Psalms 49
A Universal Call to Hear Wisdom 1–4
The Folly of Trusting in Riches 5–12
The Grave Awaits the Wealthy Fool 13–15
Do Not Envy Earthly Success 16–20
Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain
Study Notes for Psalms 49
Verse 1
all ye inhabitants of the world — This is a psalm 'for the sons of Korah', who 'died not' when their father fell (Num 26:11). The summons goes past Israel to 'all ye people', and 'world' is cheled, the passing span of life (Ps 39:5, 'mine age is as nothing before thee'): the hearers are named by their brief time.
Verse 3
My mouth shall speak of wisdom — 'Wisdom' (chokmoth) and 'understanding' (tebunoth) are both plural in Hebrew; the plural 'wisdom' is the one that cries in the streets in Prov 1:20 and builds her house in Prov 9:1. 'Meditation' (hagut) occurs only here. The 'mouth' (peh) returns in v.13.
Verse 4
my dark saying upon the harp — The psalmist first inclines his own ear, then opens the riddle (chidah) to the harp. Ps 78:2 pairs the same two words, 'a parable' and 'dark sayings of old', and Matt 13:35 applies that verse to Christ's teaching in parables.
Verse 5
the iniquity of my heels — The question is 'Wherefore should I fear', in 'the days of evil'. 'Heels' (aqeb) in this form occurs only here, and the phrase is read either as the wrongdoing that dogs his steps or as the schemers at his heels. The answer begins in vv.6–7 with those who 'trust in their wealth'.
Verse 7
can by any means redeem — The Hebrew doubles the verb, padah, to redeem, which the KJV renders 'by any means'. A 'ransom' (kopher) is the price that releases a life. No man can pay it for his brother, 'nor give to God' the sum: Christ 'came… to give his life a ransom for many' (Mark 10:45).
Verse 8
the redemption of their soul is precious — Yaqar, costly beyond any buyer, so the attempt 'ceaseth for ever' (chadal, is given up). Peter names the price that was paid: 'not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold… But with the precious blood of Christ' (1 Pet 1:18–19).
Verse 10
wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish — 'How dieth the wise man? as the fool' (Eccl 2:16). 'Brutish' is ba'ar, the word behind 'So foolish was I' in Ps 73:22. What they leave 'to others' is described in Ps 39:6, 'he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them'.
Verse 11
they call their lands after their own names — 'Inward thought' is qereb, the inner part of a man. Absalom is one such case in Scripture: he 'reared up for himself a pillar… and he called the pillar after his own name' (2 Sam 18:18). The houses that 'shall continue for ever' (olam) are the thing v.12 denies.
Verse 12
man being in honour abideth not — 'Honour' (yeqar) is from the root of 'precious' in v.8 (yaqar): what is costly cannot buy more time. 'Abideth' is lun, to lodge for a night, so the honoured man does not stay. The refrain returns in v.20 with 'understandeth not' in the place of 'abideth not'.
Verse 13
their posterity approve their sayings — 'Sayings' is literally their 'mouth' (peh), the word of v.3, 'My mouth shall speak of wisdom': two mouths are set against each other. The next generation takes the folly up with favour (ratsah, to accept as pleasing). Selah marks a pause.
Verse 14
death shall feed on them — 'Feed' is ra'ah, to shepherd, the verb of 'The LORD is my shepherd' (Ps 23:1). The flock is led to sheol, rendered 'the grave', with death as its shepherd. 'In the morning' (boqer) the upright 'have dominion', the dawn after the night.
Verse 15
God will redeem my soul — Padah, the verb of v.7: no man can redeem his brother, but 'God will redeem'. 'Receive' is laqach, to take, as 'God took him' of Enoch (Gen 5:24), 'when I am taken' of Elijah (2 Kings 2:10) and 'afterward receive me to glory' (Ps 73:24). 'Power' is literally the hand (yad) of sheol.
Verse 16
Be not thou afraid — The answer to v.5, 'Wherefore should I fear', is a command. 'Glory' (kavod) here belongs to the house of the man who is 'made rich'; v.17 uses the same word for the glory that will not go down after him.
Verse 17
he shall carry nothing away — The verb is laqach, the 'receive' of v.15: God takes the psalmist, but the rich man takes nothing, and his 'glory' (kavod) 'shall not descend after him'. Paul's wording is close: 'we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out' (1 Tim 6:7).
Verse 19
they shall never see light — The rich man 'shall go to the generation of his fathers'. The living are those who walk 'in the light of the living' (Ps 56:13), where a delivered soul is brought (Job 33:30). The contrast is with the psalmist being received in v.15.
Verse 20
understandeth not — This is the refrain of v.12 with one change: there 'abideth not', here 'understandeth not' (bin). Honour without understanding leaves a man 'like the beasts that perish', as the psalmist said of himself when he lacked it: 'I was as a beast before thee' (Ps 73:22).