Psalm 50 15

Psalm 50:15 kjv

And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.

Psalm 50:15 nkjv

Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me."

Psalm 50:15 niv

and call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me."

Psalm 50:15 esv

and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me."

Psalm 50:15 nlt

Then call on me when you are in trouble,
and I will rescue you,
and you will give me glory."

Psalm 50 verses

Psalm 50 15 Meaning

Psalm 50:15 encapsulates a core principle of God's covenant with His people: an invitation to personal, earnest dependence on Him in times of distress, met with His assured deliverance, all of which culminates in His glorification. It contrasts ritualistic, external forms of worship, which God implicitly critiques in the preceding verses, with the genuine worship of heartfelt prayer and subsequent testimony to His saving power. This verse reveals God as accessible and eager to rescue those who call upon Him with sincere trust, ensuring that the credit and honor for salvation return to Him alone.

Psalm 50 15 Context

Psalm 50 presents God as a divine Judge, summoning all creation to witness His judgment of His own people, Israel. Unlike typical lament psalms or praises, this is a prophetic oracle delivered by God Himself, specifically addressing those who believe their sacrifices alone fulfill their covenant obligations. The preceding verses (Psa 50:7-14) reveal God's exasperation with their mechanistic approach to worship, stating He does not need their sacrifices, for all creation already belongs to Him. He clarifies that their external acts, however elaborate, are meaningless if detached from a sincere heart of obedience and genuine devotion. Against this backdrop, verse 15 offers the true way to engage with God – not through rituals as a transaction, but through relational trust and dependence in adversity. It sets the stage for a warning against the truly wicked in the subsequent verses (Psa 50:16-21), highlighting a stark contrast between a heart that truly seeks God and one that merely performs religious duties while living unrighteously.

Psalm 50 15 Word analysis

• Call upon Me:
  • Original Hebrew: קְרָאֵנִי (qᵉrāʾēnî), derived from qārā (קָרָא) - to call, to cry out, to summon, to invoke. This is more than a casual mention; it implies an earnest, fervent appeal, an act of turning specifically to God in desperation and trust. The suffix "Me" (-ֵנִי, ʾēnî) makes it a direct, personal appeal to the divine, emphasizing God's desire for an intimate, not institutional, interaction. It reflects a personal relationship where the supplicant genuinely reaches out for help, recognizing God's authority and ability to respond.
• in the day of trouble:
  • Original Hebrew: בְּיוֹם צָרָה (bəyōm ṣārāh). Yōm (יוֹם) means "day," but here, as often in Hebrew, it refers to a time, a season, or a period, rather than a single 24-hour cycle. Ṣārāh (צָרָה) comes from the root ṣarar (צָרַר) which means to "narrow," "confine," or "be restricted." Thus, "trouble" implies a time of great distress, pressure, oppression, or calamity—a constricted situation where human solutions seem absent, prompting reliance solely on divine intervention. It speaks to a condition of acute need.
• I will deliver you:
  • Original Hebrew: אֲחַלֶּצְךָ (ʾaḥalletsḵā), derived from ḥālaṣ (חָלַץ) - to draw out, to pull out, to release, to rescue, to set free. This is an active and decisive intervention by God. It implies more than simply relieving the pressure; it signifies God drawing the person out of the binding, suffocating circumstances of trouble. It's a promise of complete liberation and rescue. The "I" (ʾa-) is the emphatic divine subject, emphasizing that it is God Himself who acts powerfully.
• and you shall glorify Me:
  • Original Hebrew: וּתְכַבְּדֵנִי (wûḵabbedēnî), derived from kāḇēd (כָּבֵד) - to make heavy, to give weight, to honor, to give glory to. This is the expected and essential outcome. True deliverance, according to this covenant promise, should not lead to self-congratulation or attributing rescue to chance or human effort, but to acknowledging God as the source of salvation. To "glorify Me" means to publicly acknowledge God's majesty, power, goodness, and faithfulness through praise, thanksgiving, and obedient living, thereby bringing Him the honor due His name. It implies an offering of a life of thanksgiving, not just a verbal expression.

• Words-group analysis:
  • "Call upon Me in the day of trouble": This phrase establishes a crucial relational dynamic. It's a call to depend on God directly and exclusively when facing seemingly insurmountable difficulties. It implicitly challenges the efficacy of human remedies or empty rituals by urging the believer to turn inward, towards a personal God, in their darkest hour. It suggests that trouble is not merely something to endure but an opportunity for deepened trust and direct communion with the divine.
  • "I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me": This forms a divine guarantee and an expected human response, establishing a profound theological loop. God's intervention is not just a kind act but serves a greater purpose: His own glory. Deliverance leads to glorification, creating a continuous cycle where God demonstrates His power, and the saved respond with fitting praise, which in turn honors Him. It teaches that the ultimate end of salvation is always the exaltation of the Deliverer, preventing pride or forgetfulness on the part of the rescued.

Psalm 50 15 Bonus section

This verse reveals God's self-sufficiency; He doesn't need human sacrifices (as implied in Psa 50:12-13). Instead, He desires heartfelt worship, which includes trust in times of crisis. It establishes trouble as a divine appointment where God proves His faithfulness and allows His people to acknowledge His greatness. The passage is not prescriptive in detailing how one should call, emphasizing the sincerity and direction of the heart more than the specific words. This principle transcends the Old Testament sacrificial system, pointing towards a timeless relationship between humanity and God where vulnerability and dependence on Him lead to divine intervention and consequent praise. The "day of trouble" can manifest in countless forms—physical illness, financial hardship, spiritual barrenness, or emotional despair—and in each, the call is the same: look to the Lord for rescue.

Psalm 50 15 Commentary

Psalm 50:15 serves as a profound summary of true worship, contrasting sharply with the formalistic and often insincere sacrifices condemned earlier in the Psalm. God here offers a covenant promise: heartfelt dependence on Him in adversity is not only honored but met with His active intervention. This highlights His accessibility and His desire for an intimate, personal relationship built on trust, not transactional rituals. The call for deliverance in "the day of trouble" isn't merely about rescue from immediate suffering; it's about seeing God as the sole provider and ultimate solution. Critically, the promise of deliverance is tied directly to its intended outcome: the glorification of God. This ensures that the focus of salvation remains on the Savior, not the saved, reinforcing that all deliverance flows from His sovereignty and exists for His honor. It implies that genuine worship, expressed through reliant prayer in distress, leads to a life that publicly acknowledges His power and goodness, validating His kingship over all circumstances.

For practical usage, this verse:

• Encourages Prayer: When life is hardest, it prompts believers to turn immediately to God.
• Shifts Perspective: It frames trouble not as abandonment, but as an opportunity for God to manifest His power and be glorified.
• Demands Thanksgiving: Deliverance requires a response of praise and testimony, ensuring God receives His due honor.