Psalm 50:16 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?
Psalm 50:16 nkjv
But to the wicked God says: "What right have you to declare My statutes, Or take My covenant in your mouth,
Psalm 50:16 niv
But to the wicked person, God says: "What right have you to recite my laws or take my covenant on your lips?
Psalm 50:16 esv
But to the wicked God says: "What right have you to recite my statutes or take my covenant on your lips?
Psalm 50:16 nlt
But God says to the wicked:
"Why bother reciting my decrees
and pretending to obey my covenant?
Psalm 50 16 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 1:10-17 | "Hear the word of the LORD… What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices… wash yourselves; make yourselves clean…" | Rebuke for empty ritual without righteousness |
| Isa 29:13 | "These people draw near with their mouth… but their heart is far from Me…" | Lip service without true devotion |
| Jer 7:4 | "Do not trust in these deceptive words: ‘This is the temple of the LORD…’" | False confidence in outward religious status |
| Matt 7:21-23 | "Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom…" | Profession without genuine obedience |
| Matt 15:7-9 | "You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you… honoring Me with their lips…" | Jesus quoting Isa 29:13 against hypocrisy |
| Matt 23:27-28 | "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs…" | Hypocrisy, outward show, inward corruption |
| Rom 2:17-24 | "If you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in God… do you dishonor God by breaking the law?" | Hypocrisy among those boasting in the Law |
| Tit 1:16 | "They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him…" | Actions contradicting claims to know God |
| Jas 1:22-25 | "Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." | Hearing the word without doing is self-deception |
| Jas 2:14-26 | "What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works?" | Faith without works is dead faith |
| 2 Tim 3:5 | "Having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power." | Form of godliness without transformative power |
| Ps 1:6 | "For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish." | Distinction between righteous and wicked |
| Prov 15:8 | "The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD…" | God detests worship from wicked hearts |
| Prov 28:9 | "If one turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination." | Rejecting God's law invalidates religious acts |
| Amos 5:21-24 | "I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies…" | God rejects ritual without justice |
| Hos 6:6 | "For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings." | Heart over ritual |
| Mal 1:6-8 | "A son honors his father, and a servant his master… if I am a master, where is my fear?" | God's expectation of honor vs. desecrated offerings |
| 1 Jn 2:3-6 | "Whoever says, 'I know him,' but does not keep his commandments is a liar…" | Claiming to know God requires obedience |
| Luke 6:46 | "Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?" | Verbal profession without obedience |
| John 14:15 | "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." | Love for God demonstrated through obedience |
| Deut 4:6 | "Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding…" | Obedience to statutes reflects wisdom |
| Ezra 7:10 | "For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, and to do it…" | Emphasis on studying and doing the Law |
| Zeph 1:5-6 | "Those who worship the host of heaven on the roofs, and those who worship and swear by the LORD and yet swear by Malcam…" | Attempting to combine God's worship with idolatry |
Psalm 50 verses
Psalm 50 16 Meaning
Psalm 50:16 declares God's righteous indignation against those who hypocritically claim His statutes and covenant with their lips while their lives are characterized by unrighteousness. God, acting as judge, challenges their right to profess His laws when their actions consistently contradict them, revealing a profound disconnect between their words and their walk. It emphasizes that outward religious observance or verbal assent is meaningless without an inner transformation that results in a lifestyle pleasing to Him.
Psalm 50 16 Context
Psalm 50 is a dramatic divine courtroom scene. God Himself presides as judge, summoning the heavens and the earth as witnesses to His case against His people. The psalm can be divided into three parts: God's summons and declaration (Ps 50:1-6), His rebuke of formalistic worshipers who emphasize ritual sacrifice without true thanksgiving (Ps 50:7-15), and finally, the direct accusation against the wicked within the covenant community, the subject of verse 16 (Ps 50:16-21). Historically, this psalm reflects the consistent prophetic message against outward religiosity lacking inner transformation and ethical living, a common issue in ancient Israel. It critiques the belief that merely performing religious rites guarantees God's favor, disregarding the ethical and moral demands of the Mosaic Covenant.
