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 49:6–14. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
In these verses we have,
I.A description of the spirit and way of worldly people, whose portion is in this life, Psa 17:14.
It is taken for granted that they have wealth, and a multitude of riches (Psa 49:6), houses and lands of inheritance, which they call their own, Psa 49:11. God often gives abundance of the good things of this world to bad men who live in contempt of him and rebellion against him, by which it appears that they are not the best things in themselves (for then God would give most of them to his best friends), and that they are not the best things for us, for then those would not have so much of them who, being marked for ruin, are to be ripened for it by their prosperity, Pro 1:32. A man may have abundance of the wealth of this world and be made better by it, may thereby have his heart enlarged in love, and thankfulness, and obedience, and may do that good with it which will be fruit abounding to his account; and therefore it is not men's having riches that denominates them worldly, but their setting their hearts upon them as the best things; and so these worldly people are here described.
1.They repose a confidence in their riches: They trust in their wealth (Psa 49:6); they depend upon it as their portion and happiness, and expect that it will secure them from all evil and supply them with all good, and that they need nothing else, no, not God himself. Their gold is their hope (Job 31:24), and so it becomes their God. Thus our Saviour explains the difficulty of the salvation of rich people (Mar 10:24): How hard is it for those that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! See Ti1 6:17.
2.They take a pride in their riches: They boast themselves in the multitude of them, as if they were sure tokens of God's favour and certain proofs of their own ingenuity and industry (my might, and the power of my hand, have gotten me this wealth), as if they made them truly great and happy, and more really excellent than their neighbours. They boast that they have all they would have (Psa 10:3) and can set all the world at defiance (I sit as a queen, and shall be a lady for ever); therefore they call their lands after their own names, hoping thereby to perpetuate their memory; and, if their lands do retain the names by which they called them, it is but a poor honour; but they often change their names when they change their owners.
3.They flatter themselves with an expectation of the perpetuity of their worldly possessions (Psa 49:11): Their inward thought is that their houses shall continue for ever, and with this thought they please themselves. Are not all thoughts inward? Yes; but it intimates,
(1.)That this thought is deeply rooted in their minds, is rolled and revolved there, and carefully lodged in the innermost recesses of their hearts. A godly man has thoughts of the world, but they are his outward thoughts; his inward thought is reserved for God and heavenly things: but a worldly man has only some floating foreign thoughts of the things of God, while his fixed thought, his inward thought, is about the world; that lies nearest his heart, and is upon the throne there.
(2.)There it is industriously concealed. They cannot, for shame, say that they expect their houses to continue for ever, but inwardly they think so. If they cannot persuade themselves that they shall continue for ever, yet they are so foolish as to think their houses shall, and their dwelling-places; and suppose they should, what good will that do them when they shall be no longer theirs? But they will not; for the world passes away, and the fashion of it. All things are devoured by the teeth of time.
II.A demonstration of their folly herein.
In general (Psa 49:13), This their way is their folly. Note, The way of worldliness is a very foolish way: those that lay up their treasure on earth, and set their affections on things below, act contrary both to right reason and to their true interest. God himself pronounced him a fool who thought his goods were laid up for many years, and that they would be a portion for his soul, Luk 12:19, Luk 12:20. And yet their posterity approve their sayings, agree with them in the same sentiments, say as t hey say and do as they do, and tread in the steps of their worldliness. Note, The love of the world is a disease that runs in the blood; men have it by kind, till the grace of God cures it. To prove the folly of carnal worldlings he shows,
1.That with all their wealth they cannot save the life of the dearest friend they have in the world, nor purchase a reprieve for him when he is under the arrest of death (Psa 49:7-9): None of them can by any means redeem his brother, his brother worldling, who would give counter-security out of his own estate, if he would but be bail for him: and gladly he would, in hopes that he might do the same kindness for him another time. But their words will not be taken one for another, nor will one man's estate be the ransom of another man's life. God does not value it; it is of no account with him; and the true value of things is as they stand in his books. His justice will not accept it by way of commutation or equivalent. The Lord of our brother's life is the Lord of our estate, and may take both if he please, without either difficulty to himself or wrong to us; and therefore one cannot be ransom for another. We cannot bribe death, that our brother should still live, much less that he should live for ever, in this world, nor bribe the grave, that he should not see corruption; for we must needs die, and return to the dust, and there is no discharge from that war. What folly is it to trust to that, and boast of that, which will not enable us so much as for one hour to respite the execution of the sentence of death upon a parent, a child, or friend that is to us as our own soul! It is certainly true that the redemption of the soul is precious and ceaseth for ever; that is, life, when it is going, cannot be arrested, and when it is gone it cannot be recalled, by any human art, or worldly price. But this looks further, to the eternal redemption which was to be wrought out by the Messiah, whom the Old Testament saints had an eye to as the Redeemer. Everlasting life is a jewel of too great a value to be purchased by the wealth of this world. We are not redeemed with corruptible things, such as silver and gold, Pe1 1:18, Pe1 1:19. The learned Dr. Hammond applies the Psa 49:8 and Psa 49:9 verses expressly to Christ: "The redemption of the soul shall be precious, shall be high-prized, it shall cost very dear; but, being once wrought, it shall cease for ever, it shall never need to be repeated, Heb 9:25, Heb 9:26; Heb 10:12. And he (that is, the Redeemer) shall yet live for ever, and shall not see corruption; he shall rise again before he sees corruption, and then shall live for evermore," Rev 1:18. Christ did that for us which all the riches of the world could not do; well therefore may he be dearer to us than any worldly things. Christ did that for us which a brother, a friend, could not do for us, no, not one of the best estate or interest; and therefore those that love father or brother more than him are not worthy of him. This likewise shows the folly of worldly people, who sell their souls for that which would never buy them.
