Albert Barnes Commentary Psalms 50:16

"But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, And that thou hast taken my covenant in thy mouth," — Psalms 50:16 (ASV)

But unto the wicked God saith - This begins a second part of the subject. See the introduction.

Until now, the psalm referred to those who were merely external worshippers, or mere formalists, showing that such people could not be approved and accepted in the day of judgment. Spiritual religion—the offering of the “heart”—was necessary for acceptance with God.

In this part of the psalm, the same principles are applied to those who actually violate the law which they profess to receive as prescribing the rules of true religion, and which they profess to teach to others.

The design of the psalm is not merely to reprove the mass of the people as mere formalists in religion, but especially to reprove the leaders and teachers of the people, who, under the form of religion, gave themselves up to a way of life completely inconsistent with the true service of God. The address here, therefore, is to those who, while they professed to be teachers of religion and to lead the devotions of others, gave themselves up to abandoned lives.

What hast thou to do - What right do you have to do this? How can people who lead such lives consistently and properly do this? The idea is that those who profess to declare the law of a holy God should themselves be holy; that those who profess to teach the principles and doctrines of true religion should themselves be examples of purity and holiness.

To declare my statutes - My laws. This evidently refers more to the teaching of others than to the profession of their own faith. The language would be applicable to the priests under the Jewish system, who were expected not only to conduct the outward services of religion but also to instruct the people, to explain the principles of religion, and to be the guides and teachers of others .

There is a striking resemblance between the language used in this part of the psalm (Psalms 50:16–20) and the language of the apostle Paul in Romans 2:17-23; and it seems probable that the apostle in that passage had this portion of the psalm in mind. See the notes at that passage.

Or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth - Either as professing faith in it and a purpose to be governed by it, or, more probably, as explaining it to others. The “covenant” here is equivalent to the “law” of God, or the principles of His religion; and the idea is that the one who undertakes to explain that to others should himself be a holy man.

He can have no “right” to attempt to explain it if he is otherwise; he cannot hope to be able to explain it unless he himself sees and appreciates its truth and beauty.

This is as true now of the Gospel as it was of the law. A wicked man can have no right to undertake the work of the Christian ministry, nor can he be able to explain to others what he himself does not understand.