Psalm 50 22

Psalm 50:22 kjv

Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.

Psalm 50:22 nkjv

"Now consider this, you who forget God, Lest I tear you in pieces, And there be none to deliver:

Psalm 50:22 niv

"Consider this, you who forget God, or I will tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue you:

Psalm 50:22 esv

"Mark this, then, you who forget God, lest I tear you apart, and there be none to deliver!

Psalm 50:22 nlt

Repent, all of you who forget me,
or I will tear you apart,
and no one will help you.

Psalm 50 verses

Psalm 50 22 Meaning

Psalm 50:22 serves as a severe warning from God to those who practically neglect and disregard Him despite potentially participating in religious rituals. It conveys that persistent "forgetting God" – meaning living as if He does not exist or His commands are irrelevant – will inevitably lead to direct, irreversible divine judgment. This judgment is depicted as a violent, inescapable tearing apart, where no one, human or divine, will be able to provide rescue or deliverance from God's wrath. It's a stark call to genuine repentance and a recognition of God's sovereign authority and inescapable justice.

Psalm 50 22 Context

Psalm 50 is a unique and powerful prophetic liturgy, presenting God as the divine Judge initiating a "covenant lawsuit" (rib) against His own people, Israel. The setting is Mount Zion, God's dwelling place, from which His fiery glory emanates. The psalm opens with God summoning heaven and earth as witnesses, not because He needs them, but to highlight the cosmic significance of the judgment. God first addresses those who faithfully perform sacrifices (vv. 7-15), clarifying that He doesn't need their physical offerings; rather, He desires thankfulness and covenant faithfulness (v. 14). Following this, verses 16-21 directly confront a second group: the hypocritical and morally corrupt within the covenant community. These individuals articulate God's statutes and maintain a veneer of piety but practice deceit, theft, adultery, slander, and gossip. God reveals their fundamental error: they wrongly assume He approves of their wickedness or that He is like them (v. 21). Psalm 50:22 is the culmination of this confrontation, a solemn, final warning to these "forgetters of God" before the psalm's ultimate call to genuine worship and right living (vv. 23). It underscores the gravity of their practical atheism and the imminence of severe, unavoidable divine judgment.

Psalm 50 22 Word analysis

• Now consider this (בִּינוּ נָא - Biynu na):
  • Biynu: From the root bin, meaning "to discern," "to understand," "to perceive," "to give attention." It's an imperative verb, a command, urging immediate and serious reflection. This isn't a suggestion but a divine instruction to truly comprehend the gravity of their situation.
  • na: A particle of entreaty or urgency, adding emphasis to the imperative. It intensifies the call to really understand, implying a final plea before inevitable action.
  • Significance: This phrase indicates that the previous words have gone unheeded, and God is making a final, urgent appeal for intellectual and spiritual awakening before the point of no return.
• you who forget God (שִׁכְחֵי־אֵל - shikchei-El):
  • shikchei: Participle from shakhach, meaning "to forget," "to neglect," "to cease to care for." In this context, it doesn't imply an accidental lapse of memory, but a deliberate and sustained disregard for God and His law, manifested in their actions and lifestyle. It signifies a practical atheism or functional apostasy, acting as if God does not exist, see, or judge.
  • El: A general Hebrew word for "God," often used to emphasize God's power, might, or transcendence.
  • Significance: This refers to those who claim to know God, yet whose lives demonstrate a profound and consistent spiritual amnesia regarding His holiness, commands, and future judgment. Their religious practice is merely outward show.
• Lest I tear you in pieces (פֶּן־אֶטְרֹף - pen-etrof):
  • pen: A conjunction meaning "lest," "so that not," "otherwise." It indicates the severe consequence that will follow if they fail to "consider" and repent.
  • etrof: From the verb ṭāraph, meaning "to tear," "to rend," "to mangle." It specifically describes the violent act of a predator (like a lion or bear) ripping prey apart. It implies utter destruction, making survival impossible. This is God Himself acting directly, not allowing others to do it.
  • Significance: This powerful metaphor vividly portrays the intensity, completeness, and terrifying finality of God's judgment. It shows God's wrath as a personal, active, and destructive force, not a passive withdrawal.
• And there be none to deliver (וְאֵין מַצִּיל - w'ein matsil):
  • w'ein: "And there is not" or "and there is no." It emphasizes the absolute absence of help.
  • matsil: From the verb natsal, meaning "to rescue," "to deliver," "to snatch away." It's a participle indicating "one who delivers" or "a deliverer."
  • Significance: This phrase underscores the hopelessness and finality of the judgment. When God judges, His power is absolute; no one can intercede, rescue, or protect from His hand. It signifies total, inescapable ruin.

• "Now consider this, you who forget God": This group of words serves as a sharp address, an urgent and imperative warning. It contrasts knowledge of God's commands (implied from vv. 16-20 where God discusses His statutes) with the practical forgetting or disregard of God's character and demands in their daily lives. The warning isn't to outsiders, but to covenant people living disobediently.
• "Lest I tear you in pieces, And there be none to deliver": This paints a picture of irreversible divine judgment. The imagery is terrifyingly vivid, likening God's wrath to a predatory beast, leaving no hope of escape or recovery. This emphasizes God's omnipotence and the dire consequences of ignoring His warnings, indicating the complete helplessness of the unrepentant sinner before His judgment.

Psalm 50 22 Bonus section

This verse embodies the "fear of the Lord" principle. It's not a slavish terror but a reverent understanding of God's holy character, His justice, and His capacity for judgment. The lack of this fear among "forgetters of God" is precisely why they fall under the verse's indictment. This verse challenges a common human tendency to compartmentalize faith, believing that religious observance exempts one from divine scrutiny of their ethics and inner life. Instead, God demands an integrated worship that manifests in consistent, ethical living, reflecting a true "remembrance" of who He is. The prophetic voice of Asaph in this psalm brings an urgent prophetic word, indicating that God does not merely observe, but actively intervenes to judge covenant unfaithfulness.

Psalm 50 22 Commentary

Psalm 50:22 serves as a pivotal and solemn warning within God's divine address, aimed squarely at those within His covenant community who engage in superficial religious practices while simultaneously living in deliberate disobedience to His commands. The phrase "you who forget God" does not imply a lapse in memory, but a profound and dangerous state of practical apostasy, where one acts as if God is absent, uninterested, or tolerant of wickedness. This functional forgetfulness leads to a hypocritical lifestyle that God utterly despises, as evidenced earlier in the psalm's critique of hollow sacrifices and ethical compromise.

The impending consequence – "Lest I tear you in pieces" – is an intense, visceral metaphor, depicting God Himself as a consuming predator. This graphic imagery underlines the ferocity, thoroughness, and personal nature of divine judgment when His patience reaches its limit. It signifies complete devastation, not just spiritual but perhaps also national or individual ruin. The final declaration, "And there be none to deliver," highlights the utter finality and inescapability of this judgment. There will be no refuge, no intercessor, and no power great enough to counteract God's verdict. This is God asserting His absolute sovereignty and demonstrating that His warnings are not idle threats. The verse functions as a last urgent plea for individuals to genuinely "consider" and return to a relationship of fear, gratitude, and obedience before the terrifying onset of unmitigated wrath.

Practical Example:Consider a person who regularly attends church, speaks piously, and volunteers for ministry (outward conformity), yet routinely engages in deceitful business practices, harbors deep resentment, or justifies consistent immoral behavior (practical forgetting of God's commands and character). Psalm 50:22 warns that such outward show provides no shield from God's inevitable and severe judgment unless true repentance and alignment with His ways take root.