Psalms 50:10

Translation
King James Version
For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.
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KJV (with Strong's)
For every beast H2416 of the forest H3293 is mine, and the cattle H929 upon a thousand H505 hills H2042.
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Complete Jewish Bible
for all forest creatures are mine already, as are the animals on a thousand hills;
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Berean Standard Bible
for every beast of the forest is Mine— the cattle on a thousand hills.
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American Standard Version
For every beast of the forest is mine, And the cattle upon a thousand hills.
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World English Bible Messianic
For every animal of the forest is mine, and the livestock on a thousand hills.
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Geneva Bible (1599)
For all the beastes of the forest are mine, and the beastes on a thousand mountaines.
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Young's Literal Translation
For Mine is every beast of the forest, The cattle on the hills of oxen.
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See also
Jeremiah 27:5Jeremiah 27:6Jonah 4:11Psalms 104:14Psalms 8:6Psalms 8:8Psalms 104:24
In the KJVVerse 14,679 of 31,102

Study This Verse

SUMMARY

Psalms 50:10 stands as a foundational declaration of God's absolute and inherent ownership over all creation, specifically highlighting His boundless dominion over every living creature, both wild and domesticated. Situated within a dramatic prophetic oracle by Asaph, where God assumes the role of a divine judge addressing His people, this verse serves as the crucial theological premise for His subsequent challenge to Israel's flawed understanding of worship and sacrifice. It emphatically asserts God's complete independence and inexhaustible resources, dismantling any misconception that He is in need of human offerings or that His power is limited by earthly provisions.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: Psalms 50 is a powerful prophetic oracle, dramatically opening with God summoning heaven and earth to witness His judgment of His covenant people, Israel. The preceding verses, Psalms 50:7-9, establish that God is not rebuking Israel for a lack of sacrifices, as their burnt offerings are continually before Him. Rather, He challenges their profound misunderstanding of what true worship entails. The issue is not the ritual itself, but the heart, motive, and theological premise behind it. Psalms 50:10, followed by Psalms 50:11, serves as a crucial theological bedrock for God's argument. By unequivocally asserting His total ownership of all animals, God directly refutes the erroneous idea that He needs their sacrifices for sustenance or enrichment, thereby setting the stage for His call to a worship rooted in thanksgiving, obedience, and a right understanding of His nature, as seen in Psalms 50:14.
  • Historical & Cultural Context: In the ancient Near East, it was common for people to offer sacrifices to their deities, often believing that these offerings appeased the gods, provided them with sustenance, or even coerced their favor. Even within Israel, there was a constant risk of reducing the divinely instituted sacrificial system to a mere ritualistic performance devoid of genuine faith, repentance, and obedience. The Mosaic Law meticulously detailed various sacrifices, but the prophets frequently condemned the people for offering sacrifices while their hearts were far from God or their lives were marked by injustice and hypocrisy (e.g., Isaiah 1:11-17, Amos 5:21-24). Psalms 50:10 directly confronts this pervasive cultural and spiritual misconception by declaring God's absolute self-sufficiency and boundless wealth, distinguishing Him sharply from the pagan deities who were thought to depend on human provisions. He is not a god who can be bribed, sustained, or impressed by human hands.
  • Key Themes: This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes within the Psalms and broader biblical theology. Firstly, it underscores Divine Sovereignty and Ownership, proclaiming God's ultimate and inherent dominion over all creation. This aligns perfectly with the declaration in Psalms 24:1 that "The earth is the LORD's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein." Secondly, it highlights God's Self-Sufficiency (Aseity). The emphatic declaration that "every beast... is mine" directly challenges any notion that God benefits from or is dependent on human offerings, reinforcing His eternal independence and boundless resources. This profound truth is echoed in the New Testament by the Apostle Paul, who states that God "is not worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things" (Acts 17:25). Finally, by asserting His absolute ownership, God lays the Foundation for True Worship. If God truly owns everything, then genuine worship is not about giving Him something He lacks, but about offering oneself, gratitude, and obedience from a heart of faith and profound recognition of His supreme worth and boundless provision.

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • Beast (Hebrew, chay', H2416): This term, derived from the root meaning "to live," refers broadly to any living creature, often specifically wild animals. In this context, it encompasses all undomesticated animals of the forest, emphasizing the vastness and untamed nature of God's domain. It implies His ownership extends beyond human control or cultivation, reaching into the wildest, most remote corners of creation.
  • Cattle (Hebrew, bᵉhêmâh', H929): This word typically denotes domesticated animals, particularly livestock like oxen, sheep, and goats, which were central to Israel's economy and sacrificial system. By including "cattle," the verse asserts God's ownership over both wild and tame animals, covering the entire spectrum of animal life and, by extension, all material possessions and resources that humans might value or offer. It highlights that even the very animals used for sacrifice are already His.
  • Hills (Hebrew, hârâr', H2042): This word refers to mountains or elevated landscapes. When combined with "thousand," it forms a poetic image of immense, expansive territories teeming with life. It underscores the vastness of God's dominion, not just over individual creatures but over the very landscapes they inhabit, signifying an inexhaustible supply that far exceeds human comprehension or capacity.

