Psalm 50:5 kjv
Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.
Psalm 50:5 nkjv
"Gather My saints together to Me, Those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice."
Psalm 50:5 niv
"Gather to me this consecrated people, who made a covenant with me by sacrifice."
Psalm 50:5 esv
"Gather to me my faithful ones, who made a covenant with me by sacrifice!"
Psalm 50:5 nlt
"Bring my faithful people to me ?
those who made a covenant with me by giving sacrifices."
Psalm 50 5 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exod 19:5-6 | "Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession..." | God calls Israel His special possession through covenant obedience. |
| Exod 24:6-8 | "...Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you...” | The Mosaic covenant was ratified by sacrifice and blood. |
| Deut 26:17-18 | "You have declared today that the Lord is your God, and that you will walk in his ways..." | Israel's declaration of covenant commitment. |
| 1 Sam 7:5-6 | "Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel at Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord for you...” | Leaders gathering the people to God. |
| Isa 1:11-13 | "“What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?” says the Lord... I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs..." | God's disregard for sacrifices without obedience. |
| Jer 31:31-33 | "Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel..." | Prophecy of a New Covenant, internalized. |
| Eze 36:26-27 | "And I will give you a new heart... and cause you to walk in my statutes..." | God promises to enable true covenant obedience. |
| Hos 6:6 | "For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings." | Emphasizes internal righteousness over mere ritual. |
| Amos 5:21-24 | "I hate, I despise your feasts... even though you offer me your burnt offerings... I will not accept them." | Divine rejection of hypocritical worship. |
| Mal 3:16-17 | "Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another... They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts..." | God remembering His true, loyal people. |
| Ps 79:2 | "They have given the dead bodies of your servants to the birds of the heavens... your saints to the beasts of the earth." | Refers to God's "saints" (loyal ones) enduring persecution. |
| Ps 89:7 | "God is greatly to be feared in the council of the holy ones, and awesome above all who are around him." | God's gathering of His holy ones in heaven. |
| Ps 101:6 | "My eyes will be on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me." | God seeking out the loyal for His presence. |
| Rom 12:1 | "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God..." | Christian "sacrifice" as whole-hearted devotion. |
| Heb 8:6-7 | "But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better..." | The superiority of the New Covenant. |
| Heb 9:15-16 | "Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—since a death has occurred..." | Christ's death as the ultimate sacrifice for the New Covenant. |
| Heb 10:4-7 | "For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins... “Behold, I have come to do your will, O God...”" | Christ's perfect sacrifice replaces animal sacrifices. |
| Heb 10:22 | "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water." | Drawing near to God in the New Covenant through faith. |
| 1 Pet 2:9 | "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him..." | New Testament believers as God's "saints" and covenant people. |
| Rev 7:9 | "After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne..." | The ultimate gathering of God's redeemed from all nations. |
| Rev 19:9 | "...Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.”" | The eschatological gathering of God's redeemed. |
Psalm 50 verses
Psalm 50 5 Meaning
Psalm 50:5 describes God's summoning of His people, identified as "my saints," those who have formally entered into a covenant relationship with Him, which was established and confirmed "by sacrifice." This summons occurs within a divine court scene, where God, as the supreme Judge, prepares to declare His intentions and judgments to His elect assembly. It emphasizes the foundational act of covenant-making, linking loyalty to Him with the solemn rites of sacrifice that sealed the original agreement between God and Israel.
Psalm 50 5 Context
Psalm 50 presents God in the majestic role of a divine Judge, summoning a celestial court. The psalm begins with the "Mighty One, God, the Lord," speaking and summoning the earth from east to west (vv. 1-2). His arrival is heralded with consuming fire and tempest, signifying His terrifying holiness and authority (v. 3). The heavens and earth are called to witness the judgment of His people (v. 4). Verse 5, therefore, serves as the command for the assembly of these covenant people. This gathering is not for commendation of their ritual acts but for judgment regarding their true faithfulness. The rest of the psalm (vv. 7-23) unfolds God's address, where He rebukes Israel not for failing to bring sacrifices (indeed, they bring many) but for misunderstanding the nature of sacrifice itself. He stresses that He desires obedience, thanksgiving, and an upright walk, rather than mere outward ritual. This context reveals that the "saints" called forth are the people of Israel who made a covenant "by sacrifice" at Sinai, now being called to account for their lack of true devotion despite their religious performances. The psalm contains a polemic against the contemporary belief that mere external rites automatically appease God or fulfill covenant obligations, contrasting it with God's desire for an obedient heart.
