The preceding group of Psalms contains an appeal to “all peoples” to recognise in Jehovah the Ruler of the world in virtue of His mighty deeds for Israel: this Psalm addresses “all peoples” with a theme of common interest to all humanity.

The author is a moralist. He offers teaching concerning one of those enigmas of life which perplex men and try their faith. Is not wealth after all the master-force in the world? Must not the poor tremble before its power and pay court to its splendour? Is not the lot of those who possess the means of luxurious enjoyment, however selfish, most enviable?

The Psalmist’s solution of the problem is to point out the limits to the power of wealth and to its owner’s tenure of it. All the wealth in the world cannot purchase exemption from death; and. it must all be abandoned when its owner comes to die. Quite briefly the Psalmist expresses his own faith that righteousness will be finally triumphant (Psalm 49:14), and that God will do for him what all his wealth cannot do for the rich man (Psalm 49:15).

Does he here break through the veil of darkness which rested over the world beyond for Israel of old, and declare his belief, if not in a resurrection, at least in a translation from the gloom of Sheol to a blessed state of communion with God? This question is a difficult one, but reasons will be given in the notes for thinking that the Psalmist’s view did not reach beyond the present life, though it contains the germ of the principle by which men were raised, through sore struggles of faith, to grasp the hope of eternal life. See also Introd. pp. xciii ff.

The theme of the Ps. is akin to that of Psalms 37, 73. But while those Psalms treat of the temptations to murmuring and disbelief which spring from the sight of high-handed wickedness prospering unchecked, we have here only incidental hints (Psalm 49:5; Psalm 49:14) that the rich men who are spoken of are oppressors of the poor, or have amassed their wealth by injustice. They are not expressly condemned as tyrannous and oppressive, though no doubt they tended to become so. But they make a god of their wealth and pride themselves on their magnificence. Wrapped in a haughty self-satisfaction, they care for nothing but their own selfish pleasure. What appals the Psalmist is not so much their wickedness as their worldliness. They ignore God and yet they prosper. The Psalm reminds us of the parables of the Rich Fool (Luke 12:16 ff.) and the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19 ff.). Its moral teaching is for all men and all time. Worldliness and envy are temptations which do not lose their power. Rich and poor alike constantly need to be reminded that “a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things that he possesseth.”

This Ps. is closely connected with the ‘Wisdom’ or religious philosophy of Israel, which, working side by side with Prophecy, was an important power in the education of the nation. It contains numerous parallels of thought and language to the Books of Job and Proverbs.

There is little to determine the date of the Psalm. But it may perhaps belong to the eighth century B.C., when the existence of great wealth and great poverty side by side in the reigns of Uzziah and Jotham could not fail to suggest the problem here discussed. There seems to be an allusion in Psalm 49:11 to the vast estates which are condemned by Isaiah and Micah. If so, it will be somewhat earlier than Psalms 46-48. The structure of the Ps. is clearly marked. It consists of an introduction and two equal divisions, each of which is closed by a refrain.

i. A solemn invitation to listen, addressed to men of every nation, every rank, and every class, for the theme is one of universal interest (Psalm 49:1-4).

ii. Why should the power of wealth be feared, though men make a god of their riches? Wealth cannot save from death: and its owner must inevitably surrender it when he dies (Psalm 49:5-12).

iii. Sheol is the destination of the richest and most powerful. But the upright will be finally triumphant; and the Psalmist in fellowship with God has a hope which no wealth can purchase. There is nothing to fear in worldly magnificence, for it is doomed to a speedy end (Psalm 49:13-20).

1. all ye people] Rather, all ye peoples, as in Psalm 47:1. All peoples, all the inhabitants of the world, are summoned to listen, for the theme is one of universal interest; it concerns all humanity. It is characteristic of the ‘Wisdom’ or religious philosophy of Israel to view the problems of life in their wider aspect. It treats of man as man, not of Israel as the chosen people. The first line recalls the opening words of Micah’s prophecy (Micah 1:2), and the words of his older namesake (1 Kings 22:28). For the form of the verse cp. Elihu’s words (Job 34:2).

the world] A peculiar word, found in this sense only in Psalm 17:14. It denotes the lapse of time, the fleeting age, the world as uncertain and transitory.

1–4. A solemn introduction, addressed to men of every nation and every class, emphasising the importance of the Psalmist’s theme.

2. Both low and high] So the A.V. rightly paraphrases the Heb. sons of mankind (âdâm) and sons of men (’îsh): those whose personality is lost in the common multitude, and those who are individually distinguished; plebeians and patricians. Adâm corresponds to ἄνθρωπος, homo; ’îsh to ἀνήρ, vir. Cp. Psalm 4:2; Psalm 62:9. The P.B.V. (high and low) wrongly inverts the meanings.

rich and poor together] The rich that they may recognise the vanity of riches, and take warning: the poor that they may learn to be contented with their lot, and not to envy the rich.