2.That with all their wealth they cannot secure themselves from the stroke of death. The worldling sees, and it vexes him to see it, that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, Psa 49:10. Therefore he cannot but expect that it will, at length, come to his own turn; he cannot find any encouragement to hope that he himself shall continue for ever, and therefore foolishly comforts himself with this, that, though he shall not, his house shall. Some rich people are wise, they are politicians, but they cannot out-wit death, nor evade his stroke, with all their art and management; others are fools and brutish (Fortuna favet fatuis - Fools are Fortune's favourites); these, though they do no good, yet perhaps do no great hurt in the world: but that shall not excuse them; they shall perish, and be taken away by death, as well as the wise that did mischief with their craft. Or by the wise and the foolish we may understand the godly and the wicked; the godly die, and their death is their deliverance; the wicked perish, and their death is their destruction; but, however, they leave their wealth to others.
(1.)They cannot continue with it, nor will it serve to procure them a reprieve. That is a frivolous plea, though once it served a turn (Jer 41:8), Slay us not, for we have treasures in the field.
(2.)They cannot carry it away with them, but must leave it behind them.
(3.)They cannot foresee who will enjoy it when they have left it; they must leave it to others, but to whom they know not, perhaps to a fool (Ecc 2:19), perhaps to an enemy.
3.That, as their wealth will stand them in no stead in a dying hour, so neither will their honour (Psa 49:12): Man, being in honour, abides not. We will suppose a man advanced to the highest pinnacle of preferment, as great and happy as the world can make him, man in splendour, man at his best estate, surrounded and supported with all the advantages he can desire; yet then he abides not. His honour does not continue; that is a fleeting shadow. He himself does not, he tarries not all night; this world is an inn, in which his stay is so short that he can scarcely be said to get a night's lodging in it; so little rest is there in these things; he has but a baiting time. He is like the beasts that perish; that is, he must as certainly die as the beasts, and his death will be as final a period to his state in this world as theirs is; his dead body likewise will putrefy as theirs does; and (as Dr. Hammond observes) frequently the greatest honours and wealth, unjustly gotten by the parent, descend not to any one of his posterity (as the beasts, when they die, leave nothing behind them to their young ones, but the wide world to feed in), but fall into other hands immediately, for which he never designed to gather them.
4.That their condition on the other side of death will be very miserable. The world they dote upon will not only not save them from death, but will sink them so much the lower into hell (Psa 49:14): Like sheep they are laid in the grave. Their prosperity did but feed them like sheep for the slaughter (Hos 4:16), and then death comes, and shuts them up in the grave like fat sheep in a fold, to be brought forth to the day of wrath, Job 21:30. Multitudes of them, like flocks of sheep dead of some disease, are thrown into the grave, and there death shall feed on them, the second death, the worm that dies not, Job 24:20. Their own guilty consciences, like so many vultures, shall be continually preying upon them, with, Son, remember, Luk 16:25. Death insults and triumphs over them, as it is represented in the fall of the king of Babylon, at which hell from beneath is moved, Isa 14:9, etc. While a saint can ask proud Death, Where is thy sting? Death will ask the proud sinner, Where is thy wealth, thy pomp? and the more he was fattened with prosperity the more sweetly will death feed on him. And in the morning of the resurrection, when all that sleep in the dust shall awake (Dan 12:2), the upright shall have dominion over them, shall not only be advanced to the highest dignity and honour when they are filled with everlasting shame and contempt, elevated to the highest heavens when they are sunk to the lowest hell, but they shall be assessors with Christ in passing judgment upon them, and shall applaud the justice of God in their ruin. When the rich man in hell begged that Lazarus might bring him a drop of water to cool his tongue he owned that that upright man had dominion over him, as the foolish virgins also owned the dominion of the wise, and that they lay much at their mercy, when the begged, Give us of your oil. Let this comfort us in reference to the oppressions which the upright are now often groaning under, and the dominion which the wicked have over them. The day is coming when the tables will be turned (Est 9:1) and the upright will have the dominion. Let us now judge of things as they will appear at that day. But what will become of all the beauty of the wicked? Alas! that shall all be consumed in the grave from their dwelling; all that upon which they valued themselves, and for which others caressed and admired them, was adventitious and borrowed; it was paint and varnish, and they will rise in their own native deformity. The beauty of holiness is that which the grave, that consumes all other beauty, cannot touch, or do any damage to. Their beauty shall consume, the grave (or hell) being a habitation to every one of them; and what beauty can be there where there is nothing but the blackness of darkness for ever?