Verse Breakdown

  • "For every beast of the forest [is] mine": This initial clause establishes God's absolute and inherent claim over all wild animals. The possessive "mine" (לִי, li) is emphatic, asserting direct and undeniable ownership. The "forest" (יַעַר, ya'ar) represents untamed, vast wilderness, signifying that God's dominion is not limited to cultivated or inhabited areas but extends to the farthest reaches of creation, where human control is minimal. This declaration underscores His inherent sovereignty over all life, independent of human interaction or management, and highlights His complete self-sufficiency.
  • "and the cattle upon a thousand hills": This second clause expands on God's ownership to include domesticated animals, particularly those that were the primary objects of sacrifice and economic value in ancient Israel. The hyperbolic phrase "upon a thousand hills" vividly portrays the sheer immensity and inexhaustibility of God's possessions. It means not just a literal thousand hills, but countless hills, teeming with countless cattle. This imagery powerfully reinforces God's boundless wealth and resources, making it abundantly clear that He has no need for human offerings to supplement His supply. His ownership is total, encompassing both the wild and the tamed, the untamed wilderness and the cultivated land, leaving no corner of creation outside His sovereign claim.

Literary Devices

The verse employs Hyperbole through the phrase "the cattle upon a thousand hills." This is not meant to be taken literally as a precise numerical count of hills or cattle, but rather to convey an immeasurable, boundless quantity, emphasizing the vastness and completeness of God's ownership. It paints a vivid picture of infinite resources and inexhaustible wealth belonging to God. Additionally, the verse utilizes a form of Merism by mentioning "every beast of the forest" (representing wild animals) and "the cattle" (representing domesticated animals). This literary technique uses two contrasting or complementary parts to represent a comprehensive whole, implying that God owns all animals, both wild and tame, thus encompassing the entirety of the animal kingdom. This rhetorical device powerfully underscores the totality and universality of God's dominion over every living creature.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

Psalms 50:10 is a foundational statement for understanding God's nature and the true essence of worship. It profoundly dismantles anthropocentric notions of divinity, asserting God's absolute self-sufficiency (aseity) and His inherent, unchallengeable sovereignty over all creation. This truth transforms our understanding of giving; we do not give to God because He lacks, but because we recognize His prior and ultimate ownership of everything, including ourselves. Our offerings, therefore, become acts of grateful acknowledgment, worship, and obedience rather than attempts to appease or enrich a needy deity. This verse sets the stage for a covenantal understanding of worship, where the focus shifts from external ritual to internal righteousness and a heart devoted to God, recognizing that true worship flows from a heart that understands God's infinite worth and ownership.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

This resounding declaration of God's absolute ownership in Psalms 50:10 profoundly reshapes our perspective on life, possessions, and worship. If every beast of the forest and all the cattle upon a thousand hills belong to God, then by extension, everything we have—our talents, time, resources, relationships, and even our very lives—are ultimately His. This truth calls us to a posture of deep humility and profound gratitude, recognizing that we are not ultimate owners but rather privileged stewards entrusted with His resources. It liberates us from the anxiety of scarcity, as we learn to trust in the boundless provision of the One who owns everything. True worship, then, is not about offering God something He needs, but about offering Him our hearts, lives, and obedience in response to His immeasurable worth, infinite generosity, and supreme dominion. It transforms our giving from a burdensome obligation into a joyful act of acknowledging His ultimate sovereignty and our complete dependence on Him, fostering a spirit of contentment and trust.

Questions for Reflection

  • How does understanding God's absolute ownership of all things impact your view of your own possessions and resources, and your willingness to share them?
  • In what ways might you be tempted to offer God "sacrifices" (time, money, service) from a sense of obligation or to earn His favor, rather than from a heart of true worship and recognition of His sovereignty?
  • How can the truth of God's boundless resources strengthen your trust in His provision during times of personal need or uncertainty, and alleviate anxieties about the future?
  • What practical steps can you take to live more consciously as a faithful steward of God's resources, rather than an independent owner, in your daily life?

FAQ

Does Psalms 50:10 mean God doesn't want us to offer sacrifices or give financially?

