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Psalms 49:1-10

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Wealth and the Fate of the Wicked

1

For the [music] director. Of the sons of Korah. A psalm.

1 Hear this, all [you] peoples; give ear, all [you] inhabitants of [the] world,
2 both low and high, rich and poor together.
3 My mouth will speak wisdom, and the meditation of my heart [will be] understanding.
4 I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will {propound} my riddle on a lyre.
5 Why should I fear in {times of calamity}, [when] iniquity surrounds me at my heels,
6 those who trust their wealth and boast about the abundance of their riches?
7 Surely a man cannot redeem a brother. He cannot give to God his ransom
8 (since the redemption price for their life is costly and it always fails),
9 so that he may stay alive forever [and] not see the pit.
10 For he sees [that] the wise die, together [with the] fool and brute they perish, and leave their wealth to the next [generation].
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Psalms 49:1-10 Meaning and Commentary

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.
Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Footnotes 4

  • [a]. The Hebrew Bible counts the superscription as the first verse of the psalm; the English verse number is reduced by one
  • [b]. Literally "open"
  • [c]. Literally "the days of evil"
  • [d]. Hebrew "and"
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.