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
One surviving comment on this verse from the historical church.
And what has he said of such a man? "Yea, he has laboured for ever, and shall live till the end" [Psalm 49:9]. His labour shall be without end, his life shall have an end. Wherefore says he, "He shall live till the end"? Because such men think life to be nought but daily enjoyments. So when many poor and needy men of our times, unstable, and not looking to what God does promise them for their labours, see rich men in daily feastings, in the splendour and glitter of gold and of silver, they say what? "These are the only people; they really live!" This is a saying, be it said no longer: we both warn you, and it remains to warn you, that it be said by fewer persons than it would be said, if we had not warned you. For we do not presume to say that we so say these words, as that it be not said, but that it be said by fewer persons: for it will be said even unto the end of the world. It is too little that he says, "he lives;" he adds and says, he thunders, do you think that he alone lives? Let him live! His life will be ended: because he gives not the price of the redemption of his soul, his life will end, his labour will not end. "He laboured for ever, and shall live till the end." How shall he live till the end? As he lived that was "clothed with purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day," [Luke 16:19] who, being proud and puffed up, spurned the man full of sores lying before his gate, whose sores the dogs licked, and who longed for the crumbs which fell from his table. What did those riches profit him? Both changed places: the one was borne from the rich man's gate into Abraham's bosom, the other from his rich feasts was cast into the fire; the one was in peace, the other burned; the one was sated, the other thirsted; the one had laboured till the end, but he lived for ever; the other had lived till the end, but he laboured for ever. And what did it profit the rich man, who asked, while lying in torments in hell, that a drop of water should be poured upon his tongue from the finger of Lazarus, saying, "For I am burning here in this flame," [Luke 16:24] and it was not granted to him? One longed for the drop from the finger, as the other had for the crumbs from the rich man's table; but the labour of the one is ended, and the life of the other is ended: the labour of this is for ever, the life of that is for ever. We who labour perchance here on the earth, have not our life here: and shall not be so placed hereafter, for our life shall be Christ for ever: while they who "will" have their life here, shall labour for ever and live till the end.
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Summary
Psalms 49:9 serves as a profound and sobering declaration of humanity's universal mortality and the ultimate futility of wealth and earthly power in the face of death. It asserts the impossibility of any human being, regardless of their riches or status, purchasing perpetual life or escaping the inevitable physical decay of the grave. This verse encapsulates a core message of the psalm: that true security and lasting hope cannot be found in transient material possessions but must reside in something beyond the temporal realm, highlighting the inherent limitations of human effort against the decree of death.
Context
Literary Context
Psalm 49 is a Maskil, an instructional or contemplative psalm, designed to impart profound wisdom regarding the vanity of earthly riches and the certainty of death for all humanity. The psalmist begins by issuing a universal call to attention, inviting all people, rich and poor, wise and foolish, to heed the "dark sayings" and "riddles" (referencing Psalm 49:4) that he is about to unfold. Verses 6-8 lay the crucial theological groundwork for verse 9, emphasizing that those who trust in their wealth and boast in their riches are utterly incapable of redeeming a brother or paying a ransom to God for their own life. The psalmist explicitly states that "the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever" (as found in Psalm 49:8), setting up the inescapable conclusion delivered in verse 9: no human can live forever and avoid the grave's corruption, directly following the declaration of the prohibitive cost and impossibility of life's redemption by human means.
