If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world is Mine, and the fullness thereof.
Parallel translations
- WEB If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it.
- KJV If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof.
- NKJV “If I were hungry, I would not tell you; For the world is Mine, and all its fullness.
- NASB “If I were hungry I would not tell you, For the world is Mine, and everything it contains.
- NLT If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for all the world is mine and everything in it.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
If God were hungry He would not need to tell humans, for the whole world is His. He depends on no one.
Overview
With gentle irony God states that even if He had needs, He would not turn to His creatures, since everything already belongs to Him. The point dismantles any view of sacrifice as feeding God. True worship honors God's all-sufficiency rather than presuming to meet a divine lack.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Exod 19:5Now if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you will be My treasured possession out of all the nations—for the whole earth is Mine.
- Deut 10:14Behold, to the LORD your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, and the earth and everything in it.
- Ps 24:1–2A Psalm of David. The earth is the LORD’s, and the fullness thereof, the world and all who dwell therein.
- 1 Cor 10:26–28for, “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.”
- Job 41:11Who has given to Me that I should repay him? Everything under heaven is Mine.
- Ps 115:15–16May you be blessed by the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
- Gen 8:17Bring out all the living creatures that are with you—birds, livestock, and everything that crawls upon the ground—so that they can spread out over the earth and be fruitful and multiply upon it.”
- Ps 145:15–16The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food in season.
- Gen 1:28–30God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that crawls upon the earth.”
- Gen 1:11–12Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth vegetation: seed-bearing plants and fruit trees, each bearing fruit with seed according to its kind.” And it was so.
- Ps 104:24How many are Your works, O LORD! In wisdom You have made them all; the earth is full of Your creatures.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 50:12 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.