“When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers.”
My Notes
What Does Psalms 50:18 Mean?
God charges the wicked with complicity: "When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him." The accusation isn't that the person stole. It's that they consented to the stealing. They saw the crime and aligned themselves with the criminal. The sin is the alliance, not the act.
The word "consentedst" (ratsah — to be pleased with, to take delight in, to approve) means more than passive tolerance. The person was pleased by the thief. They found satisfaction in the theft. The consent is emotional, not just behavioral: they liked what the thief did. The pleasure in another person's sin is the specific charge.
The partnering with adulterers ("hast been partaker with adulterers") extends the complicity: association with the sexually immoral, sharing in their lifestyle, participating in their world. The word "partaker" (cheleq — portion, share, lot) means your lot is cast with theirs. Your portion is with the adulterers. You've chosen their company as your community.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What sins do you observe with pleasure that you would never commit yourself?
- 2.How does consenting to (being pleased by) someone else's sin differ from committing the sin — and why does God charge both?
- 3.What does 'partaker with adulterers' (your social circle defined by the morally compromised) look like in your life?
- 4.Where is your internal 'consent' (pleasure in others' wrong) the unrecognized sin?
Devotional
You saw the thief steal. And you were pleased. God charges the wicked not with stealing but with enjoying the stealing. The crime isn't in your hands — it's in your approval. You consented. You were satisfied by someone else's sin.
The distinction between committing the sin and consenting to it is the verse's theological razor: you can be guilty without acting. The pleasure you take in another person's wrong is itself the wrong. The internal alignment with evil — the 'yes' inside you when you watch someone get away with what you wish you could get away with — is what God charges. The consent is the crime.
The partaking with adulterers adds the social dimension: you've chosen their company. Your portion is with theirs. Your social circle is defined by the morally compromised, and the definition is your choice. Nobody forced you into that community. You cast your lot there because their lifestyle attracted you.
Paul echoes this principle in Romans 1:32: those who practice such things are worthy of death — and so are those who 'have pleasure in them that do them.' The pleasure in others' sin is catalogued alongside the sin itself. The spectator who enjoys the performance is as culpable as the performer.
This should examine your relationship with the sins you observe but don't commit. The shows you watch with pleasure. The gossip you listen to with satisfaction. The person whose moral compromise you find entertaining. The thief you don't stop — and whose theft you secretly admire. The consent is internal. The pleasure is private. And God charges it as a crime.
What sin are you consenting to through the pleasure you take in watching it?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Thou givest thy mouth to evil,.... To speak evil things against Christ, his doctrines, ordinances, ministers and people;…
When thou sawest a thief - When you have seen or found one who was intending to commit theft, then (instead of rebuking…
God, by the psalmist, having instructed his people in the right way of worshipping him and keeping up their communion…
then thou consentedst with him The original is stronger: thou didst delight thyself with him, didst gladly associate…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture