Psalms 50:13 — Word Study
WLCהַֽ֭אוֹכַל בְּשַׂ֣ר אַבִּירִ֑ים וְדַ֖ם עַתּוּדִ֣ים אֶשְׁתֶּֽה׃
BSADo I eatʼâkal▸ [will I, am I to, devour, consume] the fleshbâsâr [body, meat] of bullsʼabbîyr [mighty, strong animals] or drinkshâthâh▸ [feast on, imbibe] the blooddâm [life-giving fluid] of goatsʻattûwd [male goats, sacrificial animals]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| הַֽ֭אוֹכַל | ¿ do I eat | Particle, verb qal imperfect first person common singular |
| בְּשַׂ֣ר | [the] flesh of | Noun common, masculine singular construct |
| אַבִּירִ֑ים | mighty [bulls] | Adj |
| וְדַ֖ם | and [the] blood of | Conjunction, noun common masculine singular construct |
| עַתּוּדִ֣ים | goats | Noun common, masculine plural absolute |
| אֶשְׁתֶּֽה׃ | do I drink? | Verb, Qal, imperfect first person common singular |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Do I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? |
| KJV | Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? |
| ASV | Will I eat the flesh of bulls, Or drink the blood of goats? |
| YLT | Do I eat the flesh of bulls, And drink the blood of he-goats? |
| WEB | Will I eat the meat of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? |
| BBE | Am I to take the flesh of the ox for my food, or the blood of goats for my drink? |
The translations agree on the essential meaning of the verse, maintaining the rhetorical questions regarding sacrifices.
The sentence is structured around two main questions, emphasizing the rhetorical nature of God's inquiry.







8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbשָׁתָה
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Psalms 50:13
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — God's Call for True Worshipgenerated
Psalms 50:13 is part of a larger passage where God speaks to His people about the nature of worship and sacrifice. He emphasizes that He does not require their offerings, as He owns everything in the world. The psalm challenges the understanding of what it means to truly honor God.
Cross References
The Key Word — אָכַל, Ha.'o.khalgenerated
The verb אָכַל (akal) means 'to eat' and is used in various contexts, from literal consumption to figurative expressions like devouring. In this verse, it questions the necessity of eating flesh, emphasizing God's self-sufficiency.
The parsing as a first person common singular verb indicates that God is speaking directly, questioning whether He, the Creator, needs the offerings of His creation.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The verse is rendered consistently across translations, including BSB, KJV, and ASV, all maintaining the question about eating flesh and drinking blood.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The structure of the verse is governed by two finite verbs: אוֹכַל (o.khal) and אֶשְׁתֶּֽה ('esh.Teh), which frame two questions about consumption. The parallelism emphasizes the contrast between God's needs and human offerings.
The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the actions of eating and drinking, highlighting the rhetorical nature of the questions posed.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates אָכַל as φάγομαι (phagomai), which carries the same meaning of eating. This choice indicates a direct equivalence in the concept of consumption.
The translation aligns closely with the Hebrew, maintaining the rhetorical questions about sacrifice.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalms 50:13 asks whether God eats the flesh of bulls or drinks the blood of goats. This verse is part of a larger message where God expresses that He does not need animal sacrifices, as He owns everything in the world.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It implies that God does not need the sacrifices of animals for sustenance, as He is self-sufficient.
He questions it to highlight the futility of thinking that physical offerings can satisfy Him.
The sacrifices are meant to symbolize devotion and gratitude, but God desires true worship over mere ritual.
It relates by emphasizing that true worship is not about rituals but about the heart's condition before God.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What does it mean to you that God does not require sacrifices for sustenance?
- How can you ensure that your worship is genuine and not just ritualistic?
- In what ways can you express gratitude to God beyond traditional offerings?
- How does understanding God's self-sufficiency change your perspective on worship?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Augustine of Hippo references this verse to illustrate God's point about the futility of thinking He needs sacrifices, as seen in his work on Psalms 50.
