สดุดี 49:7 วิจารณ์

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.

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" (q): but, as Aben Ezra observes, "a brother", is the effect, and "a man", is the cause. The Targum is, "his brother that is a captive, a man redeeming cannot redeem with his substance"; or by any means redeem. Indeed a rich man may redeem his brother from debt, or from a prison, into which he is cast for it, by paying his debts for him; or from thraldom and bondage, being taken captive and becoming a prisoner of war, by giving a ransom for him. This he may do with respect to man; but, with respect to God, he cannot, with all his riches, pay the debts he owes to the law and justice of God; nor free him from his bondage to sin, Satan, and the law, by whom he is held a captive. The sense here is, that he cannot redeem him from death; he cannot, with all his money, secure him from dying; nor, when dead, bring him back from the grave; and much less deliver him from eternal death, or wrath to come; this only God can do, see Psa 49:15; nor give to God a ransom for him; a ransom to redeem from sin, and so from the curse of the law and eternal death, must be given to God, against whom sin is committed, the lawgiver that is able to save and destroy; whose law is transgressed by it, and must be fulfilled; and whose justice is affronted and injured, and must be satisfied; and who is the creditor to whom men are debtors, and therefore the payment must be made to him. Hence our Lord Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of his people, paid the ransom price to God, and offered himself a sacrifice to him; see Eph 5:2. But this ransom is not of man's giving, but of God's; it is of his finding out in his infinite wisdom: he set forth and sent forth Christ to be the ransom or "propitiation" (r), as the word here used signifies; and Christ came to give his life and himself a ransom for many, and is the propitiation for their sins: and this is a sufficient one, a plenteous redemption, and there needs no other, not is there any other; there were typical atonements under the law, but there is no real atonement, propitiation, or ransom, but by the precious blood of Christ; not by corruptible things, as silver and gold; with these a man cannot give to God a ransom for himself, or for his brother. (q) So Cocceius; and some in Michaelis. (r) "propitiationem suam", Pagninus, Montanus.

In fact, what can one find great enough that he may give it for the ransom of his soul? But one thing was found worth as much as all people together. This was given for the price of ransom for our souls, the holy and highly honored blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he poured out for all of us; therefore, we were bought at a great price. If, then, a brother does not redeem, will a man redeem? But if man cannot redeem us, he who redeems us is not a man. Now, do not assume, because he sojourned with us “in the likeness of sinful flesh,” that our Lord is only man, failing to discern the power of the divinity, who had no need to give God a ransom for himself or to redeem his own soul because “he did no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.” No one is sufficient to redeem himself, unless he comes who turns away the captivity of the people, not with ransoms or with gifts, as it is written in Isaiah, but in his own blood.… He does not need a ransom, but he himself is the propitiation.

Just as there is one God, “so too there is only one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” He is unique. He alone redeems humankind. He goes far beyond brotherly love, for he sheds his own blood for strangers. None other could offer him for his brother. To redeem us from sin, he did not spare his own body “but gave himself as redemption for all.” … Why, you might ask, is Christ the only one who redeems? I reply that no one has love equal to his; no one but he can lay down his life for his little servants; no one can equal him in innocence and integrity. For we are all under sin; in Adam’s fall we all had fallen. No one could be chosen as our redeemer except the One who was in no way subject to the ancient sin. It follows that by “the man” we must understand the Lord Jesus. He took on himself the human condition, to crucify in his own flesh our sin and so blot out in his blood the handwriting of the charge that had been made against our whole race.

There are some who rely on their friends, others rely on their virtue, others on their riches. This is the presumption of mankind which relies not on God. He has spoken of virtue, he has spoken of riches, he speaks of friends. "Brother redeems not, shall man redeem?" [Psalm 49:7]. Do you expect that man shall redeem you from the wrath to come? If brother redeem you not, shall man redeem you? Who is the brother, who if He has not redeemed you, no man will redeem? It is He who said after His resurrection, "Go, tell My brethren." [Matthew 28:10] Our Brother He has willed to be: and when we say to God, "Our Father," this is manifested in us. For he that says to God, "Our Father;" says to Christ, "Brother." Therefore let him that has God for his Father and Christ for his Brother, not fear in the evil day. "For the iniquity of his heel shall not compass him;" for he relies not on his virtue, nor glories in the abundance of his riches, nor vaunts himself of his powerful friends. Let him rely on Him who died for him, that he might not die eternally: who for his sake was humbled, in order that he might be exalted; who sought him ungodly, in order that He might be sought by him faithful. Therefore if He redeem not, shall man redeem? Shall any man redeem, if the Son of man redeem not? If Christ redeem not, shall Adam redeem? "Brother redeems not, shall man redeem?"

This alone—namely, sin—is not up for sale, nor does it get help from family connections, as elsewhere also the Lord says that even if Noah, Daniel and Job were to rise up, they would not save their children from their crimes.

Now, you need to understand that virtue and godliness neither of forebears nor brothers is of benefit to those lacking them, nor is it possible after departure from here to buy salvation with money. It is in the present life, you see, as a sage says, “one’s own wealth is his ransom.”

"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.

yet unable to save themselves or others.