Psalms 50:4-6

50:4 He summons the heavens above,

as well as the earth, so that he might judge his people.

50:5 He says:

“Assemble my covenant people before me,

those who ratified a covenant with me by sacrifice!”

50:6 The heavens declare his fairness,

for God is judge. (Selah)


tn Or perhaps “to testify against his people.”

tn The words “he says” are supplied in the translation for clarification. God’s summons to the defendant follows.

tn Or “Gather to me my covenant people.” The Hebrew term חָסִיד (khasid, “covenant people”) elsewhere in the psalms is used in a positive sense of God’s loyal followers (see the note at Ps 4:3), but here, as the following line makes clear, the term has a neutral sense and simply refers to those who have outwardly sworn allegiance to God, not necessarily to those whose loyalty is genuine.

tn Heb “the cutters of my covenant according to sacrifice.” A sacrifice accompanied the covenant-making ceremony and formally ratified the agreement (see Exod 24:3-8).

tn Or “justice.”

tn Or “for God, he is about to judge.” The participle may be taken as substantival (as in the translation above) or as a predicate (indicating imminent future action in this context).