The Meaning of Psalms 50:16 Explained

Psalms 50:16

KJV: 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?

YLT: And to the wicked hath God said: What to thee -- to recount My statutes? That thou liftest up My covenant on thy mouth?

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

ASV: But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, And that thou hast taken my covenant in thy mouth,

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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? 

What does Psalms 50:16 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 50:16-23 - God's Warning To The Wicked
These searching words are for us all. We have no right to declare God's statutes, if our hearts hide wickedness in their secret chambers. We must not share ill-gotten money. Impurity, deceit, slander must be far from us, if we would have fellowship with God in prayer or service. God's silence must not be taken as indifference, for He is carefully watching each word and act; and if we persist, He will arise and set out all these unforgiven sins in order before the quickened vision of the soul.
Notice the two final conditions of a blessed life, Psalms 50:23. First, we must offer the sacrifice of praise, for we are priests and must not be slack in presenting the fruit of our lips. See Hebrews 13:15. But in addition we must order our behavior, or way, aright. It is a solemn thing to be entrusted with the great opportunity of living. Every passing moment should have something committed to it to keep in store. We dare not live by haphazard or chance. We must order our ways with prayerful deliberation. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 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 50:16 mean?

But to the wicked says God what [right] have you to declare My statutes Or take My covenant in your mouth
וְלָ֤רָשָׁ֨ע ׀ אָ֘מַ֤ר אֱלֹהִ֗ים מַה־ לְּ֭ךָ לְסַפֵּ֣ר חֻקָּ֑י וַתִּשָּׂ֖א בְרִיתִ֣י עֲלֵי־ ؟ פִֽיךָ

וְלָ֤רָשָׁ֨ע ׀  But  to  the  wicked 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רָשָׁע  
Sense: wicked, criminal.
אָ֘מַ֤ר  says 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֱלֹהִ֗ים  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
מַה־  what  [right] 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: לָמָּה 
Sense: what, how, of what kind.
לְּ֭ךָ  have  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
לְסַפֵּ֣ר  to  declare 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct
Root: סָפַר 
Sense: to count, recount, relate.
חֻקָּ֑י  My  statutes 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: חֹק  
Sense: statute, ordinance, limit, something prescribed, due.
וַתִּשָּׂ֖א  Or  take 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: נָשָׂא  
Sense: to lift, bear up, carry, take.
בְרִיתִ֣י  My  covenant 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: בְּרִית  
Sense: covenant, alliance, pledge.
؟ פִֽיךָ  your  mouth 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: פֶּה  
Sense: mouth.