Psalms 50:21
Psalms 50:21 in Multiple Translations
You have done these things, and I kept silent; you thought I was just like you. But now I rebuke you and accuse you to your face.
These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.
These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thyself: But I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.
These things have you done, and I said nothing; it seemed to you that I was such a one as yourself; but I will make a protest against you, and put them in order before your eyes.
I kept quiet when you did these things. You thought I was someone just like you. But now I confront you, and bring my charges against you.
These things hast thou done, and I held my tongue: therefore thou thoughtest that I was like thee: but I will reproue thee, and set them in order before thee.
These thou didst, and I kept silent, Thou hast thought that I am like thee, I reprove thee, and set in array before thine eyes.
You have done these things, and I kept silent. You thought that I was just like you. I will rebuke you, and accuse you in front of your eyes.
These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.
Then shalt thou accept the sacrifice of justice, oblations and whole burnt offerings: then shall they lay calves upon thy altar.
You did all those things, and I did not say anything to you, so you thought that I was a sinner just like you. But now I rebuke you and accuse you, right in front of you.
Berean Amplified Bible — Psalms 50:21
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Psalms 50:21 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
אֵ֤לֶּה
עָשִׂ֨יתָ
וְֽ/הֶחֱרַ֗שְׁתִּי
דִּמִּ֗יתָ
הֱֽיוֹת
אֶֽהְיֶ֥ה
כָמ֑וֹ/ךָ
אוֹכִיחֲ/ךָ֖
וְ/אֶֽעֶרְכָ֣ה
לְ/עֵינֶֽי/ךָ
אֵ֤לֶּה
ʼêl-leh
H428
these
Pron
עָשִׂ֨יתָ
ʻâsâh
H6213
to make
V-Qal-Perf-2ms
וְֽ/הֶחֱרַ֗שְׁתִּי
chârash
H2790
to plow/plot
Conj | V-Hiphil-1cs
דִּמִּ֗יתָ
dâmâh
H1819
to resemble
V-Piel-Perf-2ms
הֱֽיוֹת
hâyâh
H1961
to be
V-Qal-Inf-a
אֶֽהְיֶ֥ה
hâyâh
H1961
to be
V-Qal-Imperf-1cs
כָמ֑וֹ/ךָ
kᵉmôw
H3644
like
Prep | Suff
אוֹכִיחֲ/ךָ֖
yâkach
H3198
to rebuke
V-Hiphil-Imperf-1cs | Suff
וְ/אֶֽעֶרְכָ֣ה
ʻârak
H6186
to arrange
Conj | V-Qal-1cs
לְ/עֵינֶֽי/ךָ
ʻayin
H5869
eye
Prep | N-cd | Suff
Hebrew Word Study
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Hebrew Word Reference — Psalms 50:21
אֵ֤לֶּה
ʼêl-leh
H428
"these"
Pron
This Hebrew word is used to point out specific people or things, like saying 'these' or 'those'. It appears in the book of Genesis, where God says 'let there be light' and separates the light from the darkness.
Definition: 1) these 1a) used before antecedent 1b) used following antecedent Aramaic equivalent: el.leh (אֵלֶּה "these" H0429)
Usage: Occurs in 697 OT verses. KJV: an-(the) other; one sort, so, some, such, them, these (same), they, this, those, thus, which, who(-m). See also: Genesis 2:4; Exodus 35:1; Deuteronomy 1:35.
עָשִׂ֨יתָ
ʻâsâh
H6213
"to make"
V-Qal-Perf-2ms
This verb means to make or do something, and is used over 2,600 times in the Bible. It is first used in Genesis 1:7 to describe God's creation of the world and is also used in Exodus 31:5 to describe the work of skilled craftsmen.
