Psalms 49:8

_NONE OF THEM CAN BY ANY MEANS REDEEM HIS BROTHER, NOR GIVE TO GOD A RANSOM FOR HIM:_ -The godly has no cause for overwhelming fear because of the power of the ungodly; nor has the ungodly reason to boast over the godly because of his own worldly greatness. This might be so if the ungodly could ensure eternal life by his wealth, so as to enjoy it forever. But the fact is, he can redeem neither his brother nor himself from death, over which God is the Master. He must therefore be in constant fear, not knowing how soon he must lose his life and wealth together. Therefore, it is he, not the godly, who has reason for fear. Verse 7. NONE OF THEM CAN BY ANY MEANS REDEEM HIS BROTHER - a brother in riches and ungodliness (Genesis 49:5). In the Hebrew order, 'A brother can no one redeeming redeem.' The doubled expression 'redeeming redeem' emphasizes the idea of redempti

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...

Verse Psalms 49:8. _FOR THE REDEMPTION OF THEIR SOUL_ IS _PRECIOUS_] It is of too high a price to be redeemed with corruptible things, such as _silver_ or _gold_, and has required the sacrificial death of Christ. _AND IT CEASETH FOR EVER_] This is very obscure, and may apply to the _ransom_ which _riches_ could produce. That ransom must be for ever unavailable, because of the _value of the soul_. Or this clause should be added to the following verse, and read thus: "And though he cease to be, (וחדל _vechadal_,) during the hidden time, (לעולם _leolam_;) yet he shall live on through eternity, (ויחי עוד לנצח _vichi od lanetsach_,) and not see corruption." This is probably the _dark saying_ which it was the design of the author to utter in a parable, and leave it to the ingenuity of posterity to find

FOR THE REDEMPTION OF THEIR SOUL IS PRECIOUS - The word “soul” here means “life,” and not the immortal part. The only question which the psalmist here considers is the value of wealth in preserving “life,” or in saving man from the grave. The phrase, ““their” soul,” refers doubtless to the man and his brother, as alluded to in the previous verse. The idea is that neither can the man of wealth ransom his own life from the grave, nor the life of his brother. Wealth can save neither of them. The word “precious” means “costly,” “valuable.” The word is applied 1 Kings 10:2, 1 Kings 10:10 to gems, and then to the costlier kinds of stones employed in building, as marble and hewn-stones, 2 Chron

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

FOR THE REDEMPTION OF THEIR SOUL [IS] PRECIOUS,.... Or "heavy" s; it is, as Jarchi observes, "heavier than their substance": it is too weighty a matter for the richest man in the world to engage in; he is not equal to it; his riches are not an equivalent to the redemption of a soul which has sinned, and which is of more worth than the whole world: "what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" or another for him? all the substance of his house would be utterly despised. It requires a greater price for the redemption of it than gold and silver, and therefore it is impossible to be obtained by any such means; and which may be the sense of the word here, as Jarchi and Kimchi interpret it; and so it is used for that which is "rare", "difficult", yea, "impossible", not to be found or come at, in 1 Samuel 3:1. The only price of redemption of the soul is the precious blood of Christ; his lif...

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

REDEMPTION (_ See Scofield) - (Isaiah 59:20). _ (_ See Scofield) - (Exodus 14:30). _...

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;...