| Back to Home Page | Back to Book Index
|
Psalm Forty-nine
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO Psalm 49
To the chief Musician, A Psalm for the sons of Korah. Aben Ezra
says this psalm is a very excellent one, since in it is explained the Light of
the world to come, and of the rational and immortal soul; and Kimchi is of
opinion that it respects both this world and that which is to come: and indeed
it treats of the vanity of trusting in riches: of the insufficiency of them for
the redemption of the soul; of the short continuance of worldly honour and
substance; of the certainty of death, and of the resurrection of the dead. And
the design of it is to expose the folly of trusting in uncertain riches, and to
comfort the people of God under the want of them.
Psalm 49:1 Hear
this, all peoples; Give ear, all inhabitants of the world,
YLT
1To the Overseer. -- By sons
of Korah. A Psalm. Hear this, all ye peoples, Give ear, all ye inhabitants of
the world.
Hear this,.... Not the law, as some Jewish writersF12Midrash
Tillim in loc. Yalkut Simeoni, par. 2. fol. 106. 2. interpret it, which was not
desirable to be heard by those that did hear it; it being a voice of wrath and
terror, a cursing law, and a ministration of condemnation and death; but rather
אחויתא דא, "this
news", as the Targum; the good news of the Gospel; the word of
"this" salvation; the voice from heaven; the word not spoken by
angels, but by the Lord himself: or זאת החכמה, "this wisdom", as Kimchi interprets it;
which the psalmist was about to speak of, Psalm 49:3; also
the parable and dark saying he should attend unto and open, Psalm 49:4; and
indeed it may take in the whole subject matter of the psalm;
all ye people: not the people of Israel
only, but all the people of the world, as appears from the following clause;
whence it is evident that this psalm belongs to Gospel times; in which the
middle wall of partition is broken down, and there is no difference of people;
God is the God both of Jews and Gentiles; Christ is the Saviour and Redeemer of
one as well as of the other; the Spirit of God has been poured out upon the
latter; the Gospel has been sent into all the world, and all are called upon to
hear it;
give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world, or "of
time"; so the word is rendered "age", the age of a man, Psalm 39:5. The
inhabitants of this world are but for a time; wherefore Ben Melech interprets
the phrase by אנשי הומן,
"men of time", the inhabitants of time; it is peculiar to the most
High to "inhabit eternity", Isaiah 57:15. Under
the Gospel dispensation there is no distinction of places; the Gospel is not
confined to the land of Judea; the sound of it is gone into all the world, and
men may worship God, and offer incense to his name, in every place; and whoever
fears him in any nation is accepted of him.
Psalm 49:2 2 Both low and high, Rich
and poor together.
YLT
2Both low and high, together
rich and needy.
Both low and high,.... Or "both the sons of Adam and the
sons of men". By the sons of "Adam" are meant the multitude of
the people, as Ben Melech explains it; the common people, the meaner sort, the
base things of this world; and such are they, generally speaking, who are
called by grace under the Gospel dispensation: and by "the sons of
men" are meant the princes, nobles, and great men of the earth; men of
high birth and illustrious extraction: so Adam is rendered, "the mean
man", and "Ish", the word here used, "the great man",
in Isaiah 2:9. And
though not many, yet some of this sort are called by grace; and all of them
have a peculiar concern in many things spoken of in this psalm; see Psalm 49:12;
rich and poor together: these are called upon to
hearken to what is after said, that the one may not be elated with and trust in
their riches, and that the other may not be dejected on account of their
poverty; and seeing both must die, and meet together at the judgment day; and
inasmuch as the Gospel is preached to one as to another; and for the most part
the poor hear it, receive it, and are called by it.
Psalm 49:3 3 My mouth shall speak
wisdom, And the meditation of my heart shall give understanding.
YLT
3My mouth speaketh wise
things, And the meditations of my heart [are] things of understanding.
My mouth shall speak of wisdom,.... Or
"wisdoms"F13חכמות
"sapientias", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus, Cocceius, Gejerus,
Michaelis. ; of Christ, who is so called, Proverbs 1:20. He
being as a divine Person the wisdom of God, and the only wise God; and having
all the treasures of wisdom in him, as man and Mediator: of him the prophet
spake, and of him the apostles and all Gospel ministers speak; of the glories
of his Person, of the fulness of his grace, and of his wonderful works;
especially of that of redemption and salvation by him, in which there is an
abounding of wisdom and prudence. Or the Gospel may be meant, and all the
truths of it, in which there is a glorious display of divine wisdom; it is the
wisdom of God in a mystery; hidden and ancient wisdom; and which, when truly
understood, makes a man wise unto salvation; see 1 Corinthians 2:6;
and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding; or
"understandings"F14תבונות
"intelligentias", Pagninus, Montanus. ; and this is in order to the
former; what the heart meditates the mouth speaks. If the heart meditates on
understanding, the mouth will speak of wisdom; and a man should think before he
speaks, especially the ministers of the Gospel: they ought to meditate on the
word of God, the Gospel, and the truths of it, that their profiling may appear
to all; that they may understand divine things themselves, and deliver them out
to the understanding of others: their concern should be, that through
meditation they may have a good treasure of wisdom and knowledge in their
hearts, that out of it they may bring forth things pleasant and profitable unto
others.
