Psalms — Chapter 49

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1Hear this, all ye people; give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world:

2Both low and high, rich and poor, together.

3My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.

4I will incline mine ear to a parable: I will open my dark saying upon the harp.

5Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil, when the iniquity of my heels shall compass me about?

6They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches;

7None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him:

8(For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever:)

9That he should still live for ever, and not see corruption.

10For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others.

11Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names.

12Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish.

13This their way is their folly: yet their posterity approve their sayings. Selah.

14Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling.

15But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah.

16Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased;

17For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him.

18Though while he lived he blessed his soul: and men will praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself.

19He shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see light.

20Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.

1Hear this, all ye peoples; Give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world,

2Both low and high, Rich and poor together.

3My mouth shall speak wisdom; And the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.

4I will incline mine ear to a parable: I will open my dark saying upon the harp.

5Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil, When iniquity at my heels compasseth me about?

6They that trust in their wealth, And boast themselves in the multitude of their riches;

7None [of them] can by any means redeem his brother, Nor give to God a ransom for him;

8(For the redemption of their life is costly, And it faileth for ever;)

9That he should still live alway, That he should not see corruption.

10For he shall see it. Wise men die; The fool and the brutish alike perish, And leave their wealth to others.

11Their inward thought is, [that] their houses [shall continue] for ever, [And] their dwelling-places to all generations; They call their lands after their own names.

12But man [being] in honor abideth not: He is like the beasts that perish.

13This their way is their folly: Yet after them men approve their sayings. Selah

14They are appointed as a flock for Sheol; Death shall be their shepherd; And the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; And their beauty shall be for Sheol to consume, That there be no habitation for it.

15But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol; For he will receive me. Selah

16Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, When the glory of his house is increased.

17For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away; His glory shall not descend after him.

18Though while he lived he blessed his soul (And men praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself,)

19He shall go to the generation of his fathers; They shall never see the light.

20Man that is in honor, and understandeth not, Is like the beasts that perish. Psalm 50 A Psalm of Asaph.

1For the music director, a psalm by the Korahites. Listen to this, all you nations. Pay attention, all you inhabitants of the world.

2Pay attention, all you people, both rich and poor.

3I will declare a wise saying; I will share my profound thoughts.

4I will learn a song that imparts wisdom; I will then sing my insightful song to the accompaniment of a harp.

5Why should I be afraid in times of trouble, when the sinful deeds of deceptive men threaten to overwhelm me?

6They trust in their wealth and boast in their great riches.

7Certainly a man cannot rescue his brother; he cannot pay God an adequate ransom price

8(the ransom price for a human life is too high, and people go to their final destiny),

9so that he might continue to live forever and not experience death.

10Surely one sees that even wise people die; fools and spiritually insensitive people all pass away and leave their wealth to others.

11Their grave becomes their permanent residence, their eternal dwelling place. They name their lands after themselves,

12but, despite their wealth, people do not last. They are like animals that perish.

13This is the destiny of fools, and of those who approve of their philosophy. (Selah)

14They will travel to Sheol like sheep, with death as their shepherd. The godly will rule over them when the day of vindication dawns. Sheol will consume their bodies, and they will no longer live in impressive houses.

15But God will rescue my life from the power of Sheol; certainly he will pull me to safety. (Selah)

16Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich and his wealth multiplies.

17For he will take nothing with him when he dies; his wealth will not follow him down into the grave.

18He pronounces this blessing on himself while he is alive: “May men praise you, for you have done well.”

19But he will join his ancestors; they will never again see the light of day.

20Wealthy people do not understand; they are like animals that perish.

1Hear this, all you peoples. Listen, all you inhabitants of the world,

2both low and high, rich and poor together.

3My mouth will speak words of wisdom. My heart shall utter understanding.

4I will incline my ear to a proverb. I will open my riddle on the harp.

5Why should I fear in the days of evil, when iniquity at my heels surrounds me?

6Those who trust in their wealth, and boast in the multitude of their riches—

7none of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give God a ransom for him.

8For the redemption of their life is costly, no payment is ever enough,

9that he should live on forever, that he should not see corruption.

10For he sees that wise men die; likewise the fool and the senseless perish, and leave their wealth to others.

11Their inward thought is that their houses will endure forever, and their dwelling places to all generations. They name their lands after themselves.

12But man, despite his riches, doesn’t endure. He is like the animals that perish.

13This is the destiny of those who are foolish, and of those who approve their sayings. Selah.

14They are appointed as a flock for Sheol. Death shall be their shepherd. The upright shall have dominion over them in the morning. Their beauty shall decay in Sheol, far from their mansion.

