Psalm 49:9 Kommentar

This psalm is a sermon, and so is the next. In most of the psalms we have the penman praying or praising; in these we have him preaching; and it is our duty, in singing psalms, to teach and admonish ourselves and one another. The scope and design of this discourse is to convince the men of this world of their sin and folly in setting their hearts upon the things of this world, and so to persuade them to seek the things of a better world; as also to comfort the people of God, in reference to their own troubles and the grief that arises from the prosperity of the wicked. I. In the preface he proposes to awaken worldly people out of their security (Psa 49:1-3) and to comfort himself and other godly people in a day of distress (Psa 49:4, Psa 49:5). II. In the rest of the psalm, 1. He endeavours to convince sinners of their folly in doting upon the wealth of this world, by showing them (1.) That they cannot, with all their wealth, save their friends from death (Psa 49:6-9). (2.) They cannot save themselves from death (Psa 49:10). (3.) They cannot secure to themselves a happiness in this world (Psa 49:11, Psa 49:12). Much less, (4.) Can they secure to themselves a happiness in the other world (Psa 49:14). 2. He endeavours to comfort himself and other good people, (1.) Against the fear of death (Psa 49:15). (2.) Against the fear of the prospering power of wicked people (Psa 49:16-20). In singing this psalm let us receive these instructions, and be wise. To the chief musician. A psalm for the sons of Korah.

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 49 To the chief Musician, A Psalm for the sons of Korah. Aben Ezra says this psalm is a very excellent one, since in it is explained the Light of the world to come, and of the rational and immortal soul; and Kimchi is of opinion that it respects both this world and that which is to come: and indeed it treats of the vanity of trusting in riches: of the insufficiency of them for the redemption of the soul; of the short continuance of worldly honour and substance; of the certainty of death, and of the resurrection of the dead. And the design of it is to expose the folly of trusting in uncertain riches, and to comfort the people of God under the want of them.

That he should still live for ever,.... Or "though he should live", &c. (w). Though the rich man should live ever so long, a thousand years twice told, as in Ecc 6:6; yet he could not in all this time, with all his riches, redeem his brother; and at last must die himself, and so must his brother too, as his own experience and observation may assure him, Psa 49:10. Or the meaning is, he cannot so redeem his brother, or give to God a ransom for him, that he should live a corporeal life for ever, and never die; since all men die, wise men and fools, rich and poor; and much less that he should live and enjoy an "eternal life", as the Targum; a life of happiness and bliss hereafter, which is not to be obtained by gold and silver, but is the pure gift of God; and not see corruption; the grave, the pit of corruption, the house appointed for all living: or "the judgment of hell", according to the Chaldee paraphrase. (w) "etiamsi vivat", Gejerus.

And what has he said of such a man? "Yea, he has laboured for ever, and shall live till the end" [Psalm 49:9]. His labour shall be without end, his life shall have an end. Wherefore says he, "He shall live till the end"? Because such men think life to be nought but daily enjoyments. So when many poor and needy men of our times, unstable, and not looking to what God does promise them for their labours, see rich men in daily feastings, in the splendour and glitter of gold and of silver, they say what? "These are the only people; they really live!" This is a saying, be it said no longer: we both warn you, and it remains to warn you, that it be said by fewer persons than it would be said, if we had not warned you. For we do not presume to say that we so say these words, as that it be not said, but that it be said by fewer persons: for it will be said even unto the end of the world. It is too little that he says, "he lives;" he adds and says, he thunders, do you think that he alone lives? Let him live! His life will be ended: because he gives not the price of the redemption of his soul, his life will end, his labour will not end. "He laboured for ever, and shall live till the end." How shall he live till the end? As he lived that was "clothed with purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day," [Luke 16:19] who, being proud and puffed up, spurned the man full of sores lying before his gate, whose sores the dogs licked, and who longed for the crumbs which fell from his table. What did those riches profit him? Both changed places: the one was borne from the rich man's gate into Abraham's bosom, the other from his rich feasts was cast into the fire; the one was in peace, the other burned; the one was sated, the other thirsted; the one had laboured till the end, but he lived for ever; the other had lived till the end, but he laboured for ever. And what did it profit the rich man, who asked, while lying in torments in hell, that a drop of water should be poured upon his tongue from the finger of Lazarus, saying, "For I am burning here in this flame," [Luke 16:24] and it was not granted to him? One longed for the drop from the finger, as the other had for the crumbs from the rich man's table; but the labour of the one is ended, and the life of the other is ended: the labour of this is for ever, the life of that is for ever. We who labour perchance here on the earth, have not our life here: and shall not be so placed hereafter, for our life shall be Christ for ever: while they who "will" have their life here, shall labour for ever and live till the end.