Psalm 49:4 4 I will incline my ear to a
proverb; I will disclose my dark saying on the harp.
YLT
4I incline to a simile mine
ear, I open with a harp my riddle:
I will incline mine ear to a parable,.... In which
way of speaking the doctrines of the Gospel were delivered out by Christ, Matthew 13:3.
Wherefore the prophet, representing his apostles and disciples, signifies that
he would listen thereunto, that he might attain to the knowledge thereof, and
communicate it to others;
I will open my dark saying upon the harp; the enigmas,
riddles, and mysteries of the Gospel, being understood by the ministers of it,
are opened and explained in a very pleasant and delightful manner; they are
made clear and evident, and are as a lovely song upon a harp; see Ezekiel 33:32.
Psalm 49:5 5 Why should I fear in the
days of evil, When the iniquity at my heels surrounds me?
YLT
5Why do I fear in days of
evil? The iniquity of my supplanters doth compass me.
Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil,.... This is
the principal thing that all are before called to hearken to. This is the
wisdom and understanding the psalmist had been meditating upon, and was about
to utter; this is the parable he inclined his ear to, and the dark saying he
would open; namely, that a saint has nothing to fear in the worst of times;
which is a riddle to a natural man. Aben Ezra interprets "the days of evil"
of the days of old age, as they are called, Ecclesiastes 12:1,
which bring on diseases, weakness, and death; in which a good man has no reason
to fear; as that he should want the necessaries of life, since they that fear
the Lord shall want no good thing; or that he should not hold out to the end,
seeing God, who is the guide of youth, is the staff of old age, and carries to
hoary hairs, and will never leave nor forsake; and though the wicked man in old
age has reason to be afraid of death and eternity at hand, the saint has not;
but may sing, on the borders of the grave, "O death! where is thy
sting?" &c. 1 Corinthians 15:55.
Also days in which iniquity abounds, and error and heresy prevail, are days of
evil; and though the good man may fear he shall be led aside by the ill example
of some, or by the craft of others; yet he need not, since the foundation of
God stands sure, and he knows them that are his, and will take care of them and
preserve them. Moreover, times of affliction and persecution are evil days; see
Ephesians 5:16; and
such will be the hour of temptation, that shall try the inhabitants of the
earth, Revelation 3:10.
Yet the righteous man need not fear, since it is always well with him, let his
case and circumstances be what they will. Yea, the day of death, and the day of
judgment are days of evil to wicked men; and therefore they put them away far
from them, Amos 6:3; but
believers have reason to rejoice at them, the day of their death being better
than the day of their birth; and the day of judgment will be the time of the glorious
appearing of Christ to them. It is added,
when the iniquity
of my heels shall compass me about; that is, the sins of
life and conversation; "heels" denote "steps", and the word
is sometimes so rendered, as in Psalm 56:6; and
"iniquity" intends sin committed in walking; and so designs not
original sin, as some have thought, but actual sins and transgressions: and
these may be said to "compass the saints about", when they are
chastised for them, and so are brought to a sense and acknowledgment of them,
and to be humbled for them; and then they have nothing to fear in a slavish
way, since these chastisements are not in wrath, or in a way of vindictive justice,
or punishment for sin; but the fruits of love and favour. Or the sense may be,
when death, the fruit of iniquity, the wages of sin, surrounds and seizes upon
me; בסופי, "in my end", as the Targum; in
my last days, at the heel or close of them, I will not fear; the saint has no
reason to fear, when he walks through death's dark valley; for death is
abolished as a penal evil, its sting is took away, and its curse removed. Some
render the words, "when the iniquity of my supplanters shall compass me
about"F15עון עקבי
"iniquitas supplantatorum meorum", Gejerus; "insidiatorum
meorum", some in Vatablus. ; meaning his enemies, who either lay in wait
for him privately, and endeavoured to supplant him; or that pursued him
closely, and pressed upon his heels, just ready to destroy him; yet even then
he signifies he should not fear: and then the sense is the same with Psalm 27:1; to
which agree the Syriac and Arabic versions, which render it, "the iniquity
of mine enemies"; or, "when my enemies surround me": and it may
be literally rendered, when "iniquity surrounds me at my heels"F16"Iniquitas
oppressorum", i.e. "iniquissimi mei oppressores ambiunt me",
Gejerus. ; that is, when men, who are iniquity itself, encompass me, are at my
heels, ready to seize me, I will not fear.