Definition: : make(OBJECT) 1) to do, fashion, accomplish, make 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to do, work, make, produce 1a1a) to do 1a1b) to work 1a1c) to deal (with) 1a1d) to act, act with effect, effect 1a2) to make 1a2a) to make 1a2b) to produce 1a2c) to prepare 1a2d) to make (an offering) 1a2e) to attend to, put in order 1a2f) to observe, celebrate 1a2g) to acquire (property) 1a2h) to appoint, ordain, institute 1a2i) to bring about 1a2j) to use 1a2k) to spend, pass 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be done 1b2) to be made 1b3) to be produced 1b4) to be offered 1b5) to be observed 1b6) to be used 1c) (Pual) to be made
Usage: Occurs in 2286 OT verses. KJV: accomplish, advance, appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth, bruise, be busy, [idiom] certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal (with), deck, [phrase] displease, do, (ready) dress(-ed), (put in) execute(-ion), exercise, fashion, [phrase] feast, (fight-) ing man, [phrase] finish, fit, fly, follow, fulfill, furnish, gather, get, go about, govern, grant, great, [phrase] hinder, hold (a feast), [idiom] indeed, [phrase] be industrious, [phrase] journey, keep, labour, maintain, make, be meet, observe, be occupied, offer, [phrase] officer, pare, bring (come) to pass, perform, pracise, prepare, procure, provide, put, requite, [idiom] sacrifice, serve, set, shew, [idiom] sin, spend, [idiom] surely, take, [idiom] thoroughly, trim, [idiom] very, [phrase] vex, be (warr-) ior, work(-man), yield, use. See also: Genesis 1:7; Genesis 34:19; Exodus 18:24.
וְֽ/הֶחֱרַ֗שְׁתִּי
chârash
H2790
"to plow/plot"
Conj | V-Hiphil-1cs
This verb can mean to be quiet or silent, but also to scratch or engrave, like a farmer plowing a field. It is used in various contexts, including being silent or deaf. The KJV translates it in different ways, including 'cease' or 'hold peace'.
Definition: 1) to cut in, plough, engrave, devise 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to cut in, engrave 1a2) to plough 1a3) to devise 1b) (Niphal) to be ploughed 1c) (Hiphil) to plot evil
Usage: Occurs in 65 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] altogether, cease, conceal, be deaf, devise, ear, graven, imagine, leave off speaking, hold peace, plow(-er, man), be quiet, rest, practise secretly, keep silence, be silent, speak not a word, be still, hold tongue, worker. See also: Genesis 24:21; Psalms 28:1; Psalms 32:3.
דִּמִּ֗יתָ
dâmâh
H1819
"to resemble"
V-Piel-Perf-2ms
To resemble means to compare or liken something, often used to describe a similarity. In the Bible, this word is used to make comparisons or analogies, like in the parables of Jesus where he compares the kingdom of God to everyday things.
Definition: 1) to be like, resemble 1a) (Qal) to be like, resemble 1b) (Piel) 1b1) to liken, compare 1b2) to imagine, think 1c) (Hithpael) to make oneself like 1d) (Niphal) Aramaic equivalent: de.mah (דְּמָה "be like" H1821)
Usage: Occurs in 27 OT verses. KJV: compare, devise, (be) like(-n), mean, think, use similitudes. See also: Numbers 33:56; Song of Solomon 8:14; Psalms 48:10.
הֱֽיוֹת
hâyâh
H1961
"to be"
V-Qal-Inf-a
The Hebrew word for to be means to exist or come into being. It is used to describe something that happens or comes to pass, like in Genesis where God creates the world.
Definition: 1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out 1a) (Qal) 1a1) --- 1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass 1a1b) to come about, come to pass 1a2) to come into being, become 1a2a) to arise, appear, come 1a2b) to become 1a2b1) to become 1a2b2) to become like 1a2b3) to be instituted, be established 1a3) to be 1a3a) to exist, be in existence 1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time) 1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality) 1a3d) to accompany, be with 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to occur, come to pass, be done, be brought about 1b2) to be done, be finished, be gone
Usage: Occurs in 3131 OT verses. KJV: beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use. See also: Genesis 1:2; Genesis 17:4; Genesis 36:11.
אֶֽהְיֶ֥ה
hâyâh
H1961
"to be"
V-Qal-Imperf-1cs
The Hebrew word for to be means to exist or come into being. It is used to describe something that happens or comes to pass, like in Genesis where God creates the world.
Definition: 1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out 1a) (Qal) 1a1) --- 1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass 1a1b) to come about, come to pass 1a2) to come into being, become 1a2a) to arise, appear, come 1a2b) to become 1a2b1) to become 1a2b2) to become like 1a2b3) to be instituted, be established 1a3) to be 1a3a) to exist, be in existence 1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time) 1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality) 1a3d) to accompany, be with 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to occur, come to pass, be done, be brought about 1b2) to be done, be finished, be gone
Usage: Occurs in 3131 OT verses. KJV: beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use. See also: Genesis 1:2; Genesis 17:4; Genesis 36:11.
