TRV
Study This Verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Psalms 49:15–20. His four-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Good reason is here given to good people,
I.Why they should not be afraid of death.
There is no cause for that fear if they have such a comfortable prospect as David here has of a happy state on the other side death, Psa 49:15. He had shown (Psa 49:14) how miserable the dead are that die in their sins, where he shows how blessed the dead are that die in the Lord. The distinction of men's outward condition, how great a difference soever it makes in life, makes none at death; rich and poor meet in the grave. But the distinction of men's spiritual state, though, in this life, it makes a small difference, where all things come alike to all, yet, at and after death, it makes a very great one. Now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. The righteous has hope in his death, so has David here hope in God concerning his soul. Note, The believing hopes of the soul's redemption from the grave, and reception to glory, are the great support and joy of the children of God in a dying hour. They hope,
I.That God will redeem their souls from the power of the grave, which includes, (1.) The preserving of the soul from going to the grave with the body. The grave has a power over the body, by virtue of the sentence (Gen 3:19), and it is cruel enough in executing that power (Sol 8:6); but is has no such power over the soul. It has power to silence, and imprison, and consume the body; but the soul then moves, and acts, and converses, more freely than ever (Rev 6:9, Rev 6:10); it is immaterial and immortal. When death breaks the dark lantern, yet it does not extinguish the candle that was pent up in it. (2.) The reuniting of the soul and body at the resurrection. The soul is often put for the life; that indeed falls under the power of the grave for a time, but is hall, at length, be redeemed from it, when mortality shall be swallowed up of life. The God of life, that was its Creator at first, can and will be its Redeemer at last. (3.) The salvation of the soul from eternal ruin: "God shall redeem my soul from the sheol of hell (Psa 49:15), the wrath to come, that pit of destruction into which the wicked shall be cast," Psa 49:14. It is a great comfort to dying saints that they shall not be hurt of the second death (Rev 2:11), and therefore the first death has no sting and the grave no victory.
2.That he will receive them to himself. He redeems their souls, that he may receive them. Psa 31:5, Into thy hands I commit my spirit, for thou has redeemed it. He will receive them into his favour, will admit them into his kingdom, into the mansions that he prepared for them (Joh 14:2, Joh 14:3), those everlasting habitations, Luk 16:9.
II.Why they should not be afraid of the prosperity and power of wicked people in this world, which, as it is their pride and joy, has often been the envy, and grief, and terror of the righteous, which yet, all things considered, there is no reason for.
1.He supposes the temptation very strong to envy the prosperity of sinners, and to be afraid that they will carry all before them with a high hand, that with their wealth and interest they will run down religion and religious people, and that they will be found the truly happy people; for he supposes,
(1.)That they are made rich, and so are enabled to give law to all about them and have every thing at command. Pecuniae obediunt omnes et omnia - Every person and every thing obey the commanding influence of money.
(2.)That the glory of their house, from very small beginnings, is increased greatly, which naturally makes men haughty, insolent, and imperious, Psa 5:1-12 :16. Thus they seem to be the favourites of heaven, and therefore formidable.
(3.)That they are very easy and secure in themselves and in their own minds (Psa 49:18): In his life-time he blessed his soul; that is, he thought himself a very happy man, such a one as he would be, and a very good man, such a one as he should be, because he prospered in the world. He blessed his soul, as that rich fool who said to his soul, "Soul, take thy ease, and be not disturbed either with cares and fears about the world or with the rebukes and admonitions of conscience. All is well, and will be well for ever." Note,
[1.]It is of great consequence to consider what that is in which we bless our souls, upon the score of which we think well of ourselves. Believers bless themselves in the God of truth (Isa 65:16) and think themselves happy if he be theirs; carnal people bless themselves in the wealth of the world, and think themselves happy if they have abundance of that.
[2.]There are many whose precious souls lie under God's curse, and yet they do themselves bless them; they applaud that in themselves which God condemns, and speak peace to themselves when God denounces war against them. Yet this is not all.
(4.)They are in good reputation among their neighbours: "Men will praise thee, and cry thee up, as having done well for thyself in raising such an estate and family." This is the sentiment of all the children of this world, that those do best for themselves that do most for their bodies, by heaping up riches, though, at the same time, nothing is done for the soul, nothing for eternity; and accordingly they bless the covetous, whom the Lord abhors, Psa 10:3. If men were to be our judges, it were our wisdom thus to recommend ourselves to their good opinion: but what will it avail us to be approved of men if God condemn us? Dr. Hammond understands this of the good man here spoken to, for it is the second person, not of the wicked man spoken of: "He, in his life-time, blessed his soul, but thou shalt be praised for doing well unto thyself. The worldling magnified himself; but thou that dost not, like him, speak well of thyself, but do well for thyself, in securing thy eternal welfare, thou shalt be praised, if not of men, yet of God, which will be thy everlasting honour."
