Commentary on the Psalms, Psalms 1-72

COMMENTARY ON PSALM 50

COMMENTARY ON PSALM 50 A psalm of Asaph. e was conductor of another band of singers, [1129] as the story of the Chronicles informed us.1 While the sons of Korah, appointed leaders of a different band, were entrusted with singing the contents of the fortyfirst psalm, they also have other psalms bearing a title of theirs, which we shall comment on should God permit. Now, the present psalm, attributed to Asaph, is in keeping with the previous psalm: it also forecasts the judgment to come and the manifestation of our God and Savior. But it forecasts as well the New Testament , showing worship according to the Law to be unacceptable to God: The Lord God of gods spoke and summoned the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting (v. 1). The psalm before this summoned all people to instruction, and in similar fashion this one summons all the ends of the earth: the phrase from the rising of the sun to its setting indicates this. The three translators, on the other hand, rendered God of gods differently: “Mighty God in speaking summoned the earth,” whereas the Septuagint gives the name gods to those on whom the task of ruling fell and were entrusted with judging, something proper to God alone. The eighty-first psalm, itself bearing a title for Asaph, teaches us this: after saying, “God took his place in the assembly of gods, in their midst he passes judgment on gods,” it added, “How long do you give unjust judgments, and respect the mien of sinners? Give judgment in favor of orphan and needy, render justice to 288 1. Cf. 1 Chron 25.1. Theodoret, though acknowledging Asaph’s role in liturgical music, can still speak of the psalm being “attributed to Asaph,” as he did in the preface. Chrysostom, too, was irked by this title, it seems, as he ignored it, perhaps for the same reason of its calling Davidic authorship into question; and in fact his extant Commentary does not include Psalms 73–83 that bear a similar title. the lowly and poor.”2 Now, this belongs to priests and others to whom judgment is entrusted; even the Law is clear on this: “You shall not revile gods, and shall not speak evil of a leader of your people.” It was right for those who were made in the divine image , and kept the image unsullied, to be called “gods.”3 It is their God, in fact, who assembles the whole world to judgment. (2) Out of Sion the comeliness of his charm (v. 2). Now, this person , who showed his peculiar comeliness and charm in Sion and underwent the saving Passion, is the one who in the psalms commented on was called charming in his beauty beyond all human beings.4 God will come in an obvious manner, our God, and he will not keep silence (v. 3). In other words, do not think the second coming will be like his first: at that time he concealed his characteristic magnificence in lowliness and poverty, [1232] whereas in this case he will reveal plainly to everyone his lordship and kingship, no longer employing long-suffering but judging justly —as he said, he will not keep silence. A fire will burn in his presence, with a severe storm around him. Blessed Daniel had a vision of this: “A river of fire,” he says, “was flowing in front of him, his throne a fiery flame, its wheels flaming fire.”5 (3) He calls to heaven above and to the earth to judge his people (v. 4). After the law-making, he bade blessed Moses assemble the people and adjure heaven and earth to give witness, as did also his song’s opening, “Give heed, O heaven, and I shall speak, and let earth hear words from my mouth.”6 He calls them to witness, however, not as animate things but as inclusive of the other created things, which listen to the extent of being fearful. That was the way blessed Abraham used the seven ewe lambs as witness to his words, “This is my well.” That was the way Jacob and Laban called the mound “a mound of witness.”7 Assemble for him his holy ones, who made covenant with him by sacrifice. The heavens will announce his righteousness, because God is judge (vv. 5–6). While by his previous words he showed his judgment to be fearsome, by these and what follows he teaches...