Psalms 49

General context

The speaker calls all people and all inhabitants of the world, low and high, rich and poor, to hear. His mouth will speak wisdom and his heart's meditation will be understanding; he will incline his ear to a parable and open his dark saying on the harp. He asks why he should fear in days of evil when the iniquity of his heels surrounds him. Those who trust in wealth and boast in riches cannot redeem a brother or give God a ransom for him, for the redemption of their soul is precious and ceases for ever, so that he should live for ever and not see corruption. Wise men die, the fool and the brutish perish and leave their wealth to others; their inward thought is that their houses will continue for ever, and they name lands after themselves, yet man in honour does not abide but is like the beasts that perish. This is their folly, though their posterity approve their sayings; Selah follows. Like sheep they are laid in the grave, death feeds on them, the upright have dominion over them in the morning, and their beauty consumes in the grave. But God will redeem the speaker's soul from the power of the grave and receive him; Selah. The hearer is told not to be afraid when one becomes rich, for at death he carries nothing away; though he blessed his soul while he lived and men praise those who do well to themselves, he goes to the generation of his fathers who never see light. The closing line repeats that man in honour who does not understand is like the beasts that perish.

Cited passages: Psalms 49:1, Psalms 49:2, Psalms 49:3, Psalms 49:4, Psalms 49:5, Psalms 49:7, Psalms 49:8, Psalms 49:10, Psalms 49:11, Psalms 49:12, Psalms 49:13, Psalms 49:14, Psalms 49:15, Psalms 49:16, Psalms 49:17, Psalms 49:18, Psalms 49:19, Psalms 49:20

Psalms 49 (KJV)

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Historical context

The text as printed here carries no heading; verse 1 opens with "Hear this, all ye people", so this source names no author, occasion or musical direction beyond the speaker's own mention of a harp. The speaker is a single "I" who addresses all inhabitants of the world, and in verses 16 to 18 a single hearer as "thou". God is spoken of in the third person and never addressed. The speaker calls what follows "a parable" and "my dark saying" but does not name any person, nation or event; the rich who trust in wealth are a type, not individuals. "The iniquity of my heels" in verse 5 is left unexplained. The psalm states that no one can pay God a ransom for a brother and that the speaker expects God to redeem his soul "from the power of the grave", without describing what that redemption consists of. "The generation of his fathers" who "shall never see light" is the psalm's account of the dead. Selah stands after verses 13 and 15, on either side of the grave verses.

Cited passages: Psalms 49:1, Psalms 49:16, Psalms 49:4, Psalms 49:6, Psalms 49:5, Psalms 49:7, Psalms 49:15, Psalms 49:19

Literary context

The opening summons and the announcement of a parable set this apart from the psalms around it; it is instruction, not prayer. The argument turns on redemption: verse 7 says no one can redeem a brother, and verse 15 answers with "But God will redeem my soul", each of the two halves sealed by Selah. A refrain-like line appears at verse 12 and again, changed, at verse 20: "like the beasts that perish", the second time with "understandeth not" in place of "abideth not". Images of permanence, houses for ever, lands named after owners, are set against wise men dying and wealth left to others. The grave is pictured with sheep, a feeding death, and a morning when the upright have dominion. The closing counsel, "Be not thou afraid", answers the opening question, "Wherefore should I fear", and the rich man's self-blessing is set against the plain fact that "he shall carry nothing away".

Cited passages: Psalms 49:4, Psalms 49:7, Psalms 49:15, Psalms 49:12, Psalms 49:20, Psalms 49:11, Psalms 49:14, Psalms 49:5, Psalms 49:17

Key moments

1. Hear this, all ye people (Psalms 49:1). The speaker summons all inhabitants of the world, low and high, rich and poor.
2. A dark saying on the harp (Psalms 49:4). He announces a parable and a dark saying opened on the harp.
3. No ransom for a brother (Psalms 49:7). No one who trusts in wealth can redeem a brother or pay God a ransom.
4. Like the beasts that perish (Psalms 49:12). Man in honour does not abide but is like the beasts that perish.
5. Sheep laid in the grave (Psalms 49:14). The rich are laid in the grave like sheep, and the upright have dominion in the morning.
6. But God will redeem my soul (Psalms 49:15). The speaker says God will redeem his soul from the grave and receive him.
7. He carries nothing away (Psalms 49:17). The hearer is told not to fear the rich, who take nothing with them at death.

For reflection

The speaker says no one can pay God a ransom for a brother, then says God will redeem his own soul from the grave; what in the poem lets him expect for himself what he says money cannot buy for anyone?

People in this chapter

• Korah