Psalm 49:6 6 Those who trust in their
wealth And boast in the multitude of their riches,
YLT
6Those trusting on their
wealth, And in the multitude of their riches, Do shew themselves foolish.
They that trust in their wealth,.... In their outward
force, power, and strength; their horses, chariots, and armies; see Psalm 33:16; or in
their worldly goods and substance; which seems to be the sense of the word
here, as appears from Psalm 49:10. To
"trust" in them is to set the eye and heart upon them; or to take up
rest in them, to depend on them, to the neglect of divine Providence, with
respect to future living in this world; and to expect eternal happiness
hereafter, because favoured with many earthly enjoyments here: so to do is
evil. Therefore the Targum is, "woe to the wicked that trust in their
substance". And it is also very weak and foolish to trust in riches, since
they are uncertain, are here today, and gone tomorrow; and are unsatisfying, he
that has much would still have more: nor can they deliver from evil, from
present judgments, from the sword, the pestilence, and famine; nor from death,
nor from the future judgment, and wrath to come; and are often injurious to the
spiritual and eternal welfare of men; see 1 Timothy 6:9;
and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches; of their
acquisition of them by their own diligence and industry; and of their having
them because of some peculiar virtue and excellency in themselves; and of the
abundance of them. Such rejoicing and boasting is evil; since riches are the
gifts of God, the blessings of his Providence; and are often bestowed on
persons neither wise nor diligent, and much less deserving; see Jeremiah 9:23. The
whole may be applied to the Romish antichrist and his followers, who trust in
and boast of their temporal riches, which in one hour will come to nought, Revelation 18:7;
and of the treasure of the church, of merit; and works of supererogation; with
all which they cannot redeem one soul from ruin and destruction, as follows:
Psalm 49:7 7 None of them can by
any means redeem his brother, Nor give to God a ransom for him—
YLT
7A brother doth no one at
all ransom, He doth not give to God his atonement.
None of them can by any means redeem his brother,.... That is,
"with their substance", or "riches", as the Targum and
Jarchi supply. Some, according to the order of the words in the original,
render them, "a brother redeeming cannot redeem a man", or
"anyone"F17So Cocceius; and some in Michaelis. : but, as
Aben Ezra observes, אח, "a brother", is the
effect, and איש, "a man", is the cause. The
Targum is, "his brother that is a captive, a man redeeming cannot redeem
with his substance"; or by any means redeem. Indeed a rich man may redeem
his brother from debt, or from a prison, into which he is cast for it, by
paying his debts for him; or from thraldom and bondage, being taken captive and
becoming a prisoner of war, by giving a ransom for him. This he may do with
respect to man; but, with respect to God, he cannot, with all his riches, pay
the debts he owes to the law and justice of God; nor free him from his bondage
to sin, Satan, and the law, by whom he is held a captive. The sense here is,
that he cannot redeem him from death; he cannot, with all his money, secure him
from dying; nor, when dead, bring him back from the grave; and much less
deliver him from eternal death, or wrath to come; this only God can do, see Psalm 49:15;
nor give to God a ransom for him; a ransom to redeem from
sin, and so from the curse of the law and eternal death, must be given to God,
against whom sin is committed, the lawgiver that is able to save and destroy;
whose law is transgressed by it, and must be fulfilled; and whose justice is
affronted and injured, and must be satisfied; and who is the creditor to whom
men are debtors, and therefore the payment must be made to him. Hence our Lord
Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of his people, paid the ransom price to God, and
offered himself a sacrifice to him; see Ephesians 5:2. But
this ransom is not of man's giving, but of God's; it is of his finding out in
his infinite wisdom: he set forth and sent forth Christ to be the ransom or
"propitiation"F18כפרו
"propitiationem suam", Pagninus, Montanus. , as the word here used
signifies; and Christ came to give his life and himself a ransom for many, and
is the propitiation for their sins: and this is a sufficient one, a plenteous
redemption, and there needs no other, not is there any other; there were
typical atonements under the law, but there is no real atonement, propitiation,
or ransom, but by the precious blood of Christ; not by corruptible things, as
silver and gold; with these a man cannot give to God a ransom for himself, or
for his brother.
Psalm 49:8 8 For the redemption of
their souls is costly, And it shall cease forever—
YLT
8And precious [is] the
redemption of their soul, And it hath ceased -- to the age.
