Psa 49:6-15 | Clarke

‏ Psalms 49:6-15

Verse 7. None of them can by any means redeem his brother] Wealth cannot save from death; brother, however rich, cannot save his brother; nor will God accept riches as a ransom for the life or soul of any transgressor. To procure health of body, peace of mind, redemption from death, and eternal glory, riches are sought for and applied in vain.

Verse 8. For the redemption of their soul is precious] It is of too high a price to be redeemed with corruptible things, such as silver or gold, and has required the sacrificial death of Christ.

And it ceaseth for ever] This is very obscure, and may apply to the ransom which riches could produce. That ransom must be for ever unavailable, because of the value of the soul. Or this clause should be added to the following verse, and read thus: "And though he cease to be, ( vechadal,) during the hidden time, (

leolam;) yet he shall live on through eternity, (

vichi od lanetsach,) and not see corruption." This is probably the dark saying which it was the design of the author to utter in a parable, and leave it to the ingenuity of posterity to find it out. The verb chadal signifies a cessation of being or action, and olam often signifies hidden time, that which is not defined, and the end of which is not ascertained, though it is frequently used to express endless duration. This translation requires no alteration of the original text, and conveys a precise and consistent meaning.

Verse 10. For he seeth that wise men die] Though they may be rich, and their wisdom teach them the best method of managing their riches so as to derive all the good from them they can possibly produce, yet they die as well as the fool and the poor ignorant man; and their wealth is left to others who will be equally disappointed in their expectation from it.

Verse 11. Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever] Thus, by interpolation, we have endeavoured to patch up a sense to this clause. Instead of kirbam, their inward part, the Septuagint appear to have used a copy in which the second and third letters have been transposed kibram, their sepulchres; for they translate: καιοιταφοιαυτωνοικιαι αυτωνειςτοναιωνα "For their graves are their dwellings for ever." So six or seven feet long, and two or three wide, is sufficient to hold the greatest conqueror in the universe! What a small house for the quondam possessor of numerous palaces and potent kingdoms!

They call their lands after their own names.] There would have been no evil in this if it had not been done on an infidel principle. They expected no state but the present; and if they could not continue themselves, yet they took as much pains as possible to perpetuate their memorial.

Verse 12. Man being in honour abideth not] However rich, wise, or honourable, they must die; and if they die not with a sure hope of eternal life, they die like beasts. See on Ps 49:20.

Verse 13. Their posterity approve their sayings.] Go the same way; adopt their maxims.

Verse 14. Like sheep they are laid in the grave] lishol, into sheol, the place of separate spirits.

Death shall feed on them] maveth yirem, "Death shall feed them!" What an astonishing change! All the good things of life were once their portion, and they lived only to eat and drink; and now they live in sheol, and Death himself feeds them! and with what? Damnation. Houbigant reads the verse thus: "Like sheep they shall be laid in the place of the dead; death shall feed on them; their morning shepherds rule over them; and their flesh is to be consumed. Destruction is to them in their folds."

Verse 15. But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave] miyad sheol, "from the hand of sheol." That is, by the plainest construction, I shall have a resurrection from the dead, and an entrance into his glory; and death shall have no dominion over me.