The Meaning of Psalms 50:7 Explained

Psalms 50:7

KJV: Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify against thee: I am God, even thy God.

YLT: Hear, O My people, and I speak, O Israel, and I testify against thee, God, thy God am I.

Darby: Hear, my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify unto thee: I am God, thy God.

ASV: Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify unto thee: I am God, even thy God.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Hear,  O my people,  and I will speak;  O Israel,  and I will testify  against thee: I [am] God,  [even] thy God. 

What does Psalms 50:7 Mean?

Verse Meaning

God spoke to His people as their God and as their Judge. They had sinned against Him.

Context Summary

Psalm 50:1-15 - Sacrifices Which God Desires
This is one of the most majestic compositions of this book. For literary power it cannot be excelled. The psalmist hears God calling the whole world from east to west. His presence is compared to the dawn and to a tropical storm. When He is seated on His throne, the heavens and the earth bear witness while He judges His people. Then up the crowded aisles His saints advance and stand before Him.
There is no need to enlarge upon the spiritual insight of the psalmist, who realizes that God cannot be enriched by anything that we can bring; but insists on the sacrifice of thanksgiving, vows of consecration, and the loud call for help in the day of trouble. These are characteristic of those whose God is the Lord, and of the people whom He has taken for His own inheritance. Let us specially ponder these three conditions of the happy life, Psalms 50:14-15. What comfort is contained in the blessed promise of Psalms 50:15! It is so absolute in its certainty and assurance. God has here bound Himself to deliver the soul that calls on Him in its trouble and give it reason to glorify Him. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalm 50

1  The majesty of God in the church
5  His order to gather his saints
7  The pleasure of God is not in ceremonies
14  but in sincerity of obedience

What do the individual words in Psalms 50:7 mean?

Hear My people and I will speak Israel and I will testify against you God your God I [am]
שִׁמְעָ֤ה עַמִּ֨י ׀ וַאֲדַבֵּ֗רָה יִ֭שְׂרָאֵל וְאָעִ֣ידָה בָּ֑ךְ אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֱלֹהֶ֣יךָ אָנֹֽכִי

שִׁמְעָ֤ה  Hear 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
עַמִּ֨י ׀  My  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
וַאֲדַבֵּ֗רָה  and  I  will  speak 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative, first person common singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
יִ֭שְׂרָאֵל  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
וְאָעִ֣ידָה  and  I  will  testify 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative, first person common singular
Root: עוּד 
Sense: to return, repeat, go about, do again.
בָּ֑ךְ  against  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
אֱלֹהִ֖ים  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
אֱלֹהֶ֣יךָ  your  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
אָנֹֽכִי  I  [am] 
Parse: Pronoun, first person common singular
Root: אָנׄכִי  
Sense: I (first pers.