For the redemption of their soul is precious,.... Or
"heavy"F19יקר "gravis",
De Dieu, Michaelis. ; it is, as Jarchi observes, "heavier than their
substance": it is too weighty a matter for the richest man in the world to
engage in; he is not equal to it; his riches are not an equivalent to the
redemption of a soul which has sinned, and which is of more worth than the
whole world: "what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" or
another for him? all the substance of his house would be utterly despised. It
requires a greater price for the redemption of it than gold and silver, and
therefore it is impossible to be obtained by any such means; and which may be
the sense of the word here, as Jarchi and Kimchi interpret it; and so it is
used for that which is "rare", "difficult", yea,
"impossible", not to be found or come at, in 1 Samuel 3:1. The
only price of redemption of the soul is the precious blood of Christ; his life
is the ransom price, yea, he himself, 1 Peter 1:18, 1 Timothy 2:6; nor
is the redemption of the soul possible upon any other ground;
and it ceaseth for ever; that is, the redemption
of the soul; it must have ceased, it could never have been accomplished, had
not Christ undertook it and performed it; he has obtained eternal redemption,
and in him we have it, and in no other. Or the words may be rendered, "and
he ceaseth for ever"; the brother, whose soul or life is to be redeemed,
he dies; see Psalm 12:1; and
dies the second and eternal death, for aught his brother can do for him, with
all his riches: or he that attempts to redeem him, "he leaves off for
ever"F20חדל "definet",
Montanus, Vatablus. ; see Psalm 36:3; whether
he will or not, as Jarchi observes; he ceases from redeeming his brother; he
finds he cannot do it; his endeavours are vain and fruitless. Some join and
connect these words with the following, "and it ceaseth for ever, that he
should still live for ever", &c. that is, it is impossible that such
an one by such means should live for ever. GussetiusF21Ebr. Comment.
p. 345. renders and interprets the words quite to another sense, "but the
redemption of their soul shall come": the true redemption price by Christ;
and which, being once paid and perfectly done, "ceaseth for ever",
and shall never be required more; so that he for whom it is made "shall
live for ever", as in Psalm 49:9, which
is a truly evangelic sense.
Psalm 49:9 9 That he should continue to
live eternally, And not see the Pit.
YLT
9And still he liveth for
ever, He seeth not the pit.
That he should still live for ever,.... Or "though he
should live", &c.F23ויהי
"etiamsi vivat", Gejerus. . Though the rich man should live ever so
long, a thousand years twice told, as in Ecclesiastes 6:6;
yet he could not in all this time, with all his riches, redeem his brother; and
at last must die himself, and so must his brother too, as his own experience
and observation may assure him, Psalm 49:10. Or the
meaning is, he cannot so redeem his brother, or give to God a ransom for him,
that he should live a corporeal life for ever, and never die; since all men
die, wise men and fools, rich and poor; and much less that he should live and
enjoy an "eternal life", as the Targum; a life of happiness and bliss
hereafter, which is not to be obtained by gold and silver, but is the pure gift
of God;
and not see corruption; the grave,
the pit of corruption, the house appointed for all living: or "the
judgment of hell", according to the Chaldee paraphrase.
Psalm 49:10 10 For he sees wise men die; Likewise
the fool and the senseless person perish, And leave their wealth to others.
YLT
10For he seeth wise men die,
Together the foolish and brutish perish, And have left to others their wealth.
For he seeth that wise men die,.... This is a
reason convincing the rich man, that with all his riches he cannot redeem his
brother from death; since he must see, by daily and constant experience, that
none are exempted from dying, no, not even the wise man; and therefore, not the
rich, since wisdom is better than riches, and is said to give life, Ecclesiastes 7:12;
and yet wise men die, yea, Solomon, the wisest of men, died. Worldly wise men,
such who are wiser in their generation than the children of light, know how, to
get money and estates, and to provide for futurity, and yet cannot secure
themselves from death: men that are wise in natural things, know the secrets of
nature, the constitution of human bodies, what is proper to preserve health and
life, as philosophers and physicians, and yet cannot deliver themselves from
death: wise politicians, prudent magistrates, instructors of mankind in all the
branches of useful knowledge, who are profitable to themselves and others, and
are the most deserving to live because of usefulness, yet these die as well as
others: such as are spiritually wise, wise unto salvation, who know themselves,
and know Christ, whom to know is life eternal; and the wisest among them, such
as are capable of teaching others the hidden and mysterious wisdom of God; even
these wise men and prophets do not live for ever. The Targum interprets this of
wicked wise men, condemned to hell; or as it is in the king's Bible,
"the
wicked wise men, who die the second death;'
see
Revelation 2:11;
and are condemned to hell;
likewise the fool and the brutish person perish; the worldly
fool, who trusts in his riches, and boasts of them; his soul is at once
required of him. The atheistical fool, who says there is no God, no judgment,
no future state; has made a covenant with death, and with hell is at an
agreement; this covenant does not stand, he dies, and finds himself dreadfully
mistaken: the fool that is so immorally, who makes a mock at sin, a jest of
religion, and puts away the evil day far from him; his great wickedness, to
which he is given, shall not deliver him from death. Every man is become
brutish in his knowledge; but there are some among the people more brutish than
others, who are as natural brute beasts, and shall utterly perish in their own
corruptions. The wise good man dies, but perishes not; he inherits eternal
life; but the wicked fool and brute not only perish by death, but are punished
with everlasting destruction in soul and body;
and leave their wealth to others; they cannot carry it
with them, so that it will be of no service to them after death any more than
at it: if the Judge could be bribed by gold, as he cannot, they will not have
it with them to do it; they came into the world naked, and so they will go out,
and carry nothing with them, but leave all behind them; either to their babes,
their children, and heirs, Psalm 17:14; or to
strangers, they know not who; and if they do, they do not know whether they
will be wise men or fools, or what use they will make of it, Psalm 39:6, Ecclesiastes 2:18.
