Psalms 50:16

But unto the wicked God saith,.... By whom are meant, not openly profane sinners; but men under a profession of religion, and indeed who were teachers of others, as appears from the following

But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth?

Unto the wicked, i.e. the same ungodly and hypocritical professors whom he calleth saints, , in regard of their profession, and here wicked in respect of their practice, and the truth of the thing. God saith: he told them what he would not reprove them for, , and why, ,10, &c.; now he tells them for what he did reprove and condemn them, even for a vain and false profession of religion. With what confidence darest thou make mention of or boast of God’ s grade and favour vouchsafed unto time, in giving thee such a covenant and statutes, pretending to embrace them, and to give up thyself to the observation of them? This concerns not only the teachers, (of whom some understand these words,) but all the Israelites in general; of whom he rather seems to speak.

Psalms 50:16 But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or [that] thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth?Ver. 16 But unto the wicked God saith] To the fair professor, but foul sinner, to the hypocrites in Sion, Isaiah 33:14, to the sacrificing Sodomites, Isaiah 1:10-11, those that take upon them to be teachers of others μεξψιν especially, Romans 2:20-21. Origen, after his foul fall, opening the book and lighting upon this text, was not able to preach, but brake out into abundance of tears. What hast thou to do to declare my statutes?] Since they are holy, and ought to be handled by such as are holy, Isaiah 52:11; else they are dishonoured, 1 Samuel 2:17, God’ s name blasphemed, Romans 2:23-24, foul sinners hardened, Matthew 23:15 : Ore loqueris de illis, seal corde odisti (Syr. Interp.). Quid verba audiam cam facta videam? say such; dicta factis erubescunt, saith Tertullian, their practice shameth their profession. And, therefore, to such we may say, as Great Alexander did to one Alexander, a soldier of his, but a coward, Either give up thy name or be a soldier; so may we say to such profligate professors. Or as Archidamus, the Lacedemonian, said to his son, rashly conflicting with the Athenians, Aut viribus adde, aut animis adime; so here, Either add practice, or lay away profession. Or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth?] Boasting thyself to be one of mine, and blurting out good words, when the root of the matter is not in thee. If that state in story would not hear a good motion from an ill mouth, much less will God.

(16) But.—The psalm here turns to address a worse class, those who, while undisguisedly wicked, shelter themselves under the name of the covenant. What hast thou to do?—i.e., how darest thou?

Verse 16. But unto the wicked] The bloodthirsty priests, proud Pharisees, and ignorant scribes of the Jewish people.

16–21. In the preceding verses God has reproved the formalist:—the man who regarded the offering of sacrifice as the essence of religion. He now turns to address the wicked man:—the hypocrite, who repeated His commandments and professed allegiance to Him, while he deliberately set those commandments at defiance by his conduct. To him God adopts a sterner tone. The offences with which he is charged are breaches of the commandments of the second Table of the Decalogue, neglect of the simplest moral duties toward his neighbour. The general reproof in Psalms 50:16-17 is followed by specific charges of breaking the eighth, seventh, and ninth commandments, and the address concludes with a stern warning, Psalms 50:21. Comp. generally Hosea 4:1-2; Romans 2:17-24.

But unto the wicked God saith - This commences a second part of the subject. See the introduction.

16. But unto the wicked—Hither-to God has addressed and judged the dead formalist—the blind Pharisee.