3. My mouth shall speak wisdom,

And the meditation of my heart shall be (full of) understanding.

The words for wisdom and understanding are both plural in the Heb., denoting manifold wisdom and profound insight.

4. The poet receives by revelation what he desires to teach. He will bend his ear to listen to the voice of God before he ventures himself to speak to men. Mâshâl, rendered parable, means (1) primarily a comparison, (2) a proverb, as frequently involving a comparison, (3) a parable, as the extension of a proverb, (4) a poem, either contemptuous (Isaiah 14:4) or didactic, as here. Chîdâh, denotes (1) an enigma or riddle (Jdg 14:12 f.; 1 Kings 10:1), (2) a parable or simile (Ezekiel 17:2), (3) any profound or obscure utterance, a problem, dark saying. Both words occur together in Psalm 78:2; Proverbs 1:6; Ezekiel 17:2. The prosperity of the godless was one of the great ‘enigmas of life’ to the pious Israelite, demanding a solution which could only be partially given before the fuller revelation of Christ “brought life and immortality to light.” What he has learned on this perplexing question he will open upon the harp, set it forth in a poem accompanied by music.

5. in the days of evil] Or, of the evil man: when evil or evil men seem to have the upper hand, uncontrolled by any divine law of righteousness. Cp. Psalm 94:13.

when the iniquity of my heels &c.] Apparently this means, when his own false steps and errors of conduct surround him and threaten to prove his ruin. But apart from the strangeness of the expression, this meaning does not suit the context. It is better to render with R.V.,

When iniquity at my heels compasseth me about,

when the injustice of wealthy neighbours dogs his footsteps and threatens to trip him up. But better still is the rendering of R.V. marg., which gives a clear sense, and a good connexion with Psalm 49:6,

When the iniquity of them that would supplant me compasseth me about,

Even of them that trust … riches?

He is in danger from wealthy and unscrupulous neighbours, who are eager to trip him up and get him into their power. Cp. Jeremiah 9:4.

5–12. The limits to the power and the possession of wealth.

7. The first answer to the question, ‘Wherefore should I fear’? These men make a god of their wealth. They trust in it and glory in it, as the godly man trusts in Jehovah and glories in Him (Psalm 32:10; Psalm 34:2). But how powerless it is! It cannot deliver anyone from death. If the rich man’s friends have so little to hope, his victims have little to fear.

The language of this verse and the next is borrowed from the ancient law in Exodus 21:30, where the words ransom and redemption of life (or soul) occur together, the latter phrase being found nowhere else. If a man’s neglect to keep a dangerous ox under proper control had been the cause of another man’s death, his life was forfeit. But he might redeem his life by paying a ransom to the relatives of the deceased person. Probably he would always be allowed to do so, and the penalty of death would never be exacted. Another law prohibited the pardon of a murderer upon the mere payment of a fine (Numbers 35:31), lest rich men should regard the taking of life as a matter of indifference. Thus the idea of the payment of money as the equivalent of a life was familiar. There were cases in which wealth could deliver from death, when man was dealing with man. But when God claims the life, riches are of no avail.

his brother] Lit. a brother: his most intimate relative or friend. Possibly there may be an allusion to the use of the word in dirges. See Jeremiah 22:18. But the position of the word at the beginning of the sentence is peculiar, and an adversative particle seems to be needed. It has therefore been plausibly conjectured that we should read ǎk, ‘surely’ or ‘but’ (as in Psalm 49:15), in place of âch, ‘brother,’ and, with a slight alteration of the vowels, render thus:

But no one can by any means redeem himself,

Nor give to God the ransom He requires.

The reading of the Massoretic Text however is attested by the LXX and other Ancient Versions.

8. Render:

For too costly is the redemption of their life,

And he must let it alone for ever.

The sum to be paid by the man whose life was forfeit was to be assessed, probably in proportion to his culpability and his means: but there is no ransom which can be paid to God; it is hopeless to think of attempting it. Cp. Matthew 5:26. Their refers to brother, regarded generically; or, if the reading But is adopted, to the rich men.

9. The preceding verse is a parenthesis, and this verse is to be connected with Psalm 49:7 and rendered,

That he should live on perpetually,

(And) should not see the pit.

‘To see the pit’ = to experience death. The word shachath, rendered corruption in the A.V., must mean ‘pit’ in some passages where it occurs (e.g. Psalm 7:15; Psalm 30:9), and may have this meaning always. Cp. note on Psalm 16:10.