Psalm 49:11 11 Their inner thought is
that their houses will last forever,[a] Their dwelling
places to all generations; They call their lands after their own names.
YLT
11Their heart [is]: Their
houses [are] to the age, Their tabernacles to all generations. They proclaimed
their names over the lands.
Their inward thought is, that their houses shall
continue for ever,.... This is the thought of their hearts, what they secretly
imagine, and conclude within themselves; either that their families, which may
be meant by their houses, see 2 Samuel 3:1; shall
continue in succeeding ages, to the end of the world, to inherit their
possessions, and perpetuate their name; though often so it is, that great
families become extinct, and the seed of the wicked is cut off: or that their
magnificent buildings, which they have erected to dwell in, and for their
honour and glory, shall abide for ever; though in a little time, so it is by
one means or another, like the buildings of the temple, not one stone is left upon
another. Or the words may be rendered, "in the midst of them" (their
heirs to whom they leave their wealth) "their houses shall remain for
ever", so Aben Ezra; that is, so they fancy they will; but this is not
always true, for fine houses and large estates belonging to them often pass
into other hands and families. The word קרבם,
rendered "their inward part", by a transposition of two letters in it
may be read קברם, "their graves", as Aben
Ezra, Kimchi, and Ben Melech observe; and to this sense the Targum, Septuagint,
Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Arabic versions render the words: and then the
meaning is, that of all the houses they have built or been possessed of, they
have only one left, and that is the grave; in which they shall dwell until the
resurrection, and therefore is called "a long home", Ecclesiastes 12:5;
see Job 17:13;
and their dwelling places to
all generations; which signify the same as before;
they call their lands after their own names; as Egypt was
called Mizraim, Ethiopia was called Cush, and Palestine Canaan, from men who
were the first possessors of them, Genesis 10:6. Or
"they proclaim their names throughout the land"F24So
Piscator, Gejerus, Michaelis. ; they seek to get a name, and spread and
continue it in all part of the world; being unconcerned about their names being
written in heaven, or about having a house not made with hands eternal there.
Psalm 49:12 12 Nevertheless man, though
in honor, does not remain;[b] He is like
the beasts that perish.
YLT
12And man in honour doth not
remain, He hath been like the beasts, they have been cut off.
Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not,.... Or Adam:
and some understand this of the first man Adam, who was created and crowned
with glory and honour; but it did not abide with him, nor he in that: so some
Jewish writersF25Bereshit Rabba, s. 11. fol. 9. 1. 2. Pirke Eliezer,
c. 19. interpret it. But whether the words will admit of this sense or not, the
general view of the psalmist, which is to show the inconstancy and instability
of worldly honour, may be exemplified in the case of the first man; he was in
honour he was created after the image and likeness of God, and so was the glory
of God, being his image; he was in friendship with God, as many instances show,
and had dominion over all the creatures below; he had much knowledge of God,
and communion with him, and was a pure, holy, and upright creature; but he
continued not long in this state of honour and glory; "he lodged not a
night"F26בל ילין
"non pernoctabit", Montanus, Amama; so Ainsworth. , as the words may
be rendered; see Genesis 28:11; and
as they are by some, who conclude from hence that Adam fell the same day in
which he was created; and which is the sense of the above Jewish writers, who
say, he was driven out of paradise the evening of that day; but though he might
stand longer, and the word is sometimes used of a longer continuance; see Psalm 25:13; yet by
the account in Genesis it looks as if he continued in his state of honour but a
short time;
he is like the beasts that perish; becoming mortal
in his body, and brutish and stupid in his understanding. Or, "he is like
the beasts", "they perish", or "are cut off"F1נדמו "excisi sunt", Montanus. ; the word being in
the plural number, which shows that not a single individual person is meant, but
men in general; or, however, such of the sons of Adam that come to honour;
these do not abide long in it, their honour is a very short lived one,
sometimes it does not last their lives: they that are in high places are in
slippery ones, and are often cast down from the pinnacle of honour in a moment;
and if their glory does abide with them throughout the day of life, yet it
shall not lodge with them in the night of the grave; thither their glory shall
not descend after them, Psalm 49:17; and
when they die, they perish like the beasts; as they are like them in life,
stupid, brutish, and ignorant, so in death; as the beast dies, so do they, Ecclesiastes 3:19;
as the one dies without any thought of or preparation for death, so do the
other; as the one carries nothing along with it, so neither do the other: as
beasts that die of themselves, for such are here meant, as Junius well
observes, are good for nothing but to be cast into the ditch; so are wicked
men, notwithstanding all their riches and honours; yea, it is worse with them
than with the beasts, since after death comes judgment, and after that the
second death, the wrath of God.