Historical & Cultural Context
In the ancient Near East, wealth often conferred immense power, status, and a perceived sense of security, leading many to believe their influence could extend even beyond life. Rulers and powerful individuals frequently sought to immortalize themselves through grand monuments, elaborate tombs, and dynastic legacies. However, Israelite wisdom literature, in stark contrast to surrounding cultures' attempts to defy or manipulate death, consistently affirmed the universal dominion of death and the grave (Sheol) over all humanity. This psalm directly challenges the prevailing human tendency to find ultimate security in material possessions, a common temptation in any era, by highlighting the ultimate equalizer: mortality. It speaks to a timeless human aspiration for immortality and the equally timeless reality of death's inescapable grasp.
Key Themes
This verse contributes significantly to several overarching themes within Psalm 49 and broader biblical wisdom literature. It powerfully underscores Universal Mortality, asserting that death is an inescapable reality for all humanity, regardless of status, wisdom, or material possessions, a truth echoed in Ecclesiastes 2:16 which states that the wise man dies just like the fool. It highlights the Futility of Earthly Riches, exposing the profound inadequacy of wealth as a means to secure eternal life or prevent physical decay, demonstrating that riches offer no ultimate security against death, a theme powerfully articulated in Proverbs 11:4 where it is declared that riches do not profit in the day of wrath. Furthermore, it emphasizes Human Limitation, underscoring the inherent inability of human beings to redeem themselves or others from the grip of death and the grave; no human effort or payment can overcome the physical consequences of mortality, pointing implicitly to the profound need for a divine intervention beyond human capacity, as seen in the lament of Job 14:1-2 about the brevity and frailty of human life.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
The Hebrew word נֵצַח (netsach) here denotes perpetuity, eternity, or lasting duration. Derived from a root meaning "to be eminent" or "to be victorious," it properly signifies a "goal" or "the bright object at a distance travelled towards," hence figuratively "splendor" or "continually (to the most distant point of view)." When used in the context of human life, as it is in this verse, it refers to the aspiration or delusion of unending existence on earth, specifically avoiding death. The psalmist uses it to emphatically deny that any human being can achieve such a state, contrasting human frailty with divine eternality.
The Hebrew word רָאָה (râʼâh) is a primitive root meaning "to see," literally or figuratively, in numerous applications. In this context, "not see corruption" is an idiomatic expression, signifying "not experience" or "not undergo" the process of decay. It underscores the direct, unavoidable encounter with physical disintegration that awaits all humanity. The use of "see" here makes the experience of corruption a direct, personal, and inescapable reality for every individual.
The Hebrew word שַׁחַת (shachath) carries a range of meanings including "pit," "destruction," "decay," "ruin," or "corruption." It is derived from a root meaning "to sink down" or "to decay." In the context of the grave, as it is used here, it unequivocally refers to the physical decomposition and decay of the human body after death. This term is crucial because it directly speaks to the biological reality of mortality and the irreversible process that awaits all flesh. Its use here sets up a profound theological contrast with its appearance in Psalm 16:10, where it is prophesied that God's Holy One would not see corruption.
Verse Breakdown
"That he should still live for ever"
This clause presents the unattainable aspiration of humanity. It speaks to the deep-seated human desire for immortality, or at least for an indefinite extension of life, free from the constraints of mortality. The psalmist is asserting that this desire, when rooted in human power, wealth, or ingenuity, is utterly futile and cannot be realized. No amount of earthly resource, influence, or personal achievement can grant perpetual life to an individual; the human condition is inherently finite.
"[and] not see corruption"
This second clause clarifies and intensifies the first, serving as a parallel thought. Not only can a person not live forever, but they also cannot escape the physical consequences of death – the process of decay and decomposition in the grave. "To see corruption" is an idiomatic expression for experiencing physical disintegration, meaning the body will inevitably return to dust. This powerfully reinforces the universal and inescapable nature of mortality, making it clear that even the wealthiest and most powerful are subject to the same biological fate as the poorest and weakest.
Literary Devices
Psalms 49:9 employs several powerful literary devices to convey its profound message. The primary device is Contrast, setting the human desire for perpetual life and escape from decay against the stark, undeniable reality of inevitable death and physical decomposition. This verse stands in direct contrast to the preceding verses (6-8), which speak of the utter inability of human wealth to pay a ransom for life, thereby highlighting the ultimate limitation of human power and material possessions. There is also an element of Irony, as those who trust in their great wealth often believe themselves secure and perhaps even above the common fate, yet their riches are precisely what cannot save them from the grave. The direct, declarative statement of the verse carries a strong sense of Authoritative Pronouncement, lending significant weight to the psalmist's wisdom and making the truth undeniable. Furthermore, the psalm as a whole functions as a Riddle or "dark saying" (as noted in Psalm 49:4) that this verse helps to solve, revealing the profound, unsettling, yet ultimately liberating truth about human mortality and the vanity of earthly trust.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Psalms 49:9 stands as a stark reminder of the universal consequences of the Fall, where death entered the human experience as a pervasive decree. It underscores the biblical truth that all humanity is subject to mortality, a direct result of sin, and that no human effort, wisdom, or material possession can reverse this decree. This verse implicitly points to the profound need for a divine solution to the problem of death and corruption, a solution that lies entirely beyond human capacity to achieve or purchase. It positions humanity in a state of utter helplessness before the grave, thereby preparing the theological ground for the concept of a divine Redeemer who alone possesses the power to conquer death and offer true, enduring life.