15But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me. Selah.

16Don’t be afraid when a man is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased;

17for when he dies he will carry nothing away. His glory won’t descend after him.

18Though while he lived he blessed his soul— and men praise you when you do well for yourself—

19he shall go to the generation of his fathers. They shall never see the light.

20A man who has riches without understanding, is like the animals that perish.

Summary
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
Videos
Reflection

Summary

A wisdom psalm on mortality and wealth — no man can ransom his brother from death; the wealthy and the foolish alike die and leave their wealth to others; but God will redeem the psalmist's soul from Sheol.

Authorship & Background

Author: Multiple authors — primarily David (73 psalms attributed), plus Asaph (12), Sons of Korah (11), Solomon (2), Moses (1), Heman (1), Ethan (1), and anonymous. The Psalter was compiled over approximately 1000 years and served as Israel's hymnal and prayer book. The book is divided into five 'books' (1-41, 42-72, 73-89, 90-106, 107-150), paralleling the five books of Moses. Key themes: worship, lament, praise, trust, kingship, creation, wisdom, Messianic prophecy, and the full range of human emotion brought before God.
Classification: Wisdom Psalm Attributed Author: Sons of Korah (To the chief Musician, A Psalm for the sons of Korah) Key Themes: The futility of wealth against death, death as the great equalizer, redemption that only God can provide, the distinction between the wise and the foolish
Historical Context: Psalm 49 is a Wisdom Psalm in the tradition of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes — addressing the universal human question of why the wicked prosper and what ultimately becomes of their wealth. Unlike the lament psalms that cry out about injustice, this psalm stands back and teaches with philosophical calm. The psalmist addresses "all ye people" and "all ye inhabitants of the world" — both "low and high, rich and poor together" (vv. 1-2). This is wisdom for all humanity, not just Israel.
The psalm opens like a wisdom teacher summoning students (vv. 1-4), then presents its central thesis: no amount of wealth can ransom a soul from death (vv. 5-9). The rich die just as the fool and the brutish die (v. 10). Their houses do not last forever despite their illusions (v. 11). The refrain in verses 12 and 20 hammers the point: "Man being in honour abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish" (v. 12) — and the darkened version in verse 20 adds "understandeth not," emphasizing that wealth without wisdom leads to the same end as a beast.
The psalm's most remarkable verse is 15: "But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me." This stands in stark contrast to the fate of the wealthy wicked. While their money cannot buy immortality, God Himself ransoms the righteous from Sheol. The word "receive" (laqach) is the same word used for Enoch (Genesis 5:24) and Elijah (2 Kings 2:9) — taken by God. This is one of the Old Testament's clearest statements of hope beyond death.
Structure:
  • Universal Address: A Wisdom Summons (vv. 1-4)
  • No Ransom for a Brother's Soul (vv. 5-9)
  • Death Is Universal: Rich and Fool Alike (vv. 10-12)
  • The Fate of the Foolishly Confident (vv. 13-14)
  • God's Redemption from Sheol (v. 15)
  • Do Not Fear the Rich (vv. 16-19)
  • Refrain: Man Without Understanding Perishes (v. 20)

Map & Geography

  • No specific geographic locations are referenced in this chapter.

Videos

The Bible Project — Psalms Overview

Reflection

  • 1. Wealth cannot save. This psalm demolishes the idol of money with devastating clarity. No amount of riches can ransom a single soul from death. The billionaire and the pauper both die. This should recalibrate how much energy we invest in accumulating what we cannot keep versus investing in what is eternal.
  • 2. Only God can redeem. What human wealth fails to accomplish (vv. 7-8), God freely does (v. 15). The ransom our soul requires has been paid — not with silver and gold but with the precious blood of Christ (1 Peter 1:18-19). Our hope is not in what we can afford but in what God has provided.
  • 3. Do not envy the prosperous wicked. Verses 16-17 directly address the temptation to be intimidated or envious when others grow rich. "Be not thou afraid" — because their wealth cannot accompany them past death. This is Psalm 73's message in condensed form: the end of the wicked nullifies their present advantage.
  • 4. Understanding makes the difference. The distinction between verse 12 and verse 20 is the word "understandeth not." Human dignity without divine wisdom leads to an animal's fate. Understanding — the fear of the LORD (Proverbs 9:10) — is what separates those God redeems from those who perish with their possessions.
  • 5. There is hope beyond death. Verse 15 is a beacon of resurrection hope in the Old Testament. God will redeem, God will receive. Death is not the final word for those who trust in God rather than wealth. This hope sustained the saints of old and sustains us still.