Psalm 49:13 13 This is the way of those
who are foolish, And of their posterity who approve their sayings. Selah
YLT
13This their way [is] folly
for them, And their posterity with their sayings are pleased. Selah.
This their way is their folly,.... This
their last end becoming like the beasts that perish, which is the issue and
event of all their confidence, ambition, and honour, shows the folly of their
lives and conduct: or this their course of life, in trusting to their riches;
boasting of their wealth; pleasing themselves with the thoughts of the
continuance of their houses and dwelling places to all generations; and calling
their lands after their own names; all proclaim their folly. Or, as some render
the words, "this their way is their hope" or
"confidence"F2כסל למו "est fiducia ipsorum", Cocceius, Gejerus;
"stolida fiducia vel spes", Michaelis. ; they place all their hope
and confidence in their riches and honour, which is but a vain hope and a
foolish confidence;
yet their posterity approve their sayings; they are of
the same sentiments with their fathers; they say the same things, and do the
same actions; tread in their steps, and follow the same track; though there
have been such innumerable instances of the vanity and inconstancy of all
worldly riches and grandeur.
Selah; on this word; see Gill on Psalm 3:2.
Psalm 49:14 14 Like sheep they are laid
in the grave; Death shall feed on them; The upright shall have dominion over
them in the morning; And their beauty shall be consumed in the grave, far from
their dwelling.
YLT
14As sheep for Sheol they
have set themselves, Death doth afflict them, And the upright rule over them in
the morning, And their form [is] for consumption. Sheol [is] a dwelling for
him.
Like sheep they are laid in the grave,.... They are
not in life like sheep, harmless and innocent; nor reckoned as such for the
slaughter, as the people of God are; unless it be that they are like them,
brutish and stupid, thoughtless of death, and unconcerned about their estate
after it; and so die and go into the grave, like natural brute beasts, made to
be taken and destroyed, 2 Peter 2:12; or
rather like sheep that have been grazing in good pasture in the daytime, at
night are put into a dark and narrow pinfold or pound; so wicked rich men,
having lived in great abundance and plenty in the day of life, when the night
of death comes, they are put into the dark and narrow grave. And it is further
to be observed, that the comparison is not to sheep prepared for slaughter, and
killed for food; for these are not laid in a ditch, to which the grave may
answer; but, as Junius observes, to those that die of themselves; to rotten
sheep, and who are no other than carrion, and are good for nothing but to be
cast into a ditch; so wicked men are laid in the grave; but as to be laid in
the grave is common to good and bad after death, rather the words should be
rendered, "like sheep they are laid in hell"F3לשאול "in inferno", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus,
Gejerus, Michaelis; so Ainsworth. ; as the word is in Psalm 9:17; a place
of utter darkness and misery, where the wicked rich man was put when he died, Luke 16:19;
death shall feed on them: or "rule them"F4ירעם "reget eos", Vatablus. ; as shepherds rule
their flocks, in imitation of whom kings govern their subjects; the same word
is used of both; and so death is represented as a king, or rather as a tyrant
reigning over the sons of men; even over kings and princes, and the great men
of the earth, who have reigned over others; see Romans 5:14; or
"shall feed them"F5"Pascet eos", Musculus,
Tigurine version, Gejerus, Cocceius. , as the shepherd feeds the sheep; not by
leading them into green pastures, into the Elysian fields; but where a drop of
water cannot be obtained to cool the tongue; into utter darkness, where are
weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth; into the apartments of hell, and
habitations of devils, to be guests with them, and live as they do: or
"shall feed on them"; as the wolf on the sheep, devouring their
strength, and consuming their bodies, Job 18:13; but as
this is no other than what it does to everyone, rather the second, or an
eternal death, is here meant; the wrath of God, the worm that is always
gnawing, eating, and consuming, and never dies;
and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; the upright
are such to whom the uprightness or righteousness of Christ is shown or
imputed, and who have right spirits renewed, and principles of grace and
holiness formed in them, and walk uprightly in their lives and conversations;
these, in the morning of the resurrection day, when Christ the sun of
righteousness shall arise, when the light of joy and gladness, shall break
forth upon his coming, at the beginning of the day of the Lord, which will last