Answer: No, Psalms 50:10 does not negate the importance of offerings or financial giving; rather, it clarifies the motive and understanding behind such acts. God states His absolute ownership ("For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills") not to abolish offerings, but to correct a fundamental misunderstanding prevalent among His people. They were acting as if God needed their sacrifices for sustenance, or that by offering them, they were somehow obligating God or earning His favor. The psalm goes on to call for a different kind of offering: "Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High" (Psalms 50:14). This means God desires a heart of gratitude, obedience, and faith, which then finds expression in outward acts of worship, including giving. Our giving is a joyful response to His generosity and sovereignty, an acknowledgment that everything we have comes from Him, not a means to supply His needs or earn His favor. The New Testament similarly encourages giving as an act of worship, love, and cheerful generosity, not compulsion (2 Corinthians 9:7).

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

Psalms 50:10, with its resounding declaration of God's absolute ownership over all creation, finds its ultimate fulfillment and deepest meaning in the person and work of Jesus Christ. As the eternal Son and co-Creator, Christ is the very embodiment of this divine ownership. Colossians 1:16 affirms that "by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible... all things were created by him, and for him." Thus, the "beast of the forest" and "cattle upon a thousand hills" are not merely the Father's, but also the Son's, for He is the one through whom and for whom all things exist and are sustained (Hebrews 1:3). Furthermore, Christ's perfect, once-for-all sacrifice on the cross fully satisfied the spiritual need for atonement that animal sacrifices could only foreshadow and temporarily cover (Hebrews 10:4-10). He did not offer something from creation to God, but offered Himself, the ultimate and spotless Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!, demonstrating that God's true desire was not for the blood of bulls and goats, which He already owned in infinite supply, but for a perfect, obedient offering of self. In Christ, the emphasis shifts from external ritual to internal transformation and a life lived in grateful submission to the Lordship of the One who owns all and gave all for our redemption, inviting us into a true worship that is "in spirit and in truth" (John 4:24).

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Commentary on Psalms 50 verses 7–15

I. II. Main points1. 2. Sub-points

God is here dealing with those that placed all their religion in the observances of the ceremonial law, and thought those sufficient.

I. He lays down the original contract between him and Israel, in which they had avouched him to be their God, and he them to be his people, and so both parties were agreed (Psa 50:7): Hear, O my people! and I will speak. Note, It is justly expected that whatever others doe, when he speaks, his people should give ear; who will, if they do not? And then we may comfortably expect that God will speak to us when we are ready to hear what he says; even when he testifies against us in the rebukes and threatenings of his word and providences we must be forward to hear what he says, to hear even the rod and him that has appointed it.

II. He puts a slight upon the legal sacrifices, Psa 50:8, etc. Now,

1.This may be considered as looking back to the use of these under the law. God had a controversy with the Jews; but what was the ground of the controversy? Not their neglect of the ceremonial institutions; no, they had not been wanting in the observance of them, their burnt-offerings had been continually before God, they took a pride in them, and hoped by their offerings to procure a dispensation for their lusts, as the adulterous woman, Pro 7:14. Their constant sacrifices, they thought, would both expiate and excuse their neglect of the weightier matters of the law. Nay, if they had, in some degree, neglected these institutions, yet that should not have been the cause of God's quarrel with them, for it was but a small offence in comparison with the immoralities of their conversation. They thought God was mightily beholden to them for the many sacrifices they had brought to his altar, and that they had made him very much their debtor by them, as if he could not h have maintained his numerous family of priests without their contributions; but God here shows them the contrary, (1.) That he did not need their sacrifices. What occasion had he for their bullocks and goats who has the command of all the beasts of the forest, and the cattle upon a thousand hills (Psa 50:9, Psa 50:10), has an incontestable propriety in them and dominion over them, has them all always under his eye and within his reach, and can make what use he pleases of them; they all wait on him, and are all at his disposal? Psa 104:27-29. Can we add any thing to his store whose all the wild fowl and wild beasts are, the world itself and the fulness thereof? Psa 50:11, Psa 50:12. God's infinite self-sufficiency proves our utter insufficiency to add any thing to him. (2.) That he could not be benefited by their sacrifices. Their goodness, of this kind, could not possibly extend to him, nor, if they were in this matter righteous, was he the better (Psa 50:13): Will I eat the flesh of bulls? It is as absurd to think that their sacrifices could, of themselves, and by virtue of any innate excellency in them, add any pleasure of praise to God, as it would be to imagine that an infinite Spirit could be supported by meat and drink, as our bodies are. It is said indeed of the demons whom the Gentiles worshipped that they did eat the fat of their sacrifices, and drink the wine of their drink-offerings (Deu 32:38): they regaled themselves in the homage they robbed the true God of; but will the great Jehovah be thus entertained? No; to obey is better than sacrifice, and to love God and our neighbour better than all burnt-offerings, so much better that God by his prophets often told them that their sacrifices were not only not acceptable, but abominable, to him, while they lived in sin; instead of pleasing him, he looked upon them as a mockery, and therefore an affront and provocation to him; see Pro 15:8; Isa 1:11, etc.; Isa 66:3; Jer 6:20; Amo 5:21. They are therefore here warned not to rest in these performances; but to conduct themselves, in all other instances, towards God as their God.

