Psalms 50:1

A psalm by Asaph. El, God, the Lord ²  speaks, and summons the earth to come from the east and west. ³ 

A psalm of Asaph. The Mighty One, God, the LORD, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets.

<<A Psalm of Asaph.>> The Mighty One, God, the LORD, has spoken, And summoned the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting.

<<A psalm of Asaph.>> The mighty God, the LORD, has spoken; he has summoned all humanity from east to west!

The God of gods--it's GOD!--speaks out, shouts, "Earth!" welcomes the sun in the east, farewells the disappearing sun in the west.

<A Psalm. Of Asaph.> The God of gods, even the Lord, has sent out his voice, and the earth is full of fear; from the coming up of the sun to its going down.

The mighty one, God the LORD, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting.

<<A Psalm of Asaph.>> The Mighty One, God the LORD, Has spoken and called the earth From the rising of the sun to its going down.

A psalm by Asaph. El, God, the Lord ²  speaks, and summons the earth to come from the east and west. ³ 

¹ sn Psalm 50. This psalm takes the form of a covenant lawsuit in which the Lord comes to confront his people in a formal manner (as in Isa 1:2-20). The Lord emphasizes that he places priority on obedience and genuine worship, not empty ritual.

² sn Israel’s God is here identified with three names: El (אֵל [’el], or “God”), Elohim (אֱלֹהִים [’elohim], or “God”), and Yahweh (יְהוָה [yÿhvah] or “the Lord”). There is an obvious allusion here to Josh 22:22, the only other passage where these three names appear in succession. In that passage the Reubenites, Gadites, and half-tribe of Manasseh declare, “El, God, the Lord! El, God, the Lord! He knows the truth! Israel must also know! If we have rebelled or disobeyed the Lord, don’t spare us today!” In that context the other tribes had accused the trans-Jordanian tribes of breaking God’s covenant by worshiping idols. The trans-Jordanian tribes appealed to “El, God, the Lord” as their witness that they were innocent of the charges brought against them. Ironically here in Ps 50 “El, God, the Lord” accuses his sinful covenant people of violating the covenant and warns that he will not spare them if they persist in their rebellion.

³ tn Heb “and calls [the] earth from the sunrise to its going.”