a thousand years; they, the dead in Christ, rising first, shall, during that
time, reign with him as kings and priests; when the wicked, being destroyed in
the general conflagration, shall become the footstool of Christ, and be like
ashes under the soles of the feet of his people; and the kingdom, the dominion,
and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the
saints; see 1 Thessalonians 4:16,
Daniel 7:27; and
though this is a branch of the happiness and glory of the people of God, yet it
is here mentioned as an aggravation of the misery of the wicked, who, in
another state, will be subject to those they have tyrannized over here;
and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling; or
"their form"F6צירם "figura
eorum", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus; "forma eorum", Tigurine
version, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator. and figure; diseases often destroy
the beauty of a man, death changes his countenance, and makes a greater
alteration still; but the grave takes away the very form and figure of the man;
or, as it is in the "Keri", or margin of the Hebrew text, "and
their rock shall consume"F7צורם
"auxilium eorum", Sept. V. L. Eth. Ar. "robur illorum",
Musculus; "petra illorum", Cocceius. ; that is, their riches, which
are their rock, fortress, and strong city, and in which they place their trust
and confidence; these shall fail them when they come to the grave, which is
"their dwelling", and is the house appointed for all living: and
seeming it is so, rather this should be understood of "hell"F8שאול "infernus", Musculus, Junius &
Tremellius, Gejerus, Michaelis; so Ainsworth. , which will be the everlasting
mansion of wicked men, and in which they will be punished in soul and body for
ever; though rather the sense is, "when their rock", that is, Christ,
shall come "to consume the grave", and destroy its power; when he, I
say, shall come "out of his habitation", heaven, then shall the
righteous have the dominion, 1 Thessalonians 4:16.
Psalm 49:15 15 But God will redeem my
soul from the power of the grave, For He shall receive me. Selah
YLT
15Only, God doth ransom my
soul from the hand of Sheol, For He doth receive me. Selah.
But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave,.... The
psalmist expresses his faith, that though he should die, and for a while be
under the power of the grave, yet he should be redeemed from it in the
resurrection; which to the saints will be "the day of redemption", Ephesians 4:30;
their bodies then will be redeemed from mortality, weakness, corruption, and
dishonour, which attend them now, and in the grave; and which will, be in
consequence of the redemption both of their souls and bodies, through the blood
of Christ; see Hosea 13:14; or the
words may be rendered, "but God will redeem my soul from the power of
hell"; and so the Targum,
"David
said by the spirit of prophecy, but God will redeem my soul from the judgment
of hell;'
that
is, will keep and preserve from the second death, from being hurt by it, or
from its having any power over him; and Christ, who is the Redeemer of his
people, and who, being God over, all, is an able and mighty one, has redeemed
the souls of his from wrath to come, hell, or the second death, by destroying
sin, the cause of it, by satisfying the law, the administration of it, and by
abolishing death itself; all which he has done by giving himself a ransom price
for them, whereby he has procured the redemption which rich men, with all their
gold and silver, could never obtain for themselves or others. The reason why
the psalmist believed Christ would do this for him, follows;
for he shall receive me. Or, "for he hath
received me"F9יקחני "suscepit
me", Tigurine version, Vatablus, Musculus, Gejerus. ; into his arms of
love, into his grace and favour; which he does openly at conversion, and in the
effectual calling; men being drawn to Christ by the cords of love, come to him,
and are received by him, who casts none out; and the argument from hence is
very strong, that such whom Christ receives by his grace, he will redeem from
the grave, or raise at the last day to the resurrection of life: or, "for
he will receive me"; as he does the souls of his people to glory at death,
when, during their separate state, they will be happy with him, and takes their
bodies into his care and custody; from whence it may be strongly concluded he
will raise them up again at the resurrection morn, and then will receive them
soul and body to himself, and present them to his Father, and introduce them
into his kingdom and glory; wherefore, as in Psalm 49:5, the
good man has no reason to fear anything in the day of evil; for when it goes
ever so ill with others, it is well with him. The Targum in the king's Bible
is,
"he
will lead me into his part or portion in the world to come.'
Selah; on this word; see Gill on Psalm 3:2.
