Psalms 50:6
in Psalms 50And the heavens proclaim His righteousness, for God Himself is Judge. Selah
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the heavens shall declare his righteousness; For God is judge himself. [Selah
KJV
And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah.
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This verse in Psalms 50
Commentary
8 notes on this verse"The heavens shall announce." The office of the apostles is to announce, and these are designated by the heavens. Hence the "heavens," that is, the apostles, "shall announce the justice of God." And they are called heavens because they are eminent above all the choirs …
This site's exposition
He summons the heavens above
on Psalms 50:4-6
The heavens above and the earth are summoned as witnesses in a covenant lawsuit, a legal case God brings against His own people. Gather to Me My saints names the ones on trial, the men who made a covenant with God by sacrifice. The heavens proclaim His righteousness, and God Himself is Judge.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"And the Heaven shall declare His righteousness" [Psalm 50:6]. Truly this righteousness of God to us the "heavens have declared," the Evangelists have foretold. Through them we have heard that some will be on the right hand, to whom the Householder says, "Come, you blessed of My Father, receive." [Matthew 25:34] Receive what? "A kingdom." In return for what thing? "I was an hungred, and you gave Me to eat." What so valueless, what so earthly, as to break bread to the hungry? At so much is valued the kingdom of heaven. "Break your bread to the hungry, and the needy without covering bring into your house; if you see one naked, clothe him." [Isaiah 58:7] If you have not the means of breaking bread, hast not house into which you may bring, hast not garment wherewith you may cover: give a cup of cold water, [Matthew 10:42] cast two mites into the treasury. [Mark 12:42] As much the widow does buy with two mites, as Peter buys, by leaving the nets, [Matthew 4:20] as Zacchæus buys by giving half his goods. [Luke 19:8] Of so much worth is all that you have. "The heavens shall declare His righteousness, for God is Judge." Truly judge not confounding but severing. For "the Lord knows them that are His." [2 Timothy 2:19] Even if grains lie hidden in the chaff, they are known to the husbandman. Let no one fear that he is a grain even among the chaff; the eyes of our winnower are not deceived. Fear not lest that tempest, which shall be round about Him, should confound you with chaff. Certainly mighty will be the tempest; yet not one grain will it sweep from the side of the grain to the chaff: because not any rustic with three-pronged fork, but God, Three in One, is Judge. And the heavens shall declare His righteousness: for God is Judge. […]
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Declare - God will convince the people of his righteousness, and of their own wickedness, by thunders and lightnings, and storms, or other dreadful signs wrought by him in the heavens.
And the heavens shall declare his righteousness,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
And the heavens shall declare his righteousness. Celestial intelligences and the spirits of just men made perfect, shall magnify the infallible judgment of the divine tribunal. Now they doubtless wonder at the hypocrisy of men; then they shall equally marvel at the exactness of the severance between the true and the false. For God is judge himself. This is the reason for the correctness of the judgment. Priests of old, and churches of later times, were readily deceived, but not so the all discerning Lord.
