Psalm 49
לַמְנַצֵּ֬חַ לִבְנֵי קֹ֬רַח מִזְמֽוֹר
BSB
The Evanescence of Wealth
(Ecclesiastes 5:8–20)
For the choirmaster. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
1Hear this, all you peoples;
listen, all inhabitants of the world,
2both low and high,
rich and poor alike.
3My mouth will impart wisdom,
and the meditation of my heart will bring understanding.
4I will incline my ear to a proverb;
I will express my riddle with the harp:
5Why should I fear in times of trouble,
when wicked usurpers surround me?
6They trust in their wealth
and boast in their great riches.
7No man can possibly redeem his brother
or pay his ransom to God.
8For the redemption of his soul is costly,
and never can payment suffice,
9that he should live on forever
and not see decay.
10For it is clear that wise men die,
and the foolish and the senseless both perish
and leave their wealth to others.
11Their graves are their eternal homes—
their dwellings for endless generations—
even though their lands were their namesakes.
12But a man, despite his wealth, cannot endure;
he is like the beasts that perish.
13This is the fate of the self-confident
and their followers who endorse their sayings.
Selah
14Like sheep they are destined for Sheol.
Death will be their shepherd.
The upright will rule them in the morning,
and their form will decay in Sheol,
far from their lofty abode.
15But God will redeem my life from Sheol,
for He will surely take me to Himself.
Selah
16Do not be amazed when a man grows rich,
when the splendor of his house increases.
17For when he dies, he will carry nothing away;
his abundance will not follow him down.
18Though in his lifetime he blesses his soul—
and men praise you when you prosper—
19he will join the generation of his fathers,
who will never see the light of day.
20A man who has riches without understanding
is like the beasts that perish.
Introduction
Psalms 49
This psalm is a sermon, and so is the next. In most of the psalms we have the penman praying or praising; in these we have him preaching; and it is our duty, in singing psalms, to teach and admonish ourselves and one another. The scope and design of this discourse is to convince the men of this world of their sin and folly in setting their hearts upon the things of this world, and so to persuade them to seek the things of a better world; as also to comfort the people of God, in reference to their own troubles and the grief that arises from the prosperity of the wicked. I. In the preface he proposes to awaken worldly people out of their security (Psa 49:1-3) and to comfort himself and other godly people in a day of distress (Psa 49:4, Psa 49:5). II. In the rest of the psalm, 1. He endeavours to convince sinners of their folly in doting upon the wealth of this world, by showing them (1.) That they cannot, with all their wealth, save their friends from death (Psa 49:6-9). (2.) They cannot save themselves from death (Psa 49:10). (3.) They cannot secure to themselves a happiness in this world (Psa 49:11, Psa 49:12). Much less, (4.) Can they secure to themselves a happiness in the other world (Psa 49:14). 2. He endeavours to comfort himself and other good people, (1.) Against the fear of death (Psa 49:15). (2.) Against the fear of the prospering power of wicked people (Psa 49:16-20). In singing this psalm let us receive these instructions, and be wise.
To the chief musician. A psalm for the sons of Korah.
Cross-references: Ps 49:1 · Ps 49:4 · Ps 49:5 · Ps 49:6 · Ps 49:10 · Ps 49:11 · Ps 49:12 · Ps 49:14 · Ps 49:15 · Ps 49:16