2.He suggests that which is sufficient to take off the strength of the temptation, by directing us to look forward to the end of prosperous sinners (Psa 73:17): "Think what they will be in the other world, and you will see no cause to envy them what they are and have in this world."
(1.)In the other world they will be never the better for all the wealth and prosperity they are now so fond of. It is a miserable portion, which will not last so long as they must (Psa 49:17): When he dies it is taken for granted that he goes into another world himself, but he shall carry nothing away with him of all that which he has been so long heaping up. The greatest and wealthiest cannot therefore be the happiest, because they are never the better for their living in this world; as they came naked into it, they shall go naked out of it. But those have something to show in the other world for their living in this world who can say, through grace, that though they came corrupt, and sinful, and spiritually naked, into it, they go renewed, and sanctified, and well clothed with the righteousness of Christ, out of it. Those that are rich in the graces and comforts of the Spirit have something which, when they die, they shall carry away with them, something which death cannot strip them of, nay, which death will be the improvement of; but, as for worldly possessions, as we brought nothing into the world (what we have we had from others), so it is certain that we shall carry nothing out, but leave it to others, Ti1 6:7. They shall descend, but their glory, that which they called and counted their glory, and gloried in, shall not descend after them to lessen the disgrace of death and the grave, to bring them off in the judgment, or abate the torments of hell. Grace is glory that will ascend with us, but no earthly glory will descend after us.
(2.)In the other world they will be infinitely the worse for all their abuses of the wealth and prosperity they enjoyed in this world (Psa 49:19): The soul shall go to the generation of his fathers, his worldly wicked fathers, whose sayings he approved and whose steps he trod in, his fathers who would not hearken to the word of God, Zac 1:4. He shall go to be there where they are that shall never see light, shall never have the least glimpse of comfort and joy, being condemned to utter darkness. Be not afraid then of the pomp and power of wicked people; for the end of the man that is in honour, if he be not wise and good, will be miserable; if he understand not, he is to be pitied rather than envied. A fool, a wicked man, in honour, is really as despicable an animal as any under the sun; he is like the beasts that perish (Psa 49:20); nay, it is better to be a beast than to be a man that makes himself like a beast. Men in honour that understand, that know and do their duty and make conscience of it, are as gods, and children of the Most High. But men in honour that understand not, that are proud, and sensual, and oppressive, are as beasts, and they shall perish, like the beasts, ingloriously as to this world, though not, like the beasts, indemnified as to another world. Let prosperous sinners therefore be afraid for themselves, but let not even suffering saints be afraid of them.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
2 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
Since, you see, this is a particular object of interest for the rich—flattery in the marketplace, attention from the populace, public commendation, tributes teeming with hypocrisy, cutting a fine figure at spectacles, applauded at banquets and in the courts, being on everybody’s lips, thought to be conscientious—note how this in turn he prunes away in time. “In their lifetime,” he says, note; that is, this publicity and being spoken well of lasts for this life, but it disappears along with everything else, being impermanent and perishable. Even when it comes from a display put on by the flatterers, after his death it is reversed when the mask of fear is stripped away.
Let your love observe: "For his soul shall be blessed in his life" [Psalm 49:18]. As long as he lived he did well for himself. This all men say, but say falsely. It is a blessing from the mind of the blesser, not from the truth itself. For what do you say? Because he ate and drank, because he did what he chose, because he feasted sumptuously, therefore he did well with himself. I say, he did ill for himself. Not I say, but Christ. He did ill for himself. For that rich man, when he feasted sumptuously every day, was supposed to do well with himself: but when he began to burn in hell, then that which was supposed to be well was found to be ill. For what he had eaten with men above, he digested in hell beneath. Unrighteousness I mean, brethren, on which he used to feast. He used to eat costly banquets with the mouth of flesh, with his heart's mouth he used to eat unrighteousness. What he ate with his heart's mouth with men above, this he digested amid those punishments in the places beneath. And verily he had eaten for a time, he digested ill for everlasting. Is then unrighteousness eaten? Perhaps some one says: what is it that he says? Unrighteousness eaten? It is not I that say: hear the Scripture: "As a sour grape is vexation to the teeth, and smoke to the eyes, so is unrighteousness to them that use it." [Proverbs 10:26] For he that shall have eaten unrighteousness, that is, he that shall have had unrighteousness wilfully, shall not be able to eat righteousness. For righteousness is bread. Who is bread? "I am the living bread which came down from heaven." [John 6:51] Himself is the bread of our heart....Is then even righteousness eaten? If it were not eaten, the Lord would not have said, "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness." [Matthew 5:6] Therefore "since his soul shall be blessed in life," in life it "shall" be blessed, in death it shall be tormented....
