Psalm 49:9

9 and live to the end, so that he should not see corruption.

Psalm 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.

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FOOTNOTES:

F23 (yhyw) "etiamsi vivat", Gejerus.

Psalm 49:9 In-Context

7 A brother does not redeem, shall a man redeem? he shall not give to God a ransom for himself,

8 or the price of the redemption of his soul, though he labour for ever,

9 and live to the end, so that he should not see corruption.

10 When he shall see wise men dying, the fool and the senseless one shall perish together; and they shall leave their wealth to strangers.

11 And their sepulchres are their houses for ever, even their tabernacles to all generations: they have called their lands after their own names.