כָמ֑וֹ/ךָ
kᵉmôw
H3644
"like"
Prep | Suff
This word means like or as, used to compare things. It appears in the Bible to describe similarities or to make comparisons, such as in the book of Psalms.
Definition: adv 1) like, as, the like of which conj 2) when, according as, as it were
Usage: Occurs in 126 OT verses. KJV: according to, (such) as (it were, well as), in comparison of, like (as, to, unto), thus, when, worth. See also: Genesis 19:15; Job 40:17; Psalms 29:6.
אוֹכִיחֲ/ךָ֖
yâkach
H3198
"to rebuke"
V-Hiphil-Imperf-1cs | Suff
This Hebrew word means to rebuke or correct, and is used in the Bible to describe arguing, judging, or convincing someone of their wrongdoings. It is seen in the KJV translation as rebuke or reprove. The word is used in various forms, including to describe God's correction of his people.
Definition: 1) to prove, decide, judge, rebuke, reprove, correct, be right 1a) (Hiphil) 1a1) to decide, judge 1a2) to adjudge, appoint 1a3) to show to be right, prove 1a4) to convince, convict 1a5) to reprove, chide 1a6) to correct, rebuke 1b) (Hophal) to be chastened 1c) (Niphal) to reason, reason together 1d) (Hithp) to argue
Usage: Occurs in 55 OT verses. KJV: appoint, argue, chasten, convince, correct(-ion), daysman, dispute, judge, maintain, plead, reason (together), rebuke, reprove(-r), surely, in any wise. See also: Genesis 20:16; Psalms 38:2; Psalms 6:2.
וְ/אֶֽעֶרְכָ֣ה
ʻârak
H6186
"to arrange"
Conj | V-Qal-1cs
This Hebrew word means to value or arrange things in order. It is used in various contexts, like setting up an army for battle or estimating the value of something, as seen in 1 Kings 10.
Definition: 1) to arrange, set or put or lay in order, set in array, prepare, order, ordain, handle, furnish, esteem, equal, direct, compare 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to arrange or set or lay in order, arrange, state in order, set forth (a legal case), set in place 1a2) to compare, be comparable
Usage: Occurs in 72 OT verses. KJV: put (set) (the battle, self) in array, compare, direct, equal, esteem, estimate, expert (in war), furnish, handle, join (battle), ordain, (lay, put, reckon up, set) (in) order, prepare, tax, value. See also: Genesis 14:8; 1 Chronicles 12:39; Psalms 5:4.
לְ/עֵינֶֽי/ךָ
ʻayin
H5869
"eye"
Prep | N-cd | Suff
This word can mean a spring or fountain, but also refers to the eye or a source of something. It is often translated as affliction, outward appearance, or countenance, and is used in various contexts throughout the Bible.
Definition: : eye 1) eye 1a) eye 1a1) of physical eye 1a2) as showing mental qualities 1a3) of mental and spiritual faculties (fig.)
Usage: Occurs in 828 OT verses. KJV: affliction, outward appearance, [phrase] before, [phrase] think best, colour, conceit, [phrase] be content, countenance, [phrase] displease, eye((-brow), (-d), -sight), face, [phrase] favour, fountain, furrow (from the margin), [idiom] him, [phrase] humble, knowledge, look, ([phrase] well), [idiom] me, open(-ly), [phrase] (not) please, presence, [phrase] regard, resemblance, sight, [idiom] thee, [idiom] them, [phrase] think, [idiom] us, well, [idiom] you(-rselves). See also: Genesis 3:5; Exodus 34:9; Deuteronomy 28:67.
Study Notes — Psalms 50:21
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Psalms 50:21 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Psalms 50:21
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 50:21
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Psalms 50:21
- Trapp's Commentary on Psalms 50:21
- Ellicott's Commentary on Psalms 50:21
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Psalms 50:21
- Cambridge Bible on Psalms 50:21
- Barnes' Notes on Psalms 50:21
- Whedon's Commentary on Psalms 50:21
- Sermons on Psalms 50:21
Context — The Mighty One Calls
19You unleash your mouth for evil and harness your tongue to deceit.
20You sit and malign your brother; you slander your own mother’s son.
21You have done these things, and I kept silent; you thought I was just like you. But now I rebuke you and accuse you to your face.
