Psalms 49:9

9 no one can live forever without experiencing the pit.

Psalms 49:9 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 49:9

That he should still live for ever
Or "though he should live" F23. 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, ( Psalms 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.


FOOTNOTES:

F23 (yhyw) "etiamsi vivat", Gejerus.

Psalms 49:9 In-Context

7 Wealth? It can't save a single person! It can't pay a life's ransom-price to God.
8 The price to save someone's life is too high— wealth will never be enough—
9 no one can live forever without experiencing the pit.
10 Everyone knows that the wise die too, just like foolish and stupid people do, all of them leaving their fortunes to others.
11 Their graves are their eternal homes, the place they live for all generations, even if they had counties named after them!
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