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John Calvin's Bible Commentary

Psalms 89:48

48.What man shall live, and shall not see death? This verse contains a confirmation of what has been already stated concerning the brevity of human life. The amount is, that unless God speedily hasten to show himself a father to men, the opportunity of causing them to experience his grace will no longer exist. The original word גבר, geber, which we have translated man, is derived from the verb גבר, gabar, he was strong, or he prevailed; and the sacred writer employs this word, the more forcibly to express the truth, that no man is privileged with exemption from the dominion of death.

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See also Psalms 89:48 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Psalms 89:48. _WHAT MAN_ IS HE THAT _LIVETH_] All men are mortal, and death is uncertain and no man, by wisdom, might, or riches, can deliver his life from the _hand_-the power, of death and the...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    WHAT MAN IS HE THAT LIVETH, AND SHALL NOT SEE DEATH? - Shall not die - to see death being an expression often used to denote death itself. Death is represented as a real object, now invisible, but whi...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    Psalms 89 God's Faithfulness: His Oath-bound Covenant with David _ 1. Jehovah's faithfulness (Psalms 89:1)_ 2. His covenant with David (Psalms 89:19) 3. The ruin and desolation ...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    LXXXIX. THE COVENANT WITH DAVID. The Ps. may be divided thus: Psalms 89:1. The promise made to David (2 Samuel 7). Yahweh is all-powerful, so that He can, faithful so that He will, fulfil His word. Ps...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    MAN. strong man. Hebrew. _geber._ App-14. SOUL. Hebrew. _nephesh_. App-13. HAND. Put by Figure of speech _Metonymy_ (of Cause), App-6, for the power exercised by it. THE GRAVE. Hebrew. _Sheol._ App...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    The Psalmist appeals to God to withdraw His wrath and remove this contradiction, pleading the shortness of life and the taunts of God's enemies as grounds for a speedy answer....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    What man is he that shall live on, and not see death, That shall deliver his soul from the hand of Sheol? The word for _man_is _gĕbĕr_, -strong man," as distinguished from women, children, and non-c...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    PSALMS 89 DESCRIPTIVE TITLE The Covenant with David Contrasted with the Present Dishonour of David's Heir. ANALYSIS Stanza I., Psalms 89:1-2, The Keynotes of the psalmJehovah's Kindness and Faithfu...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    How long, LORD? wilt thou hide thyself for ever? shall thy wrath burn like fire? -The suppliant here turns from lamentation to prayer, that the Lord would remove the present prostration of David's...

  • Darby's translation notes (1890)

