Psalms 50:8
Translations
King James Version (KJV)
I will not reprove you for your sacrifices or your burnt offerings, to have been continually before me.
American King James Version (AKJV)
I will not reprove you for your sacrifices or your burnt offerings, to have been continually before me.
American Standard Version (ASV)
I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices; And thy burnt-offerings are continually before me.
Basic English Translation (BBE)
I will not take up a cause against you because of your offerings, or because of your burned offerings, which are ever before me.
Webster's Revision
I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt-offerings, to have been continually before me.
World English Bible
I don't rebuke you for your sacrifices. Your burnt offerings are continually before me.
English Revised Version (ERV)
I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices; and thy burnt offerings are continually before me.
Clarke's Psalms 50:8 Bible Commentary
I will not reprove thee - I do not mean to find fault with you for not offering sacrifices; you have offered them, they have been continually before me: but you have not offered them in the proper way.
Barnes's Psalms 50:8 Bible Commentary
I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt-offerings - On the words "sacrifices" and "burnt-offerings" here used, see the notes at Isaiah 1:11. The meaning is, "I do not reprove or rebuke you in respect to the withholding of sacrifices. I do not charge you with neglecting the offering of such sacrifices. I do not accuse the nation of indifference in regard to the external rites or duties of religion. It is not on this ground that you are to be blamed or condemned, for that duty is outwardly and publicly performed. I do not say that such offerings are wrong; I do not say that there has been any failure in the external duties of worship. The charge - the reproof - relates to other matters; to the want of a proper spirit, to the withholding of the heart, in connection with such offerings."
To have been continually before me - The words "to have been" are inserted by the translators, and weaken the sense. The simple idea is, that their offerings "were" continually before him; that is, they were constantly made. He had no charge of neglect in this respect to bring against them. The insertion of the words "to have been" would seem to imply that though they had neglected this external rite, it was a matter of no consequence; whereas the simple meaning is, that they were "not" chargeable with this neglect, or that there was "no" cause of complaint on this point. It was on other grounds altogether that a charge was brought against them. It was, as the following verses show, because they supposed there was special "merit" in such offerings; because they supposed that they laid God under obligation by so constant and so expensive offerings, as if they did not already belong to him, or as if he needed them; and because, while they did this, they withheld the very offering which he required, and without which all other sacrifices would be vain and worthless - a sincere, humble, thankful heart.
Wesley's Psalms 50:8 Bible Commentary
50:8 I will not - This is not the principal matter of my charge, that thou hast neglected sacrifices which thou shouldst have offered.