22Now consider this, you who forget God, lest I tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue you: 23He who sacrifices a thank offering honors Me, and to him who rightly orders his way, I will show the salvation of God.”Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Romans 2:4–5 | Or do you disregard the riches of His kindness, tolerance, and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you to repentance? But because of your hard and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. |
| 2 | Proverbs 29:1 | A man who remains stiff-necked after much reproof will suddenly be shattered beyond recovery. |
| 3 | Isaiah 57:11 | Whom have you dreaded and feared, so that you lied and failed to remember Me or take this to heart? Is it not because I have long been silent that you do not fear Me? |
| 4 | Ecclesiastes 8:11–12 | When the sentence for a crime is not speedily executed, the hearts of men become fully set on doing evil. Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and still lives long, yet I also know that it will go well with those who fear God, who are reverent in His presence. |
| 5 | Psalms 94:7–11 | They say, “The LORD does not see; the God of Jacob pays no heed.” Take notice, O senseless among the people! O fools, when will you be wise? He who affixed the ear, can He not hear? He who formed the eye, can He not see? He who admonishes the nations, does He not discipline? He who teaches man, does He lack knowledge? The LORD knows the thoughts of man, that they are futile. |
| 6 | Ecclesiastes 12:14 | For God will bring every deed into judgment, along with every hidden thing, whether good or evil. |
| 7 | Psalms 90:8 | You have set our iniquities before You, our secret sins in the light of Your presence. |
| 8 | Isaiah 42:14 | “I have kept silent from ages past; I have remained quiet and restrained. But now I will groan like a woman in labor; I will at once gasp and pant. |
| 9 | Psalms 50:3 | Our God approaches and will not be silent! Consuming fire precedes Him, and a tempest rages around Him. |
| 10 | 1 Corinthians 4:5 | Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God. |
Psalms 50:21 Summary
[Psalms 50:21 tells us that God has been watching us, even when we thought He wasn't paying attention. He has seen the evil things we've done and the bad things we've said, and now He's speaking up to correct us. This is similar to what we see in Ezekiel 33:7-9, where God calls us to turn from our sins. God wants us to know that He is not like us - He is holy and just, and He wants us to live according to His standards, as seen in Micah 6:8.]
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean that God 'kept silent' in Psalms 50:21?
This phrase suggests that God had been patiently waiting and withholding judgment, much like in Romans 2:4, where it says that God's kindness is intended to lead us to repentance.
Is God saying He is like us in Psalms 50:21?
No, God is saying the opposite - that we thought He was like us, but He is not; He is holy and just, as seen in Leviticus 11:44-45 and Isaiah 6:1-5.
Why does God 'rebuke' and 'accuse' in this verse?
God rebukes and accuses to call us to accountability and repentance, as seen in Revelation 3:19, where Jesus says, 'Those whom I love, I rebuke and discipline.'
How does this verse relate to our daily lives?
This verse reminds us that our actions have consequences and that God is actively involved in our lives, as stated in Proverbs 15:3, 'The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good.'
Reflection Questions
- What are some ways I have thought God was 'like me' and ignored His standards?
- How have I used my words to 'unleash evil' or 'slander' others, as mentioned in the surrounding verses?
- What are some areas of my life where I need to 'right my way' before God, as mentioned in Psalms 50:23?
- How can I demonstrate a 'thank offering' to God, as mentioned in Psalms 50:23, in my daily life?
Gill's Exposition on Psalms 50:21
These things hast thou done,.... "These evil works", as the Targum; which they had done over and over again without remorse, with the greatest pleasure, and with promises of impunity to themselves.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 50:21
These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes. These things hast thou done, and I kept silence.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Psalms 50:21
I kept silence; I did not express my displeasure against thee in such grievous judgments as thou didst deserve. Or, I was deaf; I carried myself like one that did not hear thy sinful speeches, nor see or take any notice of thy wicked actions. And thou didst misconstrue and abuse this my patience and long-suffering, as if it had proceeded from my ignorance, or regardlessness, or approbation of thy evil courses, which I seemed by my connivance to justify or allow, and thereupon didst grow more audacious and impudent in sin. See ,5. I will reprove thee, not with verbal, but real reproofs, i.e. by severe punishments, as this word is used, 38:1 39:11, and oft elsewhere. I will quickly undeceive and convince thee of the contrary to thy cost. Set them in order before thine eyes; I will bring to thy remembrance, and lay upon thy conscience, all thy sins, in full number and in their order, with all their circumstances; and thou shalt then see and know that I diligently observed and hated them all, and that none of them shall go unpunished.
