Psalms 50.
The majesty of God in the church: his order to gather saints. The pleasure of God is not in ceremonies, but in sincerity of obedience.
A Psalm of Asaph.
Title. ףּלאס מזמור mizmor leasaph. A psalm of Asaph— For Asaph. Or, according to the Chaldee paraphrast, "A psalm by the hand of Asaph;" who is supposed to have conveyed it to the tabernacle by the order of David, who probably wrote it, and appointed this Asaph, a Levite, to minister before the ark of the Lord, and to record, and thank and praise the Lord God of Israel. This psalm is an illustrious prophesy, concerning the abrogation of the Jewish religion, the calling of the Gentiles, and the establishment of the true evangelical worship throughout the world. It is delivered with great pomp and sublimity: The first six verses are a previous solemnity to the great trial; in which the Almighty is represented, as calling his people to account before heaven and earth, that they may be witnesses to his justice. He tells them, they must not think to atone for a wicked life by sacrifice: it was not the slain beast, but the homage of the heart which he would accept. For a fine critique upon this exquisite ode, we refer the reader to the beginning of Bishop Lowth's 27th Prelection.

Psalms 50:2. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty— "Here," says Dr. Delaney, "the Almighty kept his court; and from hence he sent out his ambassadors, the prophets, to publish his decrees to the whole world around him, with more ease and speedier conveyance than could possibly have been done from any other region of the habitable world. That this was the seat and fountain-head of true religion, is evidenced beyond all doubt from the history of the Jewish nation. This was the seat of Melchisedeck, the king and high-priest of the living God in the days of Abraham. What the state of Jerusalem was from his time to the days of David, nowhere appears; but this is certain, that from David to Jesus Christ God was known in her palaces as a sure refuge. Jerusalem was the chief, is now the sole source of true religion to the whole habitable world around it; from hence, as from a central point, the light of the law first, and of the gospel afterwards, shone out to the surrounding nations: and to this end this city was chosen; was eminently and emphatically the chosen city of God; beautiful for situation, and the joy of the whole earth; more especially when the sun of righteousness rose up in it, the glory of his people Israel, and a light to lighten the Gentiles, till all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God." book 2: chap. 8.

Psalms 50:3. Our God shall come— That is Christ. Now there are three comings of Christ expressed in the Scripture; the first in humility, in our flesh and nature; the last in glory, for the judging of the whole world; and an intermediate coming, in which he was to effect mighty works by the power of his Spirit. The psalm seems to belong most signally to this coming of our Saviour, as also Psalms 96:10-13. He shall not keep silence, means, according to the original, shall not delay. The figurative expressions in the latter part of the verse represent the terrible manner of his coming, and allude to the giving of the law from mount Sinai.

Psalms 50:11. I know all the fowls of the mountains— I know all the fowls of the air. Houbigant.

Psalms 50:18. When thou sawest a thief, &c.— In this and the two following verses are represented the notorious vices of the synagogue, which was extremely corrupt in the time of Christ. Mudge renders the latter clause of the 19th verse, thy tongue addeth deceit to deceit; and the 20th verse, Thou art continually speaking against thy brother; placing a stumbling-block before the son of thy mother.

Psalms 50:21. I kept silence— Or, as at Psalms 50:3. I delayed, or let thee alone. "I deferred to cut thee off, that thou mightest have time for repentance. And this delay, this indulgence and patience of mine, thou seemedst to think, was an approbation of those actions, and an encouragement to proceed securely in them: but, fatal mistake! I will severely chastise thee, and make thee thoroughly sensible how grievously thou hast hereby offended me."