"Those who trust in their own strength." Here is set forth the reason why there is cause for fear, namely on account of sin. And there is a twofold reason why sin should be feared. First, on account of the impossibility of escaping the punishment of sin. Job 11: "Refuge shall perish from them, and their hope shall be the abomination of the soul." The other reason is on account of the evils that threaten the wicked. First, therefore, he sets forth the impossibility of escaping punishment. Second, he shows the evils threatening the wicked, at "He shall not see." Someone escapes punishments, first, through extrinsic help; second, through his own solicitude; third, through the failure of the subject, as when he dies. And he shows that by none of these means can one escape. First, on account of help. Second, that neither through a remedy provided by oneself. Third, that neither through the failure of the subject. He who wishes to be freed through help is sometimes freed by the power of his army. Jn. 18: "If my kingdom were of this world, my servants," etc. Sometimes through riches. Prov. 6: "He will hand over all the substance of his house and free himself." Sometimes through friends. And he shows that none of these can free from the punishment of sin. And although according to the Gloss it is read differently, yet according to the Hebrews it is read that God frees those who trust in him. "A brother will not redeem"; as if to say: a brother will not redeem those who trust in him. And therefore first he shows that one is not helped against the punishment of sin by the help of friends, because the power of friends is small. And therefore one should not trust in the bodily strength of friends. Hence he says, "Those who trust in their own strength," namely that of their friends, or in their own special strength, because "there is a way that seems right to a man, but its end leads to death," Prov. 14. Likewise, those who trust in the strength of their riches are not freed from the punishment of sin by all these things, because Prov. 11: "Those who trust in their riches shall fall." For one should not trust in bodily or spiritual riches, but a man should seek his salvation as best he can. Jer. 9: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, and let not the strong man glory in his strength, and let not the rich man glory in his riches." Nor can a person closely related to him, no matter how closely, redeem him, that is, free him from sin or from punishment. Ezek. 14: "If these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in its midst, they by their justice would deliver their own souls." But since a brother cannot redeem someone however closely related, shall a man redeem? No, because a man cannot snatch anyone from the hand of God, but God alone shall redeem them. And a man, namely Christ: a man, so that the price, that is, death, might have a place in him, and God so that he might have the power to redeem. Or, differently: "brother," that is, Christ, who is our true brother. Ps. 21: "I will declare your name to my brothers." Song 8: "Who will give you to me for a brother?" etc. If this one does not redeem, who else will redeem? As if to say: no one. "He will not give God his appeasement." Here he shows that they do not escape punishment on account of anything they do while they are in sin, because sinners need a twofold remedy on account of the twofold evil they incur, namely the offense against God and the debt of punishment. And therefore they need to appease God, which they themselves cannot do, because since they do not please God and are enemies of God, neither does he accept their offerings. Hence he says, "He will not give God his appeasement," because exterior things do not please God unless there is interior grace, which a mere man cannot give. Likewise, they need to be absolved from punishment; and this too a man cannot do. Hence he says, "Nor can he give the price of the redemption of his soul," namely, a mere man; and therefore he cannot free from punishment. Ps. 88: "What man is he who shall live and not see death, and shall deliver his soul from the hand of Hell?" But Christ, who is God and man, gave appeasement for us. Rom. 5: "When we were enemies, we were reconciled to God," etc. Likewise, the price of redemption alone: 1 Pet. 1: "You were redeemed from your vain manner of life," etc. Or, "he will not give," that is, he will not care to give appeasement and the price of the redemption of his soul, namely he who trusts in riches. And according to this the other reading can be continued, which says: "A brother," namely Christ, does not redeem, because they do not care to appease God through penance, because Christ does not help those who do not wish to help themselves. "And he shall labor." Here he shows that he will not escape through the failure of himself, because he is always punished. Hence he says, "He shall labor forever," that is, he shall be punished with eternal punishment. Mt. 25: "These shall go into everlasting punishment," because they did not wish to labor here. Ps. 72: "They are not in the labor of men." And because, as far as it was in them, they sinned forever, because they preferred sin to the law of God; and therefore they do not fear punishment, but would always wish to commit sin. "And he shall still live unto the end," that is, his life shall not fail in punishments. Job 20: "He shall suffer for all that he has done, yet he shall not be consumed."

This Psalm instructs and consoles. It teaches that earthly advantages are not reliable for permanent happiness, and that, however prosperous worldly men may be for a time, their ultimate destiny is ruin, while the pious are safe in God's care. (Psa. 49:1-20) All are called to hear what interests all. world--literally, "duration of life," the present time.

corruption--literally, "pit," or, "grave," thus showing that "soul" is used for "life" [Psa 49:8].