Psalms 49:6

_THEY THAT TRUST IN THEIR WEALTH, AND BOAST THEMSELVES IN THE MULTITUDE OF THEIR RICHES;_ They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches. This sentence is not joined with Psalms 49:7, as in the English version, but is in apposition with "my treacherous foes," Psalms 49:5 - namely, "They that trust in their wealth," etc....

6._They trust in their wealth. _We are now furnished with the reason why the suffering children of God should dismiss their apprehensions, and keep themselves from despondency, even when reduced to extremity by the violence and treachery of their enemies. Any boasted power which they possess is fleeting and evanescent. The Psalmist would convince us that the fear of man is unwarrantable; that it argues ignorance of what man is even at his best; and that it were as reasonable to startle at a shadow or a spectre. _They boast themselves, _he adds, _in the multitude of their riches, _and this is an error into which we are disposed to fall, forgetting that the condition of man in this world is fluctuating and transitory. It is not merely from the intrinsic insufficiency of wealth, honors, or pleasures, to confer true happiness, that the Psalmist proves the misery of worldly men, but from thei...

6-14 Here is a description of the spirit and way of worldly people. A man may have wealth, and may have his heart enlarged in love, thankfulness, and obedience, and may do good with it. Therefore it is not men's having riches that proves them to be worldly, but their setting their hearts upon them as the best things. Worldly men have only some floating thoughts of the things of God, while their fixed thoughts, their inward thoughts, are about the world; that lies nearest the heart. But with all their wealth they cannot save the life of the dearest friend they have. This looks further, to the eternal redemption to be wrought out by the Messiah. The redemption of the soul shall cost very dear; but, being once wrought, it shall never need to be repeated. And he, the Redeemer, shall rise again before he sees corruption, and then shall live for evermore, Revelation 1:18. This likewise shows...

THEY THAT TRUST IN THEIR WEALTH - The first reason why there was no cause of alarm is drawn Psalms 49:6 from the “powerlessness” of wealth, as illustrated by the fact that it can do nothing to save life or to prevent death. He refers to those who possess it as “trusting” in their wealth, or “relying on” that as the source of their power. AND BOAST THEMSELVES - Pride themselves; or feel conscious of safety and strength because they are rich. It is the “power” which wealth is supposed to confer, that is alluded to here. IN THE MULTITUDE OF THEIR RICHES - The abundance of their wealth....

EXPOSITION THIS is a didactic poem, and resembles in some respects Psalms 37:1, and Psalms 73:1. It deals with the same problem—the contrast between the lot of the righteous man, whom the wicked persecute continually (Psalms 73:5), and these wicked themselves, who are wealthy and prosperous, found families, leave them their wealth, and even "call their lands after their own names" (Psalms 73:6, Psalms 73:10, Psalms 73:11). The problem is solve

THEY THAT TRUST IN THEIR WEALTH,.... In their outward force, power, and strength; their horses, chariots, and armies; see Psalms 33:16; or in their worldly goods and substance; which seems to be the sense of the word here, as appears from Psalms 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 favoured with many earthly enjoyments here: so to do is evil. Therefore the Targum is, "woe to the wicked that trust in their substance". And it is also very weak and foolish to trust in riches, since they are uncertain, are here today, and gone tomorrow; and are unsatisfying, he that has much would

The chief musician here bids us not to fear the ungodly. However high they may be placed, they are but dying men, and when they die their hope shall perish with them. He gives a very graphic description of the deathbed and of the perdition of ungodly men. Psalms 49:1. _Hear this, all ye people; give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world: both low and high, rich and poor, together._ Whenever God has a voice for men, it is meant for all sorts of men. No Scripture is of private interpretation. No warning is intended only for a few. Hear ye this, then, all ye people. Whether ye be low, ye are not too low to listen to his voice; or, whether ye be high, ye are not too high to be under his supremacy. Psalms 49:3. My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart sh

TRUST (_ See Scofield) - (Psalms 2:12). _...

Psalms 49 Retrospects and Meditations _ 1. Hear this, all ye peoples! (Psalms 49:1)_ 2. His message of retrospect and encouragement (Psalms 49:5) If such is the outcome and the goal of the purposes of God concerning His people, why should they fear in the days of evil, which precede the coming glory? The ungodly will pass away no matter how great their riches are, nor can they redeem themselves; their way is folly; like sheep they are laid in the grave and death feeds on them. But different is the lot of the righteous. They shall have dominion over them in the morning, when the night of suffering and trouble is ended. They will be redeemed from the power of the grave and He shall receive them, “for He

XLIX. THE IMMORTALITY OF THE RIGHTEOUS. The poet takes a popular proverb for his theme. This proverb recurs as a refrain in Psalms 49:12 and Psalms 49:20, and it probably stood originally after Psalms 49:8 and Psalms 49:15 also. Adopting this supposition we find that the Ps. falls into five parts, Psalms 49:1; Psalms 49:5; Psalms 49:9;...