10. For he seeth that wise men die] Experience shews the rich man that all alike come to the grave. Even wisdom cannot deliver its possessor. This rendering is on the whole preferable to that of R.V. marg., Yea, he (the brother or the rich man) shall see it (the pit): wise men die &c. ‘Wise’ and ‘fool’ are words characteristic of the Wisdom literature. The former occurs but once again in the Psalter, and 46 times in Proverbs: the latter but twice in the Psalter, and 49 times in Proverbs.

likewise &c.] Fool and brutish perish together. Perhaps the use of different verbs is intended to distinguish between the end of the wise man and the end of the fool and the brutish, the self-confident braggart and the mere stupid animal.

and leave &c.] Or, abandon. The point of course is not that they can pass on their property to their heirs, but that they must themselves surrender it. Wealth can neither prolong life, nor be retained by its owner at death. Cp. Luke 12:10.

11. Their inward thought is &c.] If they do reflect that they must die, they comfort themselves with the delusion that their houses will last for ever, and their names be perpetuated in the names of their estates, which like builders of cities or conquerors (2 Samuel 12:28) they have named after themselves. But the rendering their inward thought is questionable; and the LXX, Vulg., Syr., and Targ., all point to a different reading, involving simply a transposition of letters (qbrm for qrbm), which gives the sense:

Graves are their houses for ever;

The dwelling-places for all generations

Of those who called lands after their own names.

This reading suits the context best. They must surrender their wealth, and a narrow grave will be the only possession left to the man who called a vast estate by his own name. The first line recalls the name ‘eternal house’ applied to the grave in Ecclesiastes 12:5, and in inscriptions: cp. ‘eternal place,’ Tob 3:6 : and Isaiah calls Shebna’s pretentious sepulchre a ‘dwelling-place’ (Isaiah 22:16). Is there an ironical allusion in the last line to the vast estates of Isaiah’s day (Isaiah 5:8)?

12. If we retain the reading of the Massoretic Text in Psalm 49:11, we may render with R.V., But man abideth not in honour.

If the reading graves is adopted, Psalm 49:12 sums up the picture:

So man in splendour hath no continuance.

However imposing may be man’s magnificence, it must come to an end. The LXX and Syr. read here, as in Psalm 49:20, Man being in honour understandeth not. But refrains are not always identical in form, and the difference in the Heb. text is significant.

that perish] Or, are cut off, a different word from that in Psalm 49:10.

13. A difficult verse. The best rendering appears to be:

This is the way of them that are self-confident,

And of their followers who [lit. those who after them] approve their sayings.

The verse sums up the preceding verses, like Job 18:21; Job 20:29. So it fares with these self-confident fools and their deluded followers (Psalm 73:10; Job 21:33). Then, after an interlude, the fate of the wicked is more fully described in Psalm 49:14, in contrast with the hope of the godly, Psalm 49:15.

The word kçṣel denotes the stupid self-confidence which is characteristic of the ‘fool’ (k’sîl, Psalm 49:10). Cp. Job 31:24. Aquila and Jerome render run instead of approve. The difference is simply one of vocalisation, and in their day the text had no written vowels. With this reading we might render: And of those who run after them at their beck.

13–15. The fate of the godless rich man is further described, and contrasted with the Psalmist’s confidence.

14. Like sheep are they put into Sheol;

Death shepherdeth them;

And the upright have dominion over them in the morning,

And their form shall Sheol consume, that it have no more habitation.

What becomes of the wicked? They are driven down to Sheol like a flock of sheep, mere animals that they are (Psalm 49:12); there Death is their shepherd: the king of terrors rules them at his will. They perish in the night, and in the morning the righteous awake, triumphant over their fallen oppressors. The night of trouble is over; the morning of deliverance has dawned (Psalm 30:5). But what is meant by ‘the morning’? Not, as yet, the resurrection morning; but the morning of the day which Jehovah is making, in which “all the proud, and all that work wickedness, shall be as stubble … and ye shall tread down the wicked, for they shall be as ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I do make, saith the Lord of hosts” (Malachi 4:1; Malachi 4:3): a day in the history of the world corresponding to the day when the restored Israel “shall rule over their oppressors” (Isaiah 14:2). Comp. Psalm 104:35, and Psalms 37.

The precise meaning of the last line is doubtful and the text possibly corrupt. Their form, or perhaps, their beauty, is delivered up to Sheol to consume: a poetical way of expressing that their bodies moulder in the grave: all that made such a brave show upon earth has no more existence, no longer needs any abode. Possibly we should make a slight change in the text, and render, Their form shall be consumed, Sheol shall be their habitation. Cp. A.V. marg.