Why then dost still think of your flocks? "Shall I eat the flesh of bulls, or shall I drink the blood of he-goats?" [Psalms 50:13].Early Church Fathers on Psalms 50 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 50:13 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleWill I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?] That is, express a pleasure, take delight and satisfaction, in such kind of sacrifices, which can never take away sin: no, I will not;
Read John Gill on Psalms 50 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryWill I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 50 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleIf I did want anything, hast thou such carnal and gross conceptions of me, that I need or delight in the blood of brute creature.
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 50 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 50:13 Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?Ver. 13. Will I eat the flesh of bulls, &c.?] q.d. Are you so thick brained as to think so? Vervecum in patria, crassoque sub aere nati? No; "He that killeth an ox" (unless he kill his corruptions too) "is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb" (unless he see his own guilt, and be carried out to the immaculate Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world) is "as if he cut off a dog’ s neck; he that offereth an oblation" (unless therewith he offer up himself for a whole burnt sacrifice, Romans 12:1) is "as if he offered swine’ s blood; he that burneth incense" (unless he lift up holy hands in prayer…
Read John Trapp on Psalms 50 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(9-18) Notice the fine tone of irony that pervades this rebuke, the best weapon against ritualistic errors.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 50 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 13. Will I eat the flesh of bulls] Can ye be so simple as to suppose that I appointed such sacrifices for my own gratification? All these were significative of a spiritual worship, and of the sacrifice of that Lamb of God which, in the fulness of time, was to take away, in an atoning manner, the sin of the world.
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 50 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges13. Such a gross and material notion of sacrifice was common in heathen countries, and the survival of the phrase ‘bread’ or ‘food of Jehovah’ seems to indicate that it once existed even in Israel. See Leviticus 3:11; Leviticus 21:6; Leviticus 21:8; Leviticus 21:17; Leviticus 21:21; &c. See Robertson Smith, Religion of the Semites, p. 207.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 50 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleWill I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? - This is said to show still further the absurdity of the views which seem to have prevailed among those who offered sacrifices.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 50 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
Do I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?
Will I eat the meat of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?
Do I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?
Do I eat the flesh of bulls? Do I drink the blood of goats?
Tyndale line
Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?
Will I eat the flesh of bulls, Or drink the blood of goats?
Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?
Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?
Will I eate the flesh of bulles? or drinke the blood of goates?
Strictly literal
Should I eat the flesh of bulls, and drink the blood of goats?
Do I eat the flesh of bulls, And drink the blood of he-goats?
Do I eat the flesh of bulls, || And drink the blood of male goats?
Do I eat the flesh of fatted bulls, or drink the blood of he-goats?
Will I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats?
From the Latin
Cast me not away from thy face; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
Simplified
Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats?
Am I to take the flesh of the ox for my food, or the blood of goats for my drink?
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree in their wording for this verse, with all six words matched in the Septuagint, indicating a consistent transmission of the text.
הַֽ֭אוֹכַל בְּשַׂ֣ר אַבִּירִ֑ים וְדַ֖ם עַתּוּדִ֣ים אֶשְׁתֶּֽה׃
6 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Psalms 50:13
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
אָכַל (akal) means 'to eat' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including literal consumption by humans and animals, as well as figurative uses like devouring by fire or destruction. It can describe actions such as feeding or causing to eat, and it also appears in contexts of oppression and destruction. The verb has various forms, indicating different subjects and nuances.