Psalm 50 16 Word analysis
But: This adversative conjunction introduces a sharp contrast. While God's earlier discourse was with those who offered sacrifices but lacked understanding (Ps 50:7-15), here He turns to an even more reprehensible group: the hypocritical and wicked.
to the wicked: The Hebrew word is hā-rā-šā‘ (הָרָשָׁע), meaning "the ungodly," "the guilty," or "those who depart from God's way." It implies a consistent character of rebellion against God's law and righteous standards, contrasting sharply with those who are called "righteous." These are not merely flawed people, but those who actively choose and live in defiance of God's revealed will. In this context, it often refers to those within the covenant community who live corruptly.
God says: Elohim (אֱלֹהִים) here denotes God in His capacity as the ultimate authority, the sovereign Judge of all the earth. His utterance carries the weight of divine judgment and decree.
What right have you: The Hebrew, mah lĕ-ḵā (מַה לְּךָ), is a rhetorical question that powerfully expresses indignation, a lack of legitimate claim, or rightful authority. It questions the very basis of their presumption, implying: "By what legitimate claim or authority do you do this?"
to recite: The verb is lĕ-sap-pêr (לְסַפֵּר), meaning "to recount," "declare," or "narrate." It suggests speaking about, rehearsing, or even teaching God's statutes, indicating a public or verbal appropriation of religious knowledge. This goes beyond mere knowledge to outward proclamation.
My statutes: The Hebrew ḥuq-qîm (חֻקִּים) refers to God's ordinances, decrees, or prescribed laws. These are specific divine mandates that lay out His will for moral, civil, and religious life. They are God's fixed rules, not human inventions.
or take: The verb is tiśśā’ (תִשָּׂא), meaning "to lift," "carry," "bear." In this context, with "covenant" and "on your lips," it suggests the act of verbally embracing or swearing allegiance to the covenant. It can imply speaking its words or even bearing its name.
My covenant: The Hebrew bĕ-rîṯ (בְּרִית) denotes a solemn agreement, pact, or treaty. Here it specifically refers to God's covenant with Israel (e.g., at Sinai), which established a relationship with mutual obligations, promises, and responsibilities. To "take" or speak of God's covenant implies acknowledging its terms and entering into its sacred bond.
on your lips: The Hebrew ʿal-pî-ḵā (עַל-פִּיךָ) literally means "on your mouth." This phrase emphatically highlights that the appropriation of God's statutes and covenant is purely external, a matter of vocal profession without inward commitment, obedience, or moral transformation. It signifies empty talk, hypocrisy, and the absence of integrity.
Words-group Analysis:
- "What right have you to recite My statutes or take My covenant on your lips?": This powerful rhetorical question underscores God's deep offense at the blatant hypocrisy. It exposes the utter illegitimacy of their religious claims when their actions directly contradict the very core of what they profess. The challenge isn't merely about understanding the law but about their right to associate themselves with it while living lawlessly.
Psalm 50 16 Bonus section
- The "wicked" in Psalm 50:16 are implicitly those within the covenant community, highlighting that God's judgment is not solely for outright idolaters or foreign nations, but also for those who bear His name yet defile it through their conduct.
- This verse prefigures much of the prophetic tradition, where figures like Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Amos similarly condemned superficial religiosity and called for a return to true worship marked by justice, righteousness, and humble obedience to God.
- It serves as a critical bridge from the formalistic worshiper (Ps 50:7-15) to the truly defiant one (Ps 50:16-21), demonstrating degrees of offense against God, though both are serious.
Psalm 50 16 Commentary
Psalm 50:16 cuts to the heart of hypocrisy in religious practice. God directly challenges those within His covenant who publicly recite His laws and claim allegiance to His covenant, yet whose lives are marked by wickedness and disobedience. The essence of the rebuke is that the words from their lips are a mockery when their actions are contrary to God's character and commands. God questions their moral authority to even utter His sacred words when their deeds deny Him. This verse powerfully asserts that God demands genuine righteousness and integrity of heart, not mere ritualistic adherence or verbal assent. True adherence to God's covenant and statutes is demonstrated not by reciting them, but by living them. This divine confrontation serves as a timeless warning against divorcing spiritual profession from practical, ethical living.