Trapp's Commentary on Psalms 50:21
Psalms 50:21 These [things] hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether [such an one] as thyself: [but] I will reprove thee, and set [them] in order before thine eyes.Ver. 21. These things hast thou done, and I kept silence] I suffered them, seemed to wink at them, bearing with thine evil manners. Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself] A good fellow, an approver, an abetter of thy lewd pranks and practices. Cogitabas quod Ehiah erat sicut tu, so Kimchi reads it. This is the evil use that wicked men make of God’ s patience, they transform him into an idol after their own fancy, they have base and bald conceits of him. But I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thee] Thou shalt see them once in their ugly hue, to thy conversion or confusion. Men’ s actions are in print in heaven, and unless they make their peace with the Judge in his privy chamber of mercy, and so stop his open judicial proceedings in court, he will one day read them aloud in the ears of all the world. Meanwhile God looketh upon old sins (which he seemed to wink at) as now presently committed (for as there is no beginning of eternity, so no succession), and whatsoever he hath threatened, whatever arrows are in the bow string, will one day fly and hit, and strike deep. Woe be to men! God shall break up that filthy sink of sin that is in them; surely they will then be as little able to bear the stench thereof as Judas was, who sought help of a halter.
Ellicott's Commentary on Psalms 50:21
(21) The forbearance of God (intended to give room for repentance, Romans 2:4) is misconstrued. Men come to think the Divine Being as indifferent to evil as themselves. That I was altogether.—We might render, that I was actually.And set them in order.—The insertion of “them,” referring back to “these things,” is rather confusing. Better supply thine offences. All the sins of the wicked are marshalled before them.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Psalms 50:21
Verse 21. These things hast thou done] My eye has been continually upon you, though my judgments have not been poured out: and because I was silent, thou didst suppose I was such as thyself; but I will reprove thee, &c. I will visit for these things.
Cambridge Bible on Psalms 50:21
21. When thou didst these things, and I kept silence, refraining from immediate condemnation of thy conduct by condign punishment, thou didst mistake longsuffering for indifference, and think that I cared as little as thyself for the laws of morality. that I was] This rendering hardly represents the original, which means that I should be or prove myself. It is the same word Ehyeh, I am, or I will be, which is found in Exodus 3:14, in God’s proclamation of Himself as the Self-revealing One, ‘I will be that I will be.’ The wicked man degrades his conception of God into a reflection of himself, and fancies that Jehovah as He reveals Himself will prove to be only like a man. set them in order] All the offences of which thou art guilty. The word is a forensic term, used of drawing up the various counts of an indictment. Cp. Job 23:4; Job 33:5.
Barnes' Notes on Psalms 50:21
These things hast thou done, and I kept silence - Compare the notes at Isaiah 18:4. The meaning is, that while they did these things - while they committed these abominations - he did not interfere.
Whedon's Commentary on Psalms 50:21
21. I kept silence—The delay of judgment caused them to infer that God took no judicial notice of their sins. Thou thoughtest, etc.—Here is the common delusion of sin.
Sermons on Psalms 50:21
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
|
False Conclusions by Chuck Smith | In this sermon, the speaker focuses on the patience of God and how it relates to the presence of evil in the world. He references Ecclesiastes 8:11, where Solomon declares that bec |
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Anarchy in Worship or Recent Innovation Contrasted W/ Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (1875) by James Begg | In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the objection to symbolism in worship. He refers to Deuteronomy 4, where it is stated that God spoke to the people without any similitude or |
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The Sinners Mistakes Exposed and Reproved. by Edward Payson | Edward Payson preaches about the ancient doctrine of a judgment to come, emphasizing that God, though silent in the present life, carefully records the sins of impenitent sinners f |
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Misrepresenting God by Samuel Logan Brengle | Samuel Logan Brengle emphasizes the importance of accurately representing God's character, warning against the extremes of portraying God solely as merciful or as cruel. He argues |
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Men Naturally Are God’s Enemies by Jonathan Edwards | Jonathan Edwards preaches about the natural enmity of men towards God, emphasizing that all natural men are God's enemies due to their low esteem, aversion, and opposition to God i |
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God Regains His Fear Through Judgments by John Franklin | John Franklin delves into the importance of regaining the fear of God as the antidote to the moral decline plaguing our nation and Christians, emphasizing that the loss of fear of |
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The Christian in Complete Armour - Part 10 by William Gurnall | William Gurnall preaches about the deep reconciliation and peace with God that is offered through the gospel of Christ. He explains that the gospel reveals God's perfect hatred for |