Psalm 49:1-12

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Psalms 49:1-5

This is the psalmist's preface to his discourse concerning the vanity of the world and its insufficiency to make us happy; and we seldom meet with an introduction more solemn than this is; for there is no truth of more undoubted certainty, nor of greater weight and importance, and the consideration of which will be of more advantage to us. I. He demands the attention of others to that which he was about to say (Ps. 49:1, 2): Hear this, all you people; hear it and heed it, hear it and consider... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Psalms 49:6-14

In these verses we have, I. A description of the spirit and way of worldly people, whose portion is in this life, Ps. 17:14. It is taken for granted that they have wealth, and a multitude of riches (Ps. 49:6), houses and lands of inheritance, which they call their own, Ps. 49:11. God often gives abundance of the good things of this world to bad men who live in contempt of him and rebellion against him, by which it appears that they are not the best things in themselves (for then God would give... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 49:1

Hear this ,.... Not the law, as some Jewish writers F12 Midrash Tillim in loc. Yalkut Simeoni, par. 2. fol. 106. 2. interpret it, which was not desirable to be heard by those that did hear it; it being a voice of wrath and terror, a cursing law, and a ministration of condemnation and death; but rather אחויתא דא , "this news", as the Targum; the good news of the Gospel; the word of "this" salvation; the voice from heaven; the word not spoken by angels, but by the Lord himself: or ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 49:2

Both low and high ,.... Or "both the sons of Adam and the sons of men". By the sons of "Adam" are meant the multitude of the people, as Ben Melech explains it; the common people, the meaner sort, the base things of this world; and such are they, generally speaking, who are called by grace under the Gospel dispensation: and by "the sons of men" are meant the princes, nobles, and great men of the earth; men of high birth and illustrious extraction: so Adam is rendered, "the mean man", and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 49:3

My mouth shall speak of wisdom ,.... Or "wisdoms" F13 חכמות "sapientias", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus, Cocceius, Gejerus, Michaelis. ; of Christ, who is so called, Proverbs 1:20 . He being as a divine Person the wisdom of God, and the only wise God; and having all the treasures of wisdom in him, as man and Mediator: of him the prophet spake, and of him the apostles and all Gospel ministers speak; of the glories of his Person, of the fulness of his grace, and of his wonderful... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 49:4

I will incline mine ear to a parable ,.... In which way of speaking the doctrines of the Gospel were delivered out by Christ, Matthew 13:3 . Wherefore the prophet, representing his apostles and disciples, signifies that he would listen thereunto, that he might attain to the knowledge thereof, and communicate it to others; I will open my dark saying upon the harp ; the enigmas, riddles, and mysteries of the Gospel, being understood by the ministers of it, are opened and explained in a... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 49:5

Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil ,.... This is the principal thing that all are before called to hearken to. This is the wisdom and understanding the psalmist had been meditating upon, and was about to utter; this is the parable he inclined his ear to, and the dark saying he would open; namely, that a saint has nothing to fear in the worst of times; which is a riddle to a natural man. Aben Ezra interprets "the days of evil" of the days of old age, as they are called, Ecclesiastes... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 49:6

They that trust in their wealth ,.... In their outward force, power, and strength; their horses, chariots, and armies; see Psalm 33:16 ; or in their worldly goods and substance; which seems to be the sense of the word here, as appears from Psalm 49:10 . To "trust" in them is to set the eye and heart upon them; or to take up rest in them, to depend on them, to the neglect of divine Providence, with respect to future living in this world; and to expect eternal happiness hereafter, because... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 49:7

None of them can by any means redeem his brother ,.... That is, "with their substance", or "riches", as the Targum and Jarchi supply. Some, according to the order of the words in the original, render them, "a brother redeeming cannot redeem a man", or "anyone" F17 So Cocceius; and some in Michaelis. : but, as Aben Ezra observes, אח , "a brother", is the effect, and איש , "a man", is the cause. The Targum is, "his brother that is a captive, a man redeeming cannot redeem with his... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 49:8

For the redemption of their soul is precious ,.... Or "heavy" F19 יקר "gravis", De Dieu, Michaelis. ; it is, as Jarchi observes, "heavier than their substance": it is too weighty a matter for the richest man in the world to engage in; he is not equal to it; his riches are not an equivalent to the redemption of a soul which has sinned, and which is of more worth than the whole world: "what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" or another for him? all the substance of his house... read more

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