Psalm 49:16 16 Do not be afraid when one
becomes rich, When the glory of his house is increased;
YLT
16Fear not, when one maketh
wealth, When the honour of his house is abundant,
Be not thou afraid when one is made rich,.... Who
before was poor, or not so rich; but now become so, either by inheritance, or
by his own diligence and industry, through the permission of Providence. This
is to be understood, not of a good man, from whom oppression is not to be
feared; but it may be hoped he will do good with his riches, by relieving the
poor, and ministering to the support of the interest of religion, and using
what power and authority he may have in defence of it: but it is to be
interpreted of a wicked man; of one who neither fears God, nor regards man; who
makes an ill use of his riches, power, and authority, to the oppression of the
poor, and the persecution of the saints, and who seeks to be feared when he is
not loved; see Proverbs 28:12; but
the people of God should not be afraid when this is the case, since God is
their strength, their light, and their salvation; and since wicked men can go
no further than permitted, and at most can do no more than kill the body; see Psalm 27:1; these
words are an apostrophe of the psalmist, either to his own soul, or to the
saints, and every particular believer;
when the glory of his house is increased; either the
same with riches, so called, Genesis 31:1;
because men are apt to glory in them, and for the most part obtain honour and
glory from men by them; or children, and an increase of them, and especially
when they come to honour; as also the advancement of themselves to high places
of honour and trust; as well as additional buildings, large stately edifices,
to make them look great, and perpetuate their names.
Psalm 49:17 17 For when he dies he shall
carry nothing away; His glory shall not descend after him.
YLT
17For at his death he
receiveth nothing, His honour goeth not down after him.
For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away,.... Such men,
with all their riches and honour, must die; therefore why should men be afraid
of them? or wherein are they to be accounted of, whose breath is in their
nostrils? nor can they carry either of them with them; their riches will be of
no profit to them after death, when they will be upon a level with the poor,
who will have nothing to fear from them; see 1 Timothy 6:7;
his glory shall not descend after him; either into
the grave, the pit of corruption, the lower part of the earth, where kings,
princes, counsellors, and peasants, are all alike, Job 3:14; or into
hell, where are no titles of honour, nor respect of persons; no Pharaoh king of
Egypt, or Sennacherib king of Assyria, there; but plain Pharaoh, &c. see Ezekiel 32:31.
Psalm 49:18 18 Though while he lives he
blesses himself (For men will praise you when you do well for yourself),
YLT
18For his soul in his life he
blesseth, (And they praise thee when thou dost well for thyself.)
Though while he lived he blessed his soul,.... Praised
and extolled himself on account of his acquisitions and merit; or proclaimed
himself a happy man, because of his wealth and riches; or foolishly flattered
himself with peace, prosperity, and length of days, and even with honour and
glory after death;
and men will praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself; or "butF11ויודך "atque celebraverint te", Junius &
Tremellius, Piscator. men will praise thee", &c. both rich and poor,
all wise men; when, as the Jewish interpretersF12Jarchi, Aben Ezra,
Kimchi & Ben Melech in loc. generally explain the word, a man regards true
wisdom and religion, and is concerned for the welfare of his soul more than
that of his body; or "when thou thyself doest well": that is, to
others, doing acts of beneficence, communicating to the necessities of the
poor; or rather, "when thou doest well to thyself", by enjoying the
good things of life, taking his portion, eating the fruit of his labour, which
is good and comely; see Ecclesiastes 5:18.
Psalm 49:19 19 He shall go to the
generation of his fathers; They shall never see light.
YLT
19It cometh to the generation
of his fathers, For ever they see not the light.
He shall go to the generation of his fathers,.... Be
gathered to them at death; or "to the dwelling place of his fathers"F13עד־דור "ad habitationem", Gejerus. ; either the
grave, or hell, or both; the habitation of his wicked ancestors: unless the
words be rendered, as they are by some, though "he shall come to the age
of his fathers"F14"Usque ad aetatem", Junius &
Tremellius, Piscator. ; live as long as they have done; yet he must die at
last, and leave all behind, as they have done;
they shall never see light; neither he nor his
fathers; they shall never see light of the sun any more, nor return to the
light of the living, but shall lie in the dark and silent grave until the
resurrection; or rather, they shall never enjoy eternal light, glory, and
happiness. The ultimate state of glory is sometimes expressed by
"light"; John 8:12; this the
people of God, such who are made light in the Lord, and are the children of the
day, shall see; but wicked men shall not; they will be cast into outer
darkness, where are weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth.
Psalm 49:20 20 A man who is in
honor, yet does not understand, Is like the beasts that perish.
YLT
20Man in honour, who
understandest not, Hath been like the beasts, they have been cut off!
Man that is in honour,.... A wicked man, as the
Targum; See Gill on Psalm 49:12;
and understandeth not; from whence his riches
and honour, come, and what use he should make of them, and for what end he has
them; or that understandeth not spiritual things, which relate to the salvation
of his soul; who does not know God in Christ, nor the way of salvation by
Christ; nor has any experience of the work of the Spirit of God upon his soul;
nor has any spiritual understanding of the doctrines of the Gospel; nor knows
himself, his state and condition, and what true happiness is:
is like the beasts that perish; See Gill on Psalm 49:12.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)