration that He needs no bull or goats (v. 9), emphatically states that God already possesses all the creatures. He doesn't need humans to give Him animals because He knows and owns every single one, even the elusive birds in the mountains and wild beasts in the open fields. This forms a powerful polemic against any notion that their external religious acts were meritorious contributions to a lacking deity, contrasting such pagan ideas with the absolute sovereignty of the one true God.
Psalm 50 11 Word analysis
- I know: Hebrew: yada' (יָדַע). This is not merely intellectual recognition but denotes an intimate, experiential, and complete understanding or possession. It implies God's full awareness, supervision, and mastery over His creation, leaving nothing unknown to Him. This deep knowledge is tied to His sovereign ownership.
- all: Hebrew: kol (כֹּל). Signifies totality, completeness, every single one without exception. Emphasizes the comprehensiveness of God's knowledge and ownership.
- the birds: Hebrew: tzipporim (צִפֳּרִים). General term for birds, but in this context, implies wild, untamed birds.
- of the mountains: Hebrew: harim (הָרִים). Mountains symbolize wild, remote, inaccessible places for humans. Placing birds here emphasizes their freedom from human control and their vast numbers, yet they are fully known and possessed by God. It signifies His dominion over the untamed and expansive natural world.
- and the wild beasts: Hebrew: ziyz (זִיז), generally refers to living, moving things, often interpreted as wild animals. Paired with "field" it specifically denotes free-roaming, undomesticated creatures.
- of the field: Hebrew: sadai (שָׂדַי). Open country, fields, or wild lands, as opposed to cultivated or settled areas. This term again highlights the wild, untamed nature of these animals.
- are mine: Hebrew: lî (לִי). Literally "to me" or "belonging to me." This is a definitive declaration of absolute, indisputable possession and ownership. It reinforces that God already owns them outright, thus requiring no offering of them from humans.
Words-group by words-group analysis
- I know all the birds of the mountains: This phrase stresses God's exhaustive and intimate knowledge of creation, even its most elusive and seemingly countless components. It points to His omniscience extending to the individual bird, high in inaccessible places. This deep knowledge is inherently tied to His proprietary right over them.
- and the wild beasts of the field are mine: This parallel phrase reiterates and emphasizes divine ownership, moving from the implication of knowledge to a direct, declarative statement of possession. The use of "wild beasts of the field" ensures that no category of untamed creature is excluded from God's supreme claim. The phrasing makes it clear that humanity cannot 'give' God something that is already and always perfectly His.
Psalm 50 11 Bonus section
This verse subtly underscores God's omnipresence and immanence—He is intimately acquainted with every creature, no matter how remote. It also prepares the ground for God's critique in the subsequent verses (Ps 50:12-13), where He explicitly asks why they would think He eats bull meat or drinks goat blood, contrasting with the animal-worship practices common among pagan neighbors. The verse positions the Creator far above any localized, limited deity, emphasizing His total cosmic authority. This universal ownership and intimate knowledge extend to every detail of creation, affirming His role as Sustainer of life beyond just human provision, influencing our understanding of divine care for all life, as reflected in the New Testament passages about sparrows.
Psalm 50 11 Commentary
Psalm 50:11 stands as a profound statement on God's sovereignty, self-sufficiency, and His nature as Creator and Proprietor of all existence. It serves as a stark theological correction against a prevalent misconception among Israel—and often echoed in human religiosity—that external ritual, such as animal sacrifice, somehow adds value to God, satisfies a need in Him, or serves as a meritorious contribution that earns divine favor independently of an obedient and worshipful heart. By asserting, "I know all the birds of the mountains, and the wild beasts of the field are mine," God highlights the sheer absurdity of offering Him what He already overwhelmingly owns and meticulously supervises. This verse underscores that true worship is not about giving God what He lacks (for He lacks nothing), but about acknowledging His absolute ownership and responding with obedience and a contrite spirit. It debunks any notion of transactionality in their relationship with God and redirects their focus from external performances to the internal posture of the heart, aligning with the call for sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving mentioned later in the Psalm (Ps 50:14, 23). This principle applies universally, urging believers today to remember that God owns everything, and what He desires most is our hearts, trust, and obedience, offered in grateful acknowledgment of His supremacy and benevolence.