Psalm 50 5 Word analysis
- Gather (קבצוּ - qabatsu):
- This is an imperative verb, a command directly from God. It signifies a divine summons, a powerful act of assembly initiated by God.
- It indicates that the gathering is purposeful, for an imminent judgment or pronouncement.
- The term implies bringing together those who are dispersed or distinguished from others.
- My saints (חֲסִידַי - ḥăsîdāy):
- Derived from ḥasid (חָסִיד), meaning "godly, devout, pious, loyal one."
- Crucially linked to the Hebrew word ḥesed (חֶסֶד), which means "loyal love, steadfast love, covenant faithfulness."
- Thus, "my saints" refers not to sinless or perfected beings, but to those who are called to be loyal and faithful to God within the covenant, particularly the people of Israel with whom God had made His covenant.
- It designates a specific group of people chosen by God, emphasizing their intended devotion to Him.
- unto me:
- Highlights the personal relationship and ownership. The gathering is for His presence and His purposes.
- It underscores God's authority and sovereignty in commanding their presence before Him.
- those that have made a covenant with me (אֹלֵי כֹרְתֵי בְרִיתִי - oley korethê bĕrîtî):
- This phrase clarifies and specifies who "my saints" are: those who entered into a formal, binding agreement with God.
- "Covenant" (בְּרִיתִי - bĕrîtî) refers directly to the Mosaic Covenant made at Mount Sinai (Exod 19-24), which bound Israel to God as His treasured possession.
- The phrasing signifies that this group stands in a special, consecrated relationship to God through a solemn vow and mutual obligations.
- by sacrifice (עַל־זָבַח - ʿal-zāvach):
- "By" or "upon" (עַל - ʿal) indicates the means or basis by which the covenant was ratified.
- "Sacrifice" (זָבַח - zāvach) refers to the cultic animal offerings made to seal agreements and consecrate participants.
- This specifically points to the blood sacrifices performed when the Mosaic Covenant was formally established (e.g., Exod 24:5-8), where young bulls were sacrificed, and their blood sprinkled on the altar and on the people, signifying their agreement and the solemnity of the bond. This was a critical part of their consecration to God.
Psalm 50 5 Bonus section
This verse's emphasis on a covenant sealed "by sacrifice" also prophetically anticipates the ultimate, perfect sacrifice of Christ in the New Testament. The Old Covenant sacrifices, while necessary for ratification and atonement, were incomplete and pointed forward to the single, all-sufficient sacrifice of Jesus. Through His sacrifice, a "new covenant" (Jer 31; Heb 8) is established, calling a new body of "saints" – the Church – into a deeper, spiritual relationship, grounded in the shedding of His blood. Thus, Psalm 50:5 can be seen not just as a historical summons of Israel, but as a type or foreshadowing of God's broader plan to gather all those who are truly consecrated to Him through His ultimate covenant and ultimate sacrifice, which is Christ. The judgment revealed in the rest of Psalm 50 also extends metaphorically to all who outwardly profess faith but lack genuine inward transformation and obedience to God's word.
Psalm 50 5 Commentary
Psalm 50:5 encapsulates a foundational truth about God's relationship with His chosen people, Israel, by declaring their unique status through covenant sealed by sacrifice. The initial summons of "My saints" emphasizes that those gathered are not just any individuals but those specifically dedicated to Him through their participation in His covenant. The covenant itself, ratified "by sacrifice," points directly to the events at Sinai, where blood offerings consecrated Israel to God. However, this verse, within the larger psalm, lays the groundwork for a profound divine indictment. God's summons is not primarily to praise their dutiful sacrifices, but to expose a fatal flaw: despite outward religious performance and covenant participation, many within Israel had drifted from true inward devotion and righteous living. The psalm argues that God does not need their sacrifices, for all the earth is His; rather, He desires hearts of thanksgiving, lives of obedience, and faithfulness to their vows. Thus, the "saints" are called to account for their misapprehension of what it truly means to be in covenant with the Living God. The true covenant people are not just those who performed the rites, but those whose lives demonstrated true loyalty (ḥesed) and obedience.