Psalm 50 (49):7Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Observe the remarkable tenderness and compassion present at the outset of this discourse. Just as one might address a disordered individual, saying, “If you will listen, I shall share,” so does the Master communicate to His servants: “If you ‘listen’ to Me, I will ‘speak’.” Indeed, those servants displayed a lack of diligence and attentiveness, failing even briefly to focus their ears on the proclamation of the law. A prophet from Persia expressed this by declaring, “You are to them like an entertaining singer with a pleasant voice” (Ezekiel 33:32). The prophets often faced rejection, being told to cease their prophetic messages, and some were even cast out, met with dissatisfaction. A king once menaced a prophet, commanding him to abstain from preaching to the people (Jer. 32:3).

Listen, my people, and I will speak to you (Psalm 49:7). He will come and will not be quiet; notice now, if you pay attention, He is not silent. Listen, my people, and I will communicate my message to you. If you choose not to listen, I will not speak to you. Listen, and I will lay forth my message for you. If you refuse to hear, even if I speak, it will not be for your benefit. When shall I convey my words to you? If you listen, when do you truly hear? If you belong to me, my people. For hear me, my people: if you are strangers, you will not understand. Listen, my people, and I will testify to you: Israel, I will bear witness on your behalf....

Listen, my people, and I shall convey my message to you. When I establish new commandments, I want to prevent any misunderstanding that they come from mere humanity or some celestial being. Therefore, I emphasize: I am the Lord your God, the eternal One, the same who has performed remarkable deeds for your ancestors from the very beginning until this present moment. Do not assume that my issuance of these new statutes indicates a change in my nature. I remain the same God who provided the sacrificial law through Moses. However, I declare to you that you will not face condemnation for failing to adhere to Moses' laws. For I, who instructed my servant about what was beneficial, affirm that observing the regulations regarding sacrifices is no longer necessary.

Listen, my people, and I will communicate with you. Identifying the nation he addressed, he continued, "To Israel, I will bear witness to you." He then declares His authority: "I, your God, am the one who freed you from slavery in Egypt, who led you through the sea, who provided for you in the wilderness, who bestowed upon you this law. Do not perceive Me as another lawgiver, given the distinction of laws."

Listen, my people, and I shall convey My message to you. This marks the beginning of God's admonition toward His people. First and foremost, the Lord urges His people to be attentive to His words. "Hear," He commands, indicating the need for focused listening. To Israel, I will bear witness to you; in other words, "listen," or "hear, Israel." After acknowledging the people of Israel as His own, the Lord addresses them by their beloved name, Israel. Essentially, He calls out, "O Israel, and I will bear witness to you," meaning I will speak and dialogue with you. It is I, your God, who address you now. Yet, approach Me with reverence. The Lord articulates this to highlight the magnitude and incomprehensibility of His mercy, as He chooses to engage in conversation with His servants. Moreover, the Lord reiterates His name here to deliver an even more profound rebuke to His listeners for their lack of awareness and understanding.

The prophet directs his message towards educating God's people, revealing the essence of the coming judgment, thereby enabling everyone to prepare for it. To enhance the authority of this teaching, he presents God Himself as the speaker, urging with a paternal tone, ‘Hear my people, and I will speak unto you; but if ye will not hear, I will not speak unto you, but unto others, who have ears to hear, and hear.’ This aligns with what the Lord frequently states in the Gospel of Matthew: He who has ears to hear, let him hear (Matthew 11:15). Just as the deaf possess ears that serve only for external beauty and lack the ability to perceive sounds, those who disregard the teachings of God and possess inner faculties yet fail to recognize His words are akin to the deaf.

This psalm was entrusted to Asaph, the leader of David's musicians, by the Holy Spirit. The prophet proclaims the second coming of Christ will be awe-inspiring and overwhelmingly intense. A river of fire emanates before Him, a vision that the prophet Daniel once beheld, where His throne blazes with flames and His wheels are like burning fire (Dan. 7:9-10). In this context, he highlights the profound humiliation that compels both celestial and terrestrial beings to assemble in vast numbers to condemn both overt and hidden evil.