And the heavens shall declare his righteousness. Celestial intelligences and the spirits of just men made perfect, shall magnify the infallible judgment of the divine tribunal. Now they doubtless wonder at the hypocrisy of men; then they shall equally marvel at the exactness of the severance between the true and the false. For God is judge himself. This is the reason for the correctness of the judgment. Priests of old, and churches of later times, were readily deceived, but not so the all discerning Lord. No deputy judge sits on the great white throne; the injured Lord of all himself weighs the evidence and allots the vengeance or reward. The scene in the Psalm is a grand poetical conception, but it is also an inspired prophecy of that day which shall burn as an oven, when the Lord shall discern between him that feareth and him that feareth him not. Selah. Here we may well pause in reverent prostration, in deep searching of heart, in humble prayer, and in awe struck expectation.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
And the heavens shall declare his righteousness - Shall make it known, or announce it. That is, the heavens - the heavenly inhabitants - will bear witness to the justness of the sentence, or will approve the sentence. See the notes at Psa 50:4. Compare Psa 97:6. For God is judge himself - The judgment is not committed to mortal men, or even to angels. Creatures, even the most exalted and pure, might err in such a work as that of judging the world. That judgment, to be correct, must be founded on a perfect knowledge of the heart, and on a clear and complete understanding of all the thoughts, the motives, the words, the deeds of all people. It cannot be supposed that any created being, however exalted, could possess all this knowledge, and it cannot be supposed that any created being, however pure, could be so endowed as to be secure against error in pronouncing a judgment on the countless millions of people. But God combines all these in himself; a perfect knowledge of all that has ever occurred on earth, and of the motives and feelings of every creature - and, at the same time, absolute purity and impartiality; therefore his judgment must be such that the universe will see that it is just. It may be added here that as the New Testament has stated (see the notes at Psa 50:3) that the judgment of the world in the last day will be committed to the Lord Jesus Christ, the considerations just suggested prove that he is Divine. The immediate point in the passage before us is, that the fact that “God” will preside in the judgment, demonstrates that the acts of judgment will be “right,” and will be such as the “heavens” - the universe - will approve; such, that all worlds will proclaim them to be right. There is no higher evidence that a thing is right, and that it ought to be done, than the fact that God has done it. Compare Gen 18:25; Psa 39:9.
The words behind it
8 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּגִּ֣ידוּ | vaiyagidu | and they declared | H5046 → | 370 times |
| שָׁמַ֣יִם | shamayim | [the] heavens | H8064 → | 421 times |
| צִדְק֑וֹ | tzidko | righteousness his | H6664 → | 119 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| אֱלֹהִ֓ים׀ | ʾelohim | God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| שֹׁפֵ֖ט | shofet | [is] judge | H8199 → | 202 times |
| ה֣וּא | hu' | he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| סֶֽלָה׃ | selah | Selah | H5542 → | 74 times |
וַיַּגִּ֣ידוּand they declared
vaiyagiduH5046 →370 times
שָׁמַ֣יִם[the] heavens
shamayimH8064 →421 times
צִדְק֑וֹrighteousness his
tzidkoH6664 →119 times
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
אֱלֹהִ֓ים׀God
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
שֹׁפֵ֖ט[is] judge
shofetH8199 →202 times
ה֣וּאhe
hu'H1931 →1879 times
סֶֽלָה׃Selah
selahH5542 →74 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Psalms 75:7but it is God who judges; He brings down one and exalts another.
it leads to
- Luke 1:52
He has brought down rulers from their thrones, but has exalted the humble.
- Daniel 2:21–22
He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.
- Psalms 113:7–8
He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the dump
- Psalms 147:6
The LORD sustains the humble, but casts the wicked to the ground.
- 2 Samuel 6:21
But David said to Michal, “I was dancing before the LORD, who chose me over your father and all his house when He appointed me ruler over the LORD’s people Israel. I will celebrate…
- Luke 1:52
Through
Psalms 97:6The heavens proclaim His righteousness; all the peoples see His glory.
it leads to
- Psalms 19:1
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 19:1
Through
Revelation 19:2For His judgments are true and just. He has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality. He has avenged the blood of His servants that was poured out by her…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 32:43
Rejoice, O heavens, with Him, and let all God’s angels worship Him. Rejoice, O nations, with His people; for He will avenge the blood of His children. He will take vengeance on His adversaries…
- Deuteronomy 32:43
Through
Psalms 9:16The LORD is known by the justice He brings; the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands. Higgaion Selah
it leads to
- Exodus 7:5
And the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD, when I stretch out My hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out from among them.”
- Exodus 7:5
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Psalms

This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Psalms; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, Exposition on Psalm 50; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 2; Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Psalms; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Thomas Aquinas, Exposition on the Psalms of David.