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Summary
Psalms 49:18 offers a poignant critique of human folly, specifically the self-congratulatory attitude of the wealthy and the superficial praise they receive from others, all while ignoring the inescapable reality of death. The verse highlights the transient nature of earthly prosperity and the misplaced trust in material possessions, serving as a stark reminder that worldly success and human adulation offer no lasting security or redemption from the grave.
Context
Literary Context
Psalms 49 is a maskil, an instructional or contemplative psalm, deeply embedded within the wisdom literature of the Psalter. It functions as a profound meditation on the vanity of trusting in wealth and the ultimate equality of all humanity before death. The psalm opens with an urgent invitation for all people to heed its wisdom, establishing a clear contrast between the fleeting nature of earthly riches and the enduring hope of the righteous. Verses like Psalms 49:6 introduce the theme of those who boast in their wealth, a claim immediately challenged by the stark reality that no amount of riches can redeem a life from death or pay a ransom for the soul (Psalms 49:7-9). Our verse, Psalms 49:18, vividly describes the self-satisfaction and external validation that characterize the life of such a person, setting the stage for the psalmist's ultimate declaration of hope for the righteous who will be redeemed from the power of the grave (Psalms 49:15).
Historical & Cultural Context
In ancient Near Eastern societies, wealth often conferred significant status, power, and perceived security. Prosperity was sometimes seen as a sign of divine favor, leading to a natural human tendency to admire and flatter the successful. However, wisdom literature, prevalent across the region, frequently challenged such superficial assessments, emphasizing that true wisdom and lasting security came from a right relationship with the divine, not from material possessions. The concept of "blessing one's soul" in this context reflects a self-centered indulgence, where an individual finds satisfaction and well-being primarily in their own achievements and material abundance, a common human inclination that transcends specific historical periods. The psalm critiques this worldview, aligning with a broader biblical perspective that warns against the dangers of misplaced trust and the fleeting nature of all earthly glory. This perspective is crucial for understanding the psalmist's warning against the ephemeral nature of worldly success.
Key Themes
The central theme of Psalms 49 is the vanity and futility of earthly wealth as a source of ultimate security or redemption. This verse specifically highlights the illusion of self-sufficiency, where the rich person "blesses his soul," finding contentment in their own prosperity rather than in God. It also underscores the superficiality of human praise, revealing how people are often quick to commend those who appear successful, regardless of their moral or spiritual standing. This praise is based on external achievements and material well-being, not on true righteousness. Consequently, the psalm emphasizes the inevitability of death as the great equalizer, demonstrating that wealth cannot avert mortality, as seen in Psalms 49:10. Ultimately, the psalm contrasts worldly wisdom (trusting in riches) with divine wisdom (trusting in God for redemption), a theme echoed throughout wisdom literature, such as in Proverbs 11:28 and Ecclesiastes 2:18-19.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
While often meaning to invoke divine favor, here, used reflexively or idiomatically, it signifies self-congratulation or finding satisfaction within oneself. The rich man is not receiving blessing from God, but rather "blessing himself" by indulging his desires and finding solace and delight in his own material gains and accomplishments. It points to a self-centered existence where one's well-being is derived from internal resources and external possessions.
This term refers to the entire person, the inner being, vitality, or life. When the rich man "blesses his soul," it means he gratifies his deepest desires, finds contentment for his entire being in his prosperity, and lives a life focused on his own pleasure and comfort. It emphasizes the comprehensive nature of his self-indulgence and the internal satisfaction he derives from his worldly success.
This root means to be or make well, to be good, or to prosper. In this context, "when thou doest well to thyself" signifies achieving personal success, accumulating wealth, and living a materially comfortable life for one's own benefit. The praise received from others is directly contingent upon this self-directed well-being, reinforcing the idea that worldly admiration is often tied to material success and self-advancement.
Verse Breakdown
"Though while he lived he blessed his soul"
This clause describes the internal state and actions of the wealthy individual during their lifetime. It portrays a person who finds deep satisfaction, contentment, and even a sense of self-generated blessing in their own material prosperity and achievements. This is an indulgence in their own success and a reliance on their own resources for happiness and security, rather than acknowledging or seeking blessing from a divine source. It speaks to a profound self-sufficiency and self-absorption.
"and [men] will praise thee"
This clause shifts to the external validation received by the wealthy. It indicates that others will offer commendation, admiration, and flattery to the prosperous individual. This praise is not necessarily based on the person's character, righteousness, or generosity, but rather on their visible success and the perception that they are "doing well." It highlights the superficiality and conditional nature of human applause.
"when thou doest well to thyself"
This final clause specifies the condition under which such praise is given. People will laud the wealthy when they are seen to be prospering, accumulating wealth, and succeeding in their own self-serving endeavors. It underscores the transactional nature of worldly admiration, which is often contingent upon outward signs of material success and personal gain, rather than intrinsic worth or spiritual integrity.