15. While the wicked become the prey of Sheol, the Psalmist is delivered from its power. But in what sense? In this life, or after death? A careful study of the context and of similar phrases elsewhere seems to shew that the Psalmist looks with confidence for deliverance from the premature and penal death of the wicked, but does not anticipate escape from death or express his belief in a resurrection. The verse corresponds to Psalm 49:7-8. While wealth is powerless to avert death, God can and will deliver His servant. Similar phrases are constantly used of deliverance from imminent peril of death. Cp. Psalm 30:3; Psalm 33:18 f.; Psalm 86:13; Psalm 103:4; Psalm 138:7; and particularly Psalm 89:48; Job 33:22 ff.; Hosea 13:14; see also Psalm 16:10, and note there. For he shall receive me is to be explained by the use of the same word in Psalm 18:16 (A.V. he took me): He will take hold of me and deliver me. It is possible that the verse should be divided thus: But God will redeem my life [soul]: out of the grasp of Sheol will he surely take me.

Delitzsch indeed thinks that he shall receive me contains an allusion to the history of Enoch (Genesis 5:24), where the same word is used, “He was not; for God took him.” He holds that in a moment of lofty aspiration the Psalmist expresses a bold hope that he may escape death, and be taken directly into the presence of God. But this interpretation is improbable: it does not appear that he, any more than the author of Psalms 89, anticipates that any mortal man can finally escape death.

Many commentators find in the passage “the strong hope of eternal life with God, if not the hope of a resurrection.” But the context and the parallel passages lead to a different conclusion. Certainly the doctrine of a future life was not to the Psalmist a revealed certainty to which he could appeal for a solution of the enigmas of life which were perplexing him. Probably, as has been said before on Psalms 16, the truth is that the antithesis in the Psalmist’s mind is not between life here and life hereafter (as we speak), but between life with and life without God; and for the moment, in the consciousness of the blessedness of fellowship with God, death fades from his view. The rich man’s wealth, which he is tempted to envy, cannot buy from God one moment’s prolongation of life; nay, the wicked are doomed to a premature and miserable death: while the Psalmist rejoices in the assured protection and fellowship of God.

But whatever may have been the extent or the limitation of the Psalmist’s view, his words contain the germ and principle of the doctrine of the Resurrection; and for ourselves, as we use them, they will bear the fuller meaning with which they have been illuminated by Christ’s Resurrection.

16. Be not thou afraid] The Psalmist addresses himself, repeating the question of Psalm 49:5 in the form of an exhortation (the Heb. word is the same), or any individual who is listening to him.

glory] The magnificence and splendour which accompany wealth. Cp. Proverbs 3:16; Proverbs 8:18.

16–20. The rich man cannot carry his wealth with him when he dies. The thought already expressed in Psalm 49:10 is resumed and further developed.

17. Cp. Job 1:21; Ecclesiastes 5:15; 1 Timothy 6:7; and parallels from classical authors: e.g. Propertius IV. 5. 13:

Haud ullas portabis opes Acherontis ad undas:

Nudus at inferna, stulte, vehere, rate.

18. blessed his soul] Congratulated himself on his good fortune, flattering himself that he was beyond the reach of misfortune. Cp. Deuteronomy 29:19; Luke 12:19.

men will praise thee] Men praise thee (R.V.). The words are a parenthesis, addressed to the rich man. The unthinking multitude (cp. Psalm 49:13 b) worship success and wealth. They see nothing wrong in the selfish misuse of riches.

19. He shall go] There should be a comma at the end of Psalm 49:18, as in R.V., for Psalm 49:19 forms the apodosis to it. The Heb. verb may be either the 3rd person fem., the subject being the soul, or the 2nd person masc.; so either, ‘Though he blessed his soul … it shall go’ &c.: or, ‘Though men praise thee … thou shalt go.’ The first alternative is preferable. The second involves an intolerably harsh change of person (‘Thou shalt go … his fathers’). For the phrase cp. Genesis 15:15, “Thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace.” The more usual expression for dying is, “he was gathered to his people,” or, “his fathers.” Families are contemplated as reunited in Sheol, where existence is a shadowy reflection of life on earth.

they shall never see light] ‘They’ refers to the rich men. The Heb. mind passes from the class to the individual and from the individual to the class with a facility to which we are not accustomed. But it is perhaps better to take the phrase as a relative clause referring to ‘his fathers’; Who shall never more see the light. He goes to join the ranks of those whose lot is fixed irrevocably, who will never return to life. For the phrase cp. Psalm 58:8; Job 3:16; Ecclesiastes 6:5.

20. The refrain of Psalm 49:12, repeated with a significant variation, qualifying the previous statement. It is not the rich and honourable man, as such, who is no better than the cattle that perish; but the rich man who is destitute of discernment, and knows no distinction between false and true riches, reckoning earthly and transitory wealth more precious than spiritual and eternal fellowship with God.