Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 50:20
Thou sittest [and] speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother’s son.
20. Thou sittest emphasises the deliberateness of the slander. Cp. “the session of scorners,” i. 1. Thy brother might mean any Israelite; but the alternative thine own mother’s son (cp. Psa 69:8, note) in the parallel line indicates that it is to be understood literally. The Psalmist describes a state of moral degeneracy in which even the closest ties of kinship are ignored. Cp. Mic 7:6; Jer 9:4.
thou slanderest ] Lit. dost allege a fault against. This rendering suits the parallelism, but the phrase (which occurs here only) is of uncertain meaning, and may mean givest a thrust against (R.V. marg.), or, settest a stumbling block for.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother – To the general character of falsehood and slander there is now added the fact that they were guilty of this in the most aggravated manner conceivable – against their nearest relations, the members of their own families. They were not only guilty of the crime against neighbors – against strangers – against persons to whom they sustained no near relationship; but against those of their own households – those whose characters, on that account, ought to have been especially dear to them. The words thou sittest probably refer to the fact that they would do this when enjoying social contact with them; in confidential conversation; when words of peace, and not of slander, might be properly expected. The word brother might be used as denoting any other man, or any one of the same nation; but the phrase which is added, thine own mothers son, shows that it is here to be taken in the strictest sense.
Thou slanderest – literally, Thou givest to ruin. Prof. Alexander renders it, Thou wilt aim a blow. The Septuagint, the Vulgate, Luther, and DeWette understand it of slander.
Thine own mothers son – It is to be remembered that where polygamy prevailed there would be many children in the same family who had the same father, but not the same mother. The nearest relationship, therefore, was where there was the same mother as well as the same father. To speak of a brother, in the strictest sense, and as implying the nearest relationship, it would be natural to speak of one as having the same mother. The idea here is, that while professing religion, and performing its external rites with the most scrupulous care, they were guilty of the basest crimes, and showed an entire want of moral principle and of natural affection. External worship, however zealously performed, could not be acceptable in such circumstances to a holy God.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Thou dost not only speak evil in a sudden passion, or upon some great provocation, but this is thy constant and deliberate practice and business, which thou dost pursue with great facility and complacency; all which this phrase implies.
Thy brother; strictly so called, as the next clause explains it; which is a great aggravation of the sin, and a proof of his inveterate and obstinate wickedness.
Thou slanderest; takest away his good name, which is better than all riches; yea, than life itself; which is contrary to my express and oft-repeated commands.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Thou sittest,…. Either in the chair of Moses, or on the seat of judgment, in the great sanhedrim of the nation; or, as Aben Ezra paraphrases it, “in the seat of the scornful”;
[and] speakest against thy brother; even to pass sentence upon him, to put him to death for professing faith in Christ, Mt 10:21;
thou slanderest thine own mother’s son; the apostles and disciples of Christ, who were their brethren and kinsmen according to the flesh; and even our Lord Jesus Christ himself, who was bone of their bone, and flesh of their flesh.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(20) Sittest.Rather, as in Psa. 10:8; Psa. 17:12, lurkest.
Slanderest.Literally, givest a thrust; but, from the parallelism, used of words that often hurt more than blows.
Mothers son.In a country where polygamy was practised, this marks a closer relationship than the more general brother would do. (See Son. 1:6, Note.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
20. Thou speakest against In Psa 50:19 they are seen framing “deceit,” now it comes out into public slander.
Thine own mother’s son In polygamous countries brothers have not always the same mother. Here the idea of a common motherhood as well as fatherhood marks the closest relation, and the crime of alienation and slander is thereby aggravated.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Psa 50:20 Thou sittest [and] speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother’s son.
Ver. 20. Thou sittest ] In the seat of the scornful, on the ale bench, &c.
And speakest against thy brother
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
thine own mother’s son. Figure of speech Periphrasis, for emphasis.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
speakest: Psa 31:18, Mat 5:11, Luk 22:65
slanderest: Lev 19:16, Pro 10:18, 1Ti 3:11, Tit 2:3, Rev 12:10
thine own: Mat 10:21
Reciprocal: Job 15:5 – thou choosest Psa 101:5 – Whoso Jer 6:28 – walking Eze 22:9 – men that carry tales Eph 4:31 – evil speaking
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
50:20 Thou {p} sittest [and] speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother’s son.
(p) He notes the cruelty of hypocrites who in their talk or judgment do not spare their own mother’s sons.