אָכַל 806 vb. eat
Qal
eat, human subject
of beasts, birds, etc., eat, devour
fig. of fire, devour, consume
of sword, devour, slay
in genl., devour, consume, destroy
fig. of oppression, devour the poor
Niph.
be eaten by man
be devoured by fire, consumed
be wasted, destroyed, of flesh
Pu. be consumed
Hiph.
cause to eat, feed with
cause to devoure, obj. sword
base
H398 אָכַל eat .. eat, human subject
. of beasts, birds, etc., eat, devour
. fig. of fire, devour, consume
. of sword, devour, slay
. in genl., devour, consume, destroy
. fig. of oppression, devour the poor
. . be eaten by man
. be devoured by fire, consumed
. be wasted, destroyed, of flesh
. be consumed
. . cause to eat, feed with
. cause to devoure, obj. sword
398 'akal aw-kal'
a primitive root; to eat (literally or figuratively):--X at
all, burn up, consume, devour(-er, up), dine, eat(-er, up),
feed (with), food, X freely, X in...wise(-deed, plenty), (lay)
meat, X quite.
אָכַל (a.khal) — to eat.
1) to eat, devour, burn up, feed
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to eat (human subject)
1a2) to eat, devour (of beasts and birds)
1a3) to devour, consume (of fire)
1a4) to devour, slay (of sword)
1a5) to devour, consume, destroy (inanimate subjects - ie, pestilence, drought)
1a6) to devour (of oppression)
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be eaten (by men)
1b2) to be devoured, consumed (of fire)
1b3) to be wasted, destroyed (of flesh)
1c) (Pual)
1c1) to cause to eat, feed with
1c2) to cause to devour
1d) (Hiphil)
1d1) to feed
1d2) to cause to eat
1e) (Piel)
1e1) consume
Aramaic equivalent: a.khal (אֲכַל "to devour" H0399)
Part | V-Qal-Imperf-1cs — Particle · verb qal imperfect first person common singularHTi/Vqi1cs
בָּשָׂר (basar) means 'flesh' and encompasses various meanings, including the physical body, kinship, and a euphemism for male genitalia. It can refer to humans, animals, and all living things, highlighting the frailty of man in relation to God. The entries consistently emphasize its bodily and relational aspects.
בָּשָׂר 266 n.m. flesh
of the body
flesh for the body itself
male organ of generation (euphemism)
flesh for kindred, blood-relations
man over against God as frail or erring
base
H1320 בָּשָׂר flesh . of the body
. flesh for the body itself
. male organ of generation (euphemism)
. flesh for kindred, blood-relations
. man over against God as frail or erring
1320 basar baw-sawr'
from 1319; flesh (from its freshness); by extension, body,
person; also (by euphem.) the pudenda of a man:--body, (fat,
lean) flesh(-ed), kin, (man-)kind, + nakedness, self, skin.
see HEBREW for 01319
בָּשָׂר (ba.sar) — flesh.
1) flesh
1a) of the body
1a1) of humans
1a2) of animals
1b) the body itself
1c) male organ of generation (euphemism)
1d) kindred, blood-relations
1e) flesh as frail or erring (man against God)
1f) all living things
1g) animals
1h) mankind
Aramaic equivalent: be.shar (בְּשַׁר "flesh" H1321)
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular constructHNcmsc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
אָבִּיר (abbiyr) means mighty or valiant, and can refer to men, angels, or animals. It also has metaphorical uses, describing enemies, princes, or sacrificial objects. The word can imply strength or obstinacy, and is associated with concepts of power in various contexts.
אָבִּיר adj. mighty, valiant
base
H47 אָבִּיר mighty, valiant
47 'abbiyr ab-beer'
for 46; --angel, bull, chiefest, mighty (one),
stout(-hearted), strong (one), valiant.
see HEBREW for 046
אַבִּיר (ab.bir) — mighty: ox.
1) mighty, valiant
1a) of men
1b) of angels
1c) of animals
1d) (metaph)
1d1) of enemies
1d2) of princes
1d3) of sacrificial objects
1e) obstinate (fig.)
אַבִּיר (ab.bir) — mighty: stallion.
1) mighty, valiant
1a) of men
1b) of angels
1c) of animals
1d) (metaph)
1d1) of enemies
1d2) of princes
1d3) of sacrificial objects
1e) obstinate (fig.)
