Psalm 50 (49):17Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Here, the term 'Instruction' refers to the examination of the law that rectifies the spirit, expels wrongdoing, and cultivates righteousness. How then can you attempt to impart it to others when you yourself fail to embody it in your actions? For you have, indeed, 'hated,' as it is said, 'and turned back my words.' Consequently, not only have you gained nothing from the study of the law, but you have also perverted that which is innate within you. The principles of what should be pursued and what should be avoided are naturally instilled within us; yet you have dismissed them and do not hold them in your memory.

You despise correction (Psalm 49:17). Your aversion to guidance is evident. When I show you mercy, you rejoice and offer praises; yet, in times of my rebuke, you grumble, as though my compassion signifies that I am your God, but my discipline suggests otherwise. I discipline and correct those I cherish (Rev. 3:19). You have rejected wisdom and forsaken my teachings. You ignore the words I have spoken to you, leaving them behind in a manner that obscures their presence but allows them to weigh heavily upon you. You have turned away from my words.

When people point out the wrongs of others and remind them of God’s commandments, yet fail to adhere to those very teachings themselves, it is fitting for him to address them with the words, "Why do you take pride in my justifications and discuss the law in various ways, yet have not gained from it as you ought, remaining indifferent to my teachings?" The prophet also speaks of the very transgressions they have dared to engage in.

The term "sinner" often refers to the Jewish teachers who conveyed the various demands of the Law of Moses to their community, yet they grasped the Old Testament Law merely at a superficial level rather than embracing it deeply in their hearts. Proud of this single aspect, and believing themselves to be righteous in other areas, they indulged in numerous sins. Concerning these individuals, Jesus Christ addressed the crowds, stating, "All things whatsoever they say to you to observe, observe and do; but according to their works do not do them" (Matthew 23:3). He questioned why those who instruct others show disdain for the very doctrine and soul correction they preach, and why they have completely rejected His teachings, akin to someone dismissing one they despise. They disregarded the commandments; while they accepted them verbally, in truth, they turned them aside.

The Path to Redemption

Let us strive to be counted among those who place their hope in Him so that we may attain the gifts He has promised. In what manner, dear ones, shall we accomplish this? If we anchor our beliefs in faith towards God; if we pursue what is pleasing and acceptable to Him; if we act in accordance with His holy will and walk in the path of truth, turning away from all forms of unrighteousness and sin, greed, discord, malice, deceit, gossip, wickedness, arrogance, lavishness, vanity, and unkindness. For those who engage in such behaviors are abominable to God, including not only the doers but also those who endorse these actions. Scripture tells us: But God said to the sinner, ‘Why do you declare My statutes and profess My covenant with your words?

When a person is called to face the court, they stand before judges and are confronted by witnesses who testify against them. They hear accusations of wrongdoing and breaches of law. In a similar manner, the sinner who has not repented and been purified from their transgressions will face divine judgment. God will present their sins before them, and the Holy Judge will declare, "Thou hast hated instruction and turned back My words. If thou sawest a thief, thou hast hastened with him, and with an adulterer thou hast partaken. Thy mouth hath multiplied backbiting, and thy tongue hath woven guile..... And for thy mother's son thou hast laid a stumbling block" (Psalm 49:17-20).

In this passage, he initially portrays the inner flaws of the unrighteous pretenders, and then in the subsequent verses, he lists their misdeeds and sinful speech. However, He declares, you have rejected My discipline, meaning you have completely disregarded the teachings of My law. Furthermore, you have turned away from My words, indicating that you seem to have forgotten My commandments, leaving them behind.

This psalm was inspired by the Holy Spirit through David and entrusted to Asaph, the leader of his musicians, to perform. The prophet expresses a foretelling of the return of Christ, which will be awe-inspiring and unbearable. A river of fire surged from His presence, a vision once observed by the prophet Daniel, whose throne is ablaze and whose wheels are like burning fire (Dan. 7:9-10). Here, he refers to that profound disgrace, where all celestial and terrestrial beings ought to assemble in vast numbers to expose both overt and hidden wickedness.