Psalm 50:1-23 The mighty God, even the LORD, has spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun to the going down thereof.… This, the first of the Asaph psalms, is separated from the other eleven (Psalm 73.-83.) for reasons that do not appear. Probably they are no more recondite than the verbal resemblance between the summons to all the earth at the beginning of Psalm 49., and the similar proclamation in the first verses of Psalm 1. The arrangement of the Psalter is often obviously determined by such slight links. The group has certain features in common, of which some appear here: e.g. the fondness for descriptions of theophanies; the prominence given to God's judicial action; the preference for the Divine names of El, Adonai (the Lord), Elyon (Most High). Other peculiarities of the class — e.g. the love for the designation "Joseph" for the nation, and delight in the image of the Divine Shepherd — are not found in this psalm. It contains no historical allusions which aid in dating it. The leading idea of it — viz, the depreciation of outward sacrifice — is unhesitatingly declared by many to have been impossible in the days of the Levite Asaph, who was one of David's musical staff. But is it so certain that such thoughts were foreign to the period in which Samuel declared that obedience was better than sacrifice? Certainly the tone of the psalm is that of later prophets, and there is much probability in the view that Asaph is the name of the family or guild of singers from whom these psalms came rather than that of an individual. (A. Maclaren, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: {A Psalm of Asaph.} The mighty God, even the LORD, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof.WEB: The Mighty One, God, Yahweh, speaks, and calls the earth from sunrise to sunset. |
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