2.This may be considered as looking forward to the abolishing of these by the gospel of Christ. Thus Dr. Hammond understands it. When God shall set up the kingdom of the Messiah he shall abolish the old way of worship by sacrifice and offerings; he will no more have those to be continually before him (Psa 50:8); he will no more require of his worshippers to bring him their bullocks and their goats, to be burnt upon his altar, Psa 50:9. For indeed he never appointed this as that which he had any need of, or took any pleasure in, for, besides that all we have is his already, he has far more beasts in the forest and upon the mountains, which we know nothing of nor have any property in, than we have in our folds; but he instituted it to prefigure the great sacrifice which his own Son should in the fulness of time offer upon the cross, to make atonement for sin, and all the other spiritual sacrifices of acknowledgment with which God, through Christ, will be well pleased.

III. He directs to the best sacrifices of prayer and praise as those which, under the law, were preferred before all burnt-offerings and sacrifices, and on which then the greatest stress was laid, and which now, under the gospel, come in the room of those carnal ordinances which were imposed until the times of reformation. He shows us here (Psa 50:14, Psa 50:15) what is good, and what the Lord our God requires of us, and will accept, when sacrifices are slighted and superseded. 1. We must make a penitent acknowledgment of our sins: Offer to God confession, so some read it, and understand it of the confession of sin, in order to our giving glory to God and taking shame to ourselves, that we may never return to it. A broken and contrite heart is the sacrifice which God will not despise, Psa 51:17. If the sin was not abandoned the sin-offering was not accepted. 2. We must give God thanks for his mercies to us: Offer to God thanksgiving, every day, often every day (seven times a day will I praise thee), and upon special occasions; and this shall please the Lord, if it come from a humble thankful heart, full of love to him and joy in him, better than an ox or bullock that has horns and hoofs, Psa 69:30, Psa 69:31. 3. We must make conscience of performing our covenants with him: Pay thy vows to the Most High, forsake thy sins, and do thy duty better, pursuant to the solemn promises thou has made him to that purport. When we give God thanks for any mercy we have received we must be sure to pay the vows we made to him when we were in the pursuit of the mercy, else our thanksgivings will not be accepted. Dr. Hammond applies this to the great gospel ordinance of the eucharist, in which we are to give thanks to God for his great love in sending his Son to save us, and to pay our vows of love and duty to him, and to give alms. Instead of all the Old Testament types of a Christ to come, we have that blessed memorial of a Christ already come. 4. In the day of distress we must address ourselves to God by faithful and fervent prayer (Psa 50:15): Call upon me in the day of trouble, and not upon any other god. Our troubles, though we see them coming from God's hand, must drive us to him, and not drive us from him. We must thus acknowledge him in all our ways, depend upon his wisdom, power, and goodness, and refer ourselves entirely to him, and so give him glory. This is a cheaper, easier, readier way of seeking his favour than by a peace-offering, and yet more acceptable. 5. When he, in answer to our prayers, delivers us, as he has promised to do in such way and time as he shall think fit, we must glorify him, not only by a grateful mention of his favour, but by living to his praise. Thus must we keep up our communion with God, meeting him with our prayers when he afflicts us and with our praises when he delivers us.

Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 7–15. Public domain.
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Evagrius PonticusAD 399
NOTES ON THE PSALMS 49[50].10
All created things are under the providence of God. Does not even one sparrow fall without the Father who is in heaven knowing?
Augustine of HippoAD 430
Exposition on Psalm 50
"For mine are all the beasts of the wood" [Psalm 50:10]. Why should I ask of you what I have made? Is it more yours, to whom I have given it to possess, than Mine, who have made it? "For mine are all the beasts of the wood." But perchance that Israel says, The beasts are God's, those wild beasts which I enclose not in my pen, which I bind not to my stall; but this ox and sheep and he-goat— these are my own. "Cattle on the mountain, and oxen." Mine are those which you possess not, Mine are these which you possess. For if you are My servant, the whole of your property is Mine. For it cannot be, that is the property of the master which the servant has gotten to himself, and yet that not be the property of the Master which the Master Himself has created for the servant. Therefore Mine are the beasts of the wood which you have not taken; Mine are also the cattle on the mountains which are yours, and the oxen which are at your stall: all are My own, for I have created them.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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