אַבִּיר (ab.bir) — mighty: strong.
1) mighty, valiant
1a) of men
1b) of angels
1c) of animals
1d) (metaph)
1d1) of enemies
1d2) of princes
1d3) of sacrificial objects
1e) obstinate (fig.)
אַבִּיר (ab.bir) — mighty: angel.
1) mighty, valiant
1a) of men
1b) of angels
1c) of animals
1d) (metaph)
1d1) of enemies
1d2) of princes
1d3) of sacrificial objects
1e) obstinate (fig.)
Adj — AdjHAampa
דָּם (dam) means 'blood' and refers to the blood of both humans and animals. It is often associated with death, particularly when shed, and can also figuratively denote the juice of grapes or bloodshed. The term carries religious significance and is used in various contexts, including references to guilt and innocence.
דָּם 300 n.m. blood
blood of man or animal
usually blood become visible
blood used with religious significance
fig. of wine
base
H1818 דָּם blood
1818 dam dawm
from 1826 (compare 119); blood (as that which when shed
causes death) of man or an animal; by analogy, the juice of
the grape; figuratively (especially in the plural) bloodshed
(i.e. drops of blood):--blood(-y, -guiltiness, (-thirsty), +
innocent.
see HEBREW for 01826
see HEBREW for 0119
דָּם (dam) — blood.
1) blood
1a) of wine (fig.)
Conj | N-ms — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular constructHC/Ncmsc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
עַתּוּד (attuwd) refers to a he-goat or ram, specifically indicating a full-grown animal. It can also figuratively denote leaders among people, described as 'chief ones.' The word is derived from a root meaning 'prepared' and is used only in the plural form.
H6260 עַתּוּד he-goat
6260 `attuwd at-tood'
or sattud {at-tood'}; from 6257; prepared, i.e. full grown;
spoken only (in plural) of he-goats, or (figuratively) leaders
of the people:--chief one, (he) goat, ram.
see HEBREW for 06257
עַתּוּד (at.tud) — goat.
ram, he-goat, chief one
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural absoluteHNcmpa
שָׁתָה (shathah) means 'to drink' and can refer to both literal drinking and figurative uses, such as feasting or experiencing God's wrath. It is a primitive root that appears in various forms, including Qal and Niphal, indicating actions like drinking and being drunk. The lexicons note its connection to the Aramaic equivalent שְׁתָה (she.tah), but do not present significant disagreements.
שָׁתָה 217 vb. drink
Qal 216
Niph. all which is (may be) drunk
base
H8354 שָׁתָה drink
8354 shathah shaw-thaw'
a primitive root; to imbibe (literally or figuratively):--X
assuredly, banquet, X certainly, drink(-er, -ing), drunk
(X -ard), surely. (Prop. intensive of 8248.)
see HEBREW for 08248
שָׁתָה (sha.tah) — to drink.
1) to drink
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to drink
1a1a) of drinking cup of God's wrath, of slaughter, of wicked deeds (fig)
1a2) to feast
1b) (Niphal) to be drunk
Aramaic equivalent: she.tah (שְׁתָה "to drink" H8355)
V-Qal-Imperf-1cs — Verb · Qal · imperfect first person common singularHVqi1cs
See FOOD; DRINK, STRONG.
Drink
The drinks of the Hebrews were water, wine, “strong drink,” and vinegar. Their drinking vessels were the cup, goblet or “basin,” the “cruse” or pitcher, and the saucer.
To drink water by measure (Ezek. 4:11), and to buy water to drink (Lam. 5:4), denote great scarcity. To drink blood means to be satiated with slaughter.
The Jews carefully strained their drinks through a sieve, through fear of violating the law of Lev. 11:20, 23, 41, 42. (See Matt. 23:24. “Strain at” should be “strain out.”)
→ INTOXICATING
See ABSTINENCE, TOTAL
→ See DRUNKARD
→ See DRUNKENNESS
→ See WINE
