Psalm 50 3

Psalm 50:3 kjv

Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him.

Psalm 50:3 nkjv

Our God shall come, and shall not keep silent; A fire shall devour before Him, And it shall be very tempestuous all around Him.

Psalm 50:3 niv

Our God comes and will not be silent; a fire devours before him, and around him a tempest rages.

Psalm 50:3 esv

Our God comes; he does not keep silence; before him is a devouring fire, around him a mighty tempest.

Psalm 50:3 nlt

Our God approaches,
and he is not silent.
Fire devours everything in his way,
and a great storm rages around him.

Psalm 50 verses

Psalm 50 3 Meaning

Psalm 50:3 portrays a dramatic divine intervention, emphasizing God's active presence as a sovereign judge. It declares that God, our covenant Lord, will come not subtly or silently, but with overwhelming power and audible pronouncements. His arrival will be accompanied by fearsome natural phenomena—consuming fire and a violent tempest—signifying His majestic holiness and the impending scrutiny and judgment of His people. This verse sets the stage for the rest of Psalm 50, where God convenes a divine court to address the Israelites' false worship and immoral conduct.

Psalm 50 3 Context

Psalm 50 belongs to the Asaphic collection (Psalms 50, 73-83), often characterized by their prophetic tone, focus on corporate worship, and critique of religious hypocrisy. Chapter 50 specifically depicts God descending as a judge, convening a cosmic court to render a verdict against His own covenant people, Israel. The setting mirrors the awe-inspiring Sinai revelation (Ex 19) but transforms it into a judgment scene where God calls heaven and earth as witnesses (Ps 50:1-2). This verse (50:3) describes the spectacular, fear-inducing manner of God's arrival, signifying the absolute gravity and finality of His forthcoming judgment. The immediate context of verse 3 is the opening prelude to this divine summons, asserting that God is not absent or indifferent, but actively involved and about to address the failure of His people to truly worship and live righteously, prioritizing ritual over genuine obedience and gratitude. The broader context of the psalm's polemic is against a formalized, outward-focused religiosity that neglects the heart's true devotion and ethical conduct, a critique echoed by prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah.

Psalm 50 3 Word analysis

• Our God (אֱלֹהֵינוּ - 'Eloheinu): The possessive suffix "our" identifies this as the specific covenant Lord (YHWH) of Israel. It emphasizes the profound relational context and therefore the deeper betrayal and accountability when His own people fail to uphold their end of the covenant. This highlights the severity of the coming judgment due to their unique relationship with Him.

• shall come (יָבוֹא - yavo): A direct, simple verb indicating a future action, expressing the certainty and intentionality of God's arrival. It speaks to a powerful, personal manifestation or discernable intervention. He is not distant, but actively stepping onto the scene.

• and shall not keep silent (וְלֹא יֶחֱרַשׁ - v'lo yeḥĕraš): "Yeḥĕraš" means to be silent or immobile. Its negation signifies God's active, vocal intervention. This declares the end of any perceived divine forbearance or indifference, announcing His definitive judgment and His intention to speak His verdict aloud, rather than implicitly accepting their behavior.

• a fire (אֵשׁ - 'esh): This term universally denotes literal fire, but in a theological context, it symbolizes divine holiness, purity, zealousness, and often, destructive judgment. It directly links to the awe-inspiring Sinai theophanies where God descended in fire (Ex 19:18), indicating His formidable, consuming presence.

• shall devour (תֹּאכַל - tokhal): Means "to eat" or "consume," implying total consumption without remainder. It underscores the intense, purifying, or utterly destructive nature of the fire that accompanies God's presence, signifying His judicial capacity to consume all unholiness.

• before him (לְפָנָיו - l'fanav): A locative phrase indicating precedence. The fire goes ahead of God, clearing the way and serving as an intimidating vanguard of His presence and authority. It signifies the immediate and unyielding nature of His holiness and judgment.

• and it shall be very tempestuous (וּסְעָרָה מְאֹד - u's'arah me'od): "S'arah" refers to a violent storm or whirlwind, intensified by "me'od" ("very" or "exceedingly"). This imagery of storm accompanies fire in biblical depictions of theophany, conveying the overwhelming, irresistible power and cosmic disruption inherent in God's judgment and presence.

• round about him (סְבִיבָיו - s'vivav): A locative phrase emphasizing the enveloping nature of the storm. This signifies the all-encompassing nature of God's power and the inescapable totality of His presence and judgment; there is no side or direction from which to avoid His coming.

• Word-Groups Analysis:

  • "Our God shall come, and shall not keep silent": This opening pronouncement is deeply personal yet stark. It emphasizes the covenant relationship that the people have abused and contrasts God's past perceived patience or quietness with His decisive, forthcoming declaration. He is actively present and ready to speak His judgment without reservation.
  • "a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him": These descriptive clauses detail the terrifying cosmic accompaniments of God's judicial arrival. The combination of "consuming fire" and an "overwhelming tempest" serves as powerful, ancient symbols of God's uncontainable power, unapproachable holiness, and the purifying and destructive nature of His presence. They signify a disruption of creation in anticipation of divine judgment, establishing the absolute majesty and the dire gravity of the occasion.

Psalm 50 3 Bonus section

The dramatic portrayal of God's coming with fire and storm in Psalm 50:3 is a canonical representation of biblical theophany, used to convey His absolute power, overwhelming holiness, and the certainty of impending judgment. This imagery does not only harken back to the Sinai event but also provides a prophetic glimpse of the "Day of the Lord" and Christ's Second Coming, where similar cosmic signs often accompany divine intervention (e.g., in Revelation and 2 Thessalonians). The natural elements of fire and tempest are often depicted as either preceding God or as His direct agents, highlighting His destructive capacity against unrighteousness and the irresistible force of His divine presence. This verse, therefore, establishes the public, visible, and overwhelming nature of the coming judgment, leaving no doubt about the Authority enacting it. It underscores God's sovereignty over creation, demonstrating His capacity to command the very elements that terrify humanity, thus reinforcing His unparalleled power to execute justice without opposition.

Psalm 50 3 Commentary

Psalm 50:3 shatters any illusion that God is distant, indifferent, or has abandoned His oversight of His covenant people. It is a declaration of His imminent, personal, and decisive advent as the Supreme Judge. The phrase "Our God shall come" speaks to an undeniable arrival, framed not merely by grace but by righteous scrutiny. The subsequent "and shall not keep silent" marks a crucial turning point, signaling that divine patience has ended and God's voice will be heard in powerful pronouncements of truth and justice. This imagery powerfully echoes the terrifying theophany at Mount Sinai (Ex 19), where God descended amidst fire, thunder, and smoke. However, unlike Sinai, which established the Law, this divine manifestation is for judgment, holding His people accountable to that very Law they have transgressed. The accompanying phenomena—"a fire shall devour before him" and "it shall be very tempestuous round about him"—are more than special effects; they are integral symbols of His unapproachable holiness, consuming righteousness, and sovereign power. The "fire" is both purgative and destructive, capable of purifying the holy and destroying the defiled. The "tempest" conveys an overwhelming, uncontrollable force, signifying the absolute and inescapable nature of God's judgment. The verse thus sets a scene of profound solemnity, warning against outward religious observance without inward piety and demanding true devotion from His people.