    89:48 power (g-16) Lit. 'hand.'...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    We have here another national and historical Ps., written when the Jewish kingdom and its king had fallen very low before their enemies, contrasting the promises made to David with their seeming lack...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    HAND OF THE GRAVE] RV' power of Sheol.'...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    Psalms 73:89 _GORDON CHURCHYARD_ MAKE YOUR *KINGDOM COME SOON! PSALMS 89 Make your *kingdom come soon. Make people obey your rules in the earth as they do in *heaven ...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    WHAT MAN. — Rather, _What hero,_ or _champion,_ or _great man._ The word is used of a king (Jeremiah 22:30; comp. Isaiah 22:17). The verse repeats a common poetic theme: — “Pallida mors æquo pulsat p...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    _[Psalms 89:49]_ מִ֤י גֶ֣בֶר יִֽ֭חְיֶה וְ לֹ֣א...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    Psalms 89:1 THE foundation of this psalm is the promise in 2 Samuel 7:1 which guaranteed the perpetuity of the Davidic kingdom. Many of the characteristic phrases of the prophecy recur here- _ e.g.,_...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    “A CONSUMING FIRE” Psalms 89:38 Here the psalmist falls into expostulation and lament. Whether he alludes to the time when Jerusalem was taken by Shishak in the days of Rehoboam, 1 Kings 14:25, or wh...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    Taken as a whole, this song is one of the finest in the collection as a revelation of how the man of faith is compelled to view circumstances of calamity. In a poem of great beauty he first sets forth...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    Here is a new train of thoughts, arising out of the view of God's covenant love in redemption, celebrated before. The degeneracy of Israel, and the captivity of the people (probably with an eye to the...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    Psalms 89. We have seen that Psalms 88 puts Israel in the presence of Jehovah (when guilty of having been unfaithful to Him), under the judgment of Jehovah, with the sense of wrath, yet in faith in Je...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    WHAT MAN IS HE THAT LIVETH, AND SHALL NOT SEE DEATH?.... Every living man must die; as sure as a man lives, so sure he shall die: be he strong and mighty, as the word signifies, or weak and sickly; be...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    What man [is he that] liveth, and shall not see death? shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave? Selah. Ver. 48. _What man is he that liveth, &c._] _q.d._ Since die we must, let us live w...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death?_ All men, at their best estate, are mortal and miserable; kings and people must unavoidably die by the condition of their natures. _Lord, where ar...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    What man is he that liveth and shall not see death? Shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave, from the realm of death? SELAH. As the Representative of mankind, the Messiah was condemned to...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    LAMENT AND COMFORT...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    38-52 Sometimes it is not easy to reconcile God's providences with his promises, yet we are sure that God's works fulfil his word. When the great Anointed One, Christ himself, was upon the cross, God...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    All men at their best estate are mortal and miserable, kings and people must unavoidably die by the condition of their natures; and therefore, Lord, do not increase our affliction, which of itself is...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Psalms 89:48 man H1397 live H2421 (H8799) see H7200 (H8799) death H4194 deliver H4422 (H8762) life...

  • Scofield's Bible Commentary

    GRAVE Hebrew, "Sheol," (_ See Scofield) - (Habakkuk 2:5). _...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    Psalms 89:1. _I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations. For I have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever: thy faithfulness...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Joy over and praise of God's greatness. Complaint of the seeming failure of the covenant and prayer for redress. CHARACTERS: God, David, Psalmist. CONCLUSION: Though we may find it hard to...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    The time of this ode is gathered from the text; it was written after Rahab, the proud Egyptian kingdom, Psalms 87:4, was broken to pieces, Psalms 89:10; and after the hedge, the wall of Jerusalem, was...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death?_ shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave? THE CERTAINTY OF DEATH Death is the beaten road of all mankind: it is the way of all fle...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Remember how short my time is: wherefore hast Thou made all men in vain?_ THE SENSE OF LIFE’S BREVITY I. That it is a right feeling, because it accords with fact. Human life is short, if you consid...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever._ A MAJESTIC SONG This psalm is one of the very choicest songs in the night. Midst a stream of troubled thoughts there stands a fair island of rescue...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    PSALM PSALM—NOTE ON PSALMS 89:1. This is a community lament, but with a distinctive flavor. The people celebrate the Davidic kingship as God’s special gift to his people, but they also mourn the distr...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    PSALM—NOTE ON PSALMS 89:46 There is great comfort in the promise of an enduring Davidic house. The people can be confident that their present low condition is not the end of their story. The appeal is...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    INTRODUCTION _Superscription_.—“_Maschil_,” an instruction, a didactic poem. _“Of Ethan the Ezrahite_,” “one of the four sons of Mahol, whose wisdom was excelled by Solomon (1 Kings 4:31). There is li...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION At first sight, a psalm of praise; but, in reality, one of expostulation and complaint. The praises of God are sung in the opening section (Psalms 89:1); they culminated in the Davidical co...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations. For I have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever: thy faithfulness shalt thou est...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    2 Corinthians 4:14; Acts 2:27; Ecclesiastes 12:7; Ecclesiastes 3:19;...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    What man — All men at their best estate are mortal and miserable; kings and people must unavoidably die by the conditions of their natures; and therefore, Lord, do not increase our affliction....

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