Salmi 49:11 Commento

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.

Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever,.... This is the thought of their hearts, what they secretly imagine, and conclude within themselves; either that their families, which may be meant by their houses, see Sa2 3:1; shall continue in succeeding ages, to the end of the world, to inherit their possessions, and perpetuate their name; though often so it is, that great families become extinct, and the seed of the wicked is cut off: or that their magnificent buildings, which they have erected to dwell in, and for their honour and glory, shall abide for ever; though in a little time, so it is by one means or another, like the buildings of the temple, not one stone is left upon another. Or the words may be rendered, "in the midst of them" (their heirs to whom they leave their wealth) "their houses shall remain for ever", so Aben Ezra; that is, so they fancy they will; but this is not always true, for fine houses and large estates belonging to them often pass into other hands and families. The word rendered "their inward part", by a transposition of two letters in it may be read "their graves", as Aben Ezra, Kimchi, and Ben Melech observe; and to this sense the Targum, Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Arabic versions render the words: and then the meaning is, that of all the houses they have built or been possessed of, they have only one left, and that is the grave; in which they shall dwell until the resurrection, and therefore is called "a long home", Ecc 12:5; see Job 17:13; and their dwelling places to all generations; which signify the same as before; they call their lands after their own names; as Egypt was called Mizraim, Ethiopia was called Cush, and Palestine Canaan, from men who were the first possessors of them, Gen 10:6. Or "they proclaim their names throughout the land" (x); they seek to get a name, and spread and continue it in all part of the world; being unconcerned about their names being written in heaven, or about having a house not made with hands eternal there. (x) So Piscator, Gejerus, Michaelis.

One who is dead through sins does not dwell in a house but a sepulcher, since his soul is dead.… The thoroughly depraved person dwells in a sepulcher and does not even lay down a foundation of penance because of his dead works, but he is “like a whited sepulcher, which outwardly is very conspicuous but inwardly is full of dead men’s bones and of all uncleanness.” Therefore, when such a one speaks, he does not open his mouth in the word of God, but he has an open sepulcher as his throat.

But do those same aliens indeed serve them who are called their own? Hear in what they serve them, observe how they are ridiculed: why has he said, "to strangers"? Because they can do them no good. Nevertheless, wherein do they seem to themselves to do good? "And their tombs shall be their house for ever" [Psalm 49:11]. Now because these tombs are erected, the tombs are a house. For often you hear a rich man saying, I have a house of marble which I must quit, and I think not for myself of an eternal house, where I shall always be. When he thinks to make for himself a monument of marble or of sculpture, he is deeming as it were of an eternal house: as if therein this rich man would abide! If he would abide there, he would not burn in hell. We must consider that the place where the spirit of an evil doer abides, is not where the mortal body is laid: but "their tombs shall be their house for ever. Their dwelling places are from generation to generation." "Dwelling places" are wherein they abode for a season: "house" is wherein they will abide as it were for ever, that is to say, their tombs. Thus they leave their dwelling places, where they abode while they lived, to their families, and they pass as it were to everlasting houses, to their tombs. What profit to them are "their dwelling places, from generation to generation"? Now suppose a generation and generation are sons, grandsons there will be, and great grandsons; what do their dwelling places, what do they profit them? What? Hear: "they shall invoke their names in their lands." What is this? They shall take bread and wine to their tombs, and there they shall invoke the names of the dead. Do you consider how loudly was invoked the name of the rich man after his death, when men drank them drunk at his monument, and there came down not one drop upon his own burning tongue? Men minister to their own belly, not to the ghosts of their friends. The souls of the dead nothing does reach, but what they have done of themselves while alive: but if they have done nought of themselves while alive, nothing does reach them dead. But what do the survivors? They will but "invoke their names in their lands."

Bereft not only of wisdom but also of influence and all affluence, they will meet their end, dispatched from their lavish homes to graves and forced to occupy them forever.

The second, at "Their dwellings." With respect to the first he says: they had houses and vineyards and chariots and many precious things. But what shall they have in death? In place of a palace they shall have a tomb, and this "forever," that is, until the day of judgment they shall dwell in their tombs. Or, from the fact that they build elaborate tombs, they believe they shall dwell in them forever; but they are deceived, because even the tombs shall be destroyed. Hence, although according to their opinion those tombs are their houses forever, yet it is not so. Jerome, however, has it differently: "Their inward parts are their houses forever," because a man has a twofold house: an exterior one, and this does not remain forever; and an interior one, namely the conscience, and this remains. Is. 38: "Set your house in order." Whether good or evil, it always remains. "Their dwellings." Here he shows that neither fame nor anything memorable of a man remains after death. The memorable things of a man are strong buildings; therefore he says, "their dwellings from generation to generation"; as if to say, they are built as if they will last forever; but they are deceived, because they are destroyed. Job 21: "Where is the house of the prince, and where are the dwellings of the wicked?" Mk. 13: "Do you see these great buildings? There shall not be left," etc. And he says "dwellings," because they do not remain in them for long. "They have called their names upon their lands"; as if to say: this is the intention of this building, that they might be named in their lands. Gen. 11: "Come, let us build a city and a tower, and let us make a name," etc. Sir. 40: "The building of a city establishes a name." Hence they call cities by their own name. And he says "their own," because the name of anyone does not extend much beyond his own land. And therefore it is foolish for a man to celebrate his name in his lands. Or, "they will call their names," that is, of the deceased, "upon their lands," by carrying food to their tombs.

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.

Still infatuated and flattered with hopes of perpetuity, they call their lands, or "celebrate their names on account of (their) lands."