What does Psalms 50:12 mean?

"If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof." - Psalms 50:12

"If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof." - Psalms 50:12

Psalms 50:12 (KJV) states, "If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof."

This verse is a part of a larger passage in Psalm 50, which is a psalm of Asaph. Asaph was a Levite who served as a chief musician and one of David's singers. The psalm is a call to worship and a reminder of God's sovereignty and his judgment on the wicked.

In this particular verse, God is addressing the Israelites, reminding them of His ownership of the world and all that is in it. The verse begins with the conditional clause, "If I were hungry," and then states, "I would not tell thee," indicating that even if God were in need of sustenance, He would not require anything from His creation. It is a powerful statement of God's independence and self-sufficiency.

One of the themes that can be derived from this verse is the sovereignty of God. The verse asserts that the entire world belongs to God, and He has no need for anything that is within it. This echoes other passages in the Bible that talk about God's role as the creator and sustainer of all things. It emphasizes the idea that everything in the world belongs to God and is under His control.

Another theme present in this verse is the concept of stewardship. The verse implies that humans are mere stewards of the world and the resources within it. It reminds the Israelites that everything they have ultimately belongs to God and that they are accountable to Him for how they use it. This idea is also echoed throughout the Bible, particularly in the teachings of Jesus, who often spoke about using resources wisely and being good stewards of what has been entrusted to us.

The context of this verse is important for a deeper understanding. In the preceding verses of Psalm 50, God is depicted as a judge who is summoning the earth and its inhabitants to stand before Him. He rebukes the people of Israel for their offerings and sacrifices, which have become ritualistic and devoid of true reverence and obedience. In verses 10-11, God declares His ownership over all the animals of the forest and the cattle on a thousand hills. He invites the Israelites to remember that He knows every bird in the mountains and the insects in the fields. It is in this context that the verse in question is situated, emphasizing God's complete sovereignty over all creation.

The symbolism in this verse lies in the imagery of God's ownership of the world. The image of God being hungry is metaphorical, used to emphasize His lack of need for anything in creation. It serves to highlight His self-sufficiency and sovereignty. The imagery of the world and its fullness belonging to God serves to remind the Israelites that everything they have ultimately comes from Him and that they are accountable for how they use it.

In conclusion, Psalms 50:12 (KJV) is a powerful declaration of God's sovereignty and His ownership of the world. It serves as a reminder to the Israelites and to all readers of the Bible that everything in the world ultimately belongs to God, and that we are mere stewards of His creation. The verse emphasizes the theme of God's self-sufficiency and the symbolism of His ownership over all things. It calls for reverence and obedience to God as the ultimate authority and ruler of the world.

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Psalms 50:12 - "If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof."

Psalms 50:12 - "If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof."

"If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof." - Psalms 50:12

"If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof." - Psalms 50:12

"Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined." - Psalms 50:2

"Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined." - Psalms 50:2

"For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills." - Psalms 50:10

"For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills." - Psalms 50:10

"And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah." - Psalms 50:6

"And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah." - Psalms 50:6

Psalms 50:13 - "Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?"

Psalms 50:13 - "Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?"

Psalms 50:2 - "Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined."

Psalms 50:2 - "Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined."

"I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine." - Psalms 50:11

"I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine." - Psalms 50:11

"Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High:" - Psalms 50:14

"Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High:" - Psalms 50:14

Psalms 50:6 - "And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah."

Psalms 50:6 - "And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah."

Psalms 50:11 - "I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine."

Psalms 50:11 - "I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine."

Psalms 119:50 - "This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me."

Psalms 119:50 - "This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me."

Psalms 50:10 - "For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills."

Psalms 50:10 - "For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills."

Psalms 50:14 - "Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High:"

Psalms 50:14 - "Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High:"

Psalms 50:19 - "Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit."

Psalms 50:19 - "Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit."

Psalms 50:17 - "Seeing thou hatest instruction, and castest my words behind thee."

Psalms 50:17 - "Seeing thou hatest instruction, and castest my words behind thee."

Psalms 50:5 - "Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice."

Psalms 50:5 - "Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice."

Psalms 50:15 - "And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me."

Psalms 50:15 - "And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me."

Psalms 50:22 - "Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver."

Psalms 50:22 - "Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver."

"He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people." - Psalms 50:4

"He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people." - Psalms 50:4

Psalms 50:18 - "When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers."

Psalms 50:18 - "When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers."

Psalms 50:4 - "He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people."

Psalms 50:4 - "He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people."

Psalms 50:9 - "I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he goats out of thy folds."

Psalms 50:9 - "I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he goats out of thy folds."

Psalms 50:20 - "Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother's son."

Psalms 50:20 - "Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother's son."

Psalms 50:23 - "Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God."

Psalms 50:23 - "Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God."

Psalms 18:50 - "Great deliverance giveth he to his king; and sheweth mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore."

Psalms 18:50 - "Great deliverance giveth he to his king; and sheweth mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore."

Psalms 78:50 - "He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence;"

Psalms 78:50 - "He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence;"

Psalms 50:8 - "I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt offerings, to have been continually before me."

Psalms 50:8 - "I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt offerings, to have been continually before me."

Psalms 50:1 - "The mighty God, even the LORD, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof."

Psalms 50:1 - "The mighty God, even the LORD, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof."

"He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence;" - Psalms 78:50

"He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence;" - Psalms 78:50