Reflection and Application
Psalms 49:9 confronts us with the inescapable truth of our mortality, a truth often obscured by the relentless pursuit of temporal security, material gain, and the illusion of self-sufficiency. It challenges us to critically examine where our ultimate trust and hope truly lie. If neither immense wealth nor human ingenuity can deliver us from the grave and its inevitable decay, then our deepest longings for permanence, security, and meaning must be directed elsewhere—beyond the fleeting realm of earthly existence. This verse serves as a powerful call to re-evaluate our priorities, reminding us that life is finite and that true wisdom involves investing in that which endures beyond the grave. It implicitly points us away from self-reliance and towards the only source of genuine, enduring life. Our mortality, rather than being a curse to be feared without hope, becomes a profound catalyst to seek the One who has demonstrated ultimate power over death.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does Psalms 49:9 mean that no one can ever have eternal life?
No, Psalms 49:9 specifically states that no human being, by their own power or wealth, can "live for ever" or "not see corruption." It emphasizes the universal human inability to escape physical death and decay through earthly means. The psalm highlights the profound problem of human mortality and the futility of human efforts to overcome it. However, the Bible elsewhere reveals that eternal life is indeed possible, but it is a sovereign gift from God, offered through a divine Redeemer, not something earned or purchased by humans. This verse serves to underscore the human predicament that God's ultimate solution, found in Christ's victory over death, profoundly addresses.
Why is the word "corruption" so important in this verse and in biblical theology?
The Hebrew word for "corruption" (שַׁחַת, shachath) is profoundly significant because it refers to the physical decay and disintegration of the body in the grave. While Psalms 49:9 declares that all humans will inevitably "see corruption," this term takes on immense theological weight in other passages. Notably, Psalm 16:10 prophesies that God's "Holy One" would not see corruption. This prophetic distinction is later applied by the Apostle Peter in his Pentecost sermon in Acts 2:27 to the resurrection of Jesus Christ, making "corruption" a key theological term linking universal human mortality to Christ's unique triumph over death and the grave. It highlights the stark difference between humanity's fate and the divine nature of the resurrected Christ.
Is this psalm pessimistic about life?
While Psalms 49:9 and the psalm as a whole present a sobering and realistic assessment of human mortality and the vanity of earthly trust, it is not ultimately pessimistic. Instead, it functions as a profound piece of wisdom literature designed to reorient one's perspective and priorities. By thoroughly exposing the futility of trusting in what is temporary and perishable, it implicitly directs the reader towards a greater, enduring hope. It's a call to profound spiritual wisdom, encouraging a proper understanding of life's true values and where ultimate security and lasting hope can genuinely be found. For the believer, this wisdom ultimately points to God's sovereign plan of redemption and His ultimate victory over death.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Psalms 49:9, with its stark declaration that no human can "live for ever, [and] not see corruption," powerfully sets the stage for the unique and indispensable work of Jesus Christ. Humanity's inherent inability to ransom itself from death and decay, articulated here, underscores the profound need for a divine intervention that transcends all human capacity. While all human flesh is destined to "see corruption," the New Testament proclaims that Jesus Christ, the "Holy One" prophesied in Psalm 16:10, did not see corruption. As Peter preached on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2:27 and Paul later affirmed in Acts 13:35-37, David himself died and saw corruption, but God raised Jesus, who was not abandoned to Hades, nor did His flesh "see corruption." Christ's resurrection is the ultimate, divine answer to the dilemma posed in Psalms 49:9; He is the true and sufficient "ransom" (as He Himself declared in Mark 10:45) who conquered death and the grave, offering eternal life and freedom from corruption to all who believe in Him (as promised in John 3:16 and Romans 6:23). Thus, the universal human fate described in Psalms 49:9 serves as a dark, inescapable backdrop against which the glorious light of Christ's victory over death shines all the more brightly, fulfilling the ultimate hope that no earthly wealth could ever purchase.