Literary Devices
The verse employs several potent literary devices to convey its message. Irony is prominent, as the rich man "blesses his soul" and receives human praise, yet this self-satisfaction and external adulation ultimately prove futile in the face of death, which the psalm repeatedly emphasizes as inescapable. There is a strong Contrast established between the fleeting nature of human life, wealth, and praise, and the ultimate, unyielding reality of mortality. The self-congratulation and worldly praise are set against the backdrop of the grave, highlighting their ultimate emptiness. Furthermore, the verse uses Antithesis implicitly, contrasting the pursuit of self-blessing and human approval with the true, lasting blessing that comes from God and provides redemption from death, a theme developed later in the psalm. This creates a tension between what appears successful in the world's eyes and what holds eternal significance.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Psalms 49:18 profoundly connects to the broader biblical teaching on the vanity of earthly pursuits and the danger of misplaced trust. It serves as a stark warning against finding ultimate satisfaction and security in material possessions or human adulation, themes consistently echoed throughout Scripture. The "blessing of his soul" speaks to a self-sufficient humanism that excludes God, a posture repeatedly critiqued as folly. The superficial praise received highlights the human tendency to value outward appearance over inner righteousness, a temptation the Bible consistently cautions against. Ultimately, the verse points to the need for a different kind of "well-doing," one that aligns with divine wisdom and eternal values, rather than self-serving prosperity.
Reflection and Application
Psalms 49:18 offers a timeless challenge to our modern sensibilities, particularly in a world that often equates success with wealth and self-promotion. It compels us to critically examine the sources of our joy, security, and sense of worth. Are we, like the rich man, "blessing our souls" through self-indulgence, material accumulation, or the pursuit of personal comfort and recognition? Do we find our deepest satisfaction in what we possess, our achievements, or the fleeting admiration of others? Or is our contentment rooted in something far more enduring—our relationship with God, His eternal promises, and the spiritual riches that transcend death? This verse serves as a powerful reminder that worldly praise is often superficial and conditional, based on external appearances rather than true character or divine approval. It calls us to prioritize eternal values over temporal gains, to seek God's commendation above human applause, and to invest in a legacy that outlasts the grave, recognizing that true flourishing comes from a life lived in dependence on and obedience to God.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why is "blessing one's soul" considered negative here?
In this context, "blessing one's soul" is not a divine blessing but a self-congratulatory act, a finding of satisfaction and comfort in one's own material prosperity and achievements. It signifies a self-sufficient attitude where the individual's well-being is derived from internal resources and external possessions, rather than from God. The psalm critiques this posture as ultimately futile because such self-blessing cannot overcome death or provide eternal security, contrasting sharply with the true blessing and redemption that come from God, as highlighted in Psalms 49:15.
Does this verse condemn all wealth or success?
No, this verse does not inherently condemn wealth or success itself. Instead, it critiques the trust placed in wealth and the source of satisfaction and security. The problem arises when wealth becomes an idol, when one's heart finds its ultimate contentment in riches, and when human praise for material success is sought above God's approval. The Bible teaches that wealth can be a blessing and a tool for good, but the love of money (1 Timothy 6:10) and the self-sufficiency it can foster are dangerous spiritual pitfalls.
How does this relate to modern society's focus on self-care or self-love?
This verse provides a critical distinction. While biblical principles support proper stewardship of our bodies and minds (a form of self-care), Psalms 49:18 warns against a self-centered pursuit of well-being that ignores mortality, spiritual realities, and dependence on God. The "blessing of his soul" here is about finding ultimate satisfaction in oneself and one's possessions, leading to self-indulgence and spiritual blindness. True Christian "self-care" is rooted in God's design for human flourishing, recognizing our limitations and ultimate reliance on Him, rather than finding ultimate solace in our own achievements or material comfort.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Psalms 49:18, with its portrayal of self-blessing and superficial human praise, finds its ultimate antithesis and fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Unlike the rich man who "blessed his soul" by indulging in his own prosperity, Jesus "emptied himself, taking the form of a servant" (Philippians 2:7). He did not seek His own glory or the praise of men, explicitly stating, "I do not receive glory from people" (John 5:41), but rather sought to do the will of His Father. His "doing well" was not for His own benefit, but for the redemption of humanity, culminating in His sacrificial death on the cross. He taught His followers to "lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven" (Matthew 6:19-21), directly counteracting the worldly mindset of accumulating earthly riches for self-satisfaction. Ultimately, Jesus is the one who truly "does well" for us, not by self-indulgence, but by conquering death and the grave, offering eternal life and true riches that never perish (John 11:25-26). He is the true Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, not for human applause, but for the glory of God and the salvation of all who believe (John 1:29).