If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof.
Parallel translations
- WEB If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it.
- BSB If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world is Mine, and the fullness 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 therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:
- Deut 10:14Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the LORD’s thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is.
- Ps 24:1–2The earth is the LORD’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
- 1 Cor 10:26–28For the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof.
- Job 41:11Who hath prevented me, that I should repay him? whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine.
- Ps 115:15–16Ye are blessed of the LORD which made heaven and earth.
- Gen 8:17Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee, of all flesh, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth.
- Ps 145:15–16The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season.
- Gen 1:28–30And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
- Gen 1:11–12And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
- Ps 104:24O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.
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.