Psalm - 50:9



9 I have no need for a bull from your stall, nor male goats from your pens.

Verse In-Depth

Explanation and meaning of Psalm 50:9.

Differing Translations

Compare verses for better understanding.
I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he goats out of thy folds.
I will not take calves out of thy house: nor he goats out of thy flocks.
I take not from thy house a bullock, From thy folds he goats.
I will take no ox out of your house, or he-goats from your flocks;

*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.


Historical Commentaries

Scholarly Analysis and Interpretation.

I will take no calf out thy house Two reasons are given in this and the succeeding verses to prove that he cannot set any value upon sacrifices. The first is, that supposing him to depend upon these, he needs not to be indebted for them to man, having all the fullness of the earth at his command; and the second, that he requires neither food nor drink as we do for the support of our infirm natures. Upon the first of these he insists in the ninth and three following verses, where he adverts to his own boundless possessions, that he may show his absolute independence of human offerings. He then points at the wide distinction betwixt himself and man, the latter being dependent for a frail subsistence upon meat and drink, while he is the self-existent One, and communicates life to all beside. There may be nothing new in the truths here laid down by the Psalmist; but, considering the strong propensity we have by nature to form our estimate of God from ourselves, and to degenerate into a carnal worship, they convey a lesson by no means unnecessary, and which contains profound wisdom, that man can never benefit God by any of his services, as we have seen in Psalm 16:2, "My goodness extendeth not unto thee." In the second place, God says that he does not require any thing for his own us but that, as he is sufficient in his own perfection, he has consulted the good of man in all that he has enjoined. We have a passage in Isaiah to a similar effect, "The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me, and where is the place of my rest? For all these things hath mine hand made." -- (Isaiah 66:1, 2,) In these words God asserts his absolute independence; for while the world had a beginning, he himself was from eternity. From this it follows, that as he subsisted when there was nothing without him which could contribute to his fullness, he must have in himself a glorious all-sufficiency.

I will take no bullock out of thy house - Bullocks were offered regularly in the Hebrew service and sacrifice Exodus 29:11, Exodus 29:36; Leviticus 4:4; 1-Kings 18:23, 1-Kings 18:33; and it is with reference to this that the language is used here. In obedience to the law it was right and proper to offer such sacrifices; and the design here is not to express disapprobation of these offerings in themselves considered. On this subject - on the external compliance with the law in this respect - God says Psalm 50:8 that he had no cause to complain against them. It was only with respect to the design and the spirit with which they did this, that the language in this verse and the following verses is used. The idea which it is the purpose of these verses to suggest is, that God did not "need" such offerings; that they were not to be made "as if" he needed them; and that if he needed such he was not "dependent" on them, for all the beasts of the earth and all the fowls of the mountains were his, and could be taken for that purpose; and that if he took what was claimed to be theirs - the bullocks and the goats - he did not wrong them, for all were his, and he claimed only his own.
Nor he-goats out of thy folds - Goats were also offered in sacrifice. Leviticus 3:12; Leviticus 4:24; Leviticus 10:16 : Numbers 15:27.

I will take no bullock out of thy house,.... That is, will accept of none; such sacrifices being no more agreeable to the will of God, Hebrews 10:5; the "bullock" is mentioned, that being a principal creature used in sacrifice; as also the following,
nor he goats out of thy folds; the reasons follow.

Bullock - Be not so foolish, as to imagine that thou dost lay any obligations upon me by thy sacrifices.

*More commentary available at chapter level.


Discussion on Psalm 50:9

User discussion of the verse.






*By clicking Submit, you agree to our Privacy Policy & Terms of Use.