Psalm 49:1-9

Of the Vanity of Earthly Goods

To the chief musician, for use in liturgical worship, a psalm for the sons of Korah, a hymn of instruction and consolation written by a member of the family of Korah, to show that mere earthly advantages do not bring lasting good fortune.

V. 1. Hear this, all ye people, a solemn call for the most careful attention; give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world, all those living in this present time, in this age, which will soon pass away; v. 2. both low and high, the Hebrew distinguishing between the children of ordinary people, mankind in general, and the sons of people out of the ordinary, the excellent, the nobles, rich and poor, together, since all men should be interested in the subject broached here, regardless of station and fortune.

V. 3. My mouth shall speak of wisdom, important and ponderous truths; and the meditation of my heart, as brought out in his whole instruction, shall be of understanding, such as goes to the root of matters, such as reveals their principles.

V. 4. I will incline mine ear, in the attitude of the most careful attention, to a parable, a proverb and illustration of true wisdom revealed by God Himself; I will open my dark saying, the counsel of God, His providential dealings with men, which often seem to the believers like an inexplicable riddle, upon the harp, that is, he would accompany his explanations by a tune on the zither, his hymn being of a nature that others could also play it and find comfort in its instructions.

V. 5. Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil, when misfortune strikes the believer, when the iniquity of my heels, the calamity inflicted by his oppressors, by bad men who abuse their power for such purposes, shall compass me about? It is the old complaint that the wicked surround the just, trying to attack them unawares and to inflict injury upon them.

V. 6. They that trust in their wealth, as a means of insuring them lasting happiness, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches, altogether vainglorious in their entire behavior, v. 7. none of them, the subject being generalized to include all men, can by any means redeem his brother, deliver him from the fate which will strike him on account of his sins, nor give to God a ransom for him, all the riches of the world are not sufficient to pay the guilt incurred by even one soul; v. 8. (for the redemption of their soul is precious, too costly to be paid for by anything which mere men may supply, and it ceaseth forever, it is bound to perish, to fail, the debt must remain forever unpaid, and all attempts to settle the indebtedness are futile;) v. 9. that he should still live forever, in an eternal life, without paying the penalty of death, and not see corruption.

The passage plainly teaches the impossibility of redemption of any person in the world by the mutual assistance or by the united efforts of men, a fact which brands all so-called religions outside of Christianity as spurious and futile, for they all are unable to cope with the situation, Christianity alone affording a solution, namely, that of the vicarious suffering of Jesus Christ.