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Texts -- Psalms 49:2-20 (NET)

Context
49:2 Pay attention, all you people , both rich and poor ! 49:3 I will declare a wise saying ; I will share my profound thoughts . 49:4 I will learn a song that imparts wisdom ; I will then sing my insightful song to the accompaniment of a harp . 49:5 Why should I be afraid in times of trouble , when the sinful deeds of deceptive men threaten to overwhelm me? 49:6 They trust in their wealth and boast in their great riches . 49:7 Certainly a man cannot rescue his brother ; he cannot pay God an adequate ransom price 49:8 (the ransom price for a human life is too high, and people go to their final destiny), 49:9 so that he might continue to live forever and not experience death . 49:10 Surely one sees that even wise people die ; fools and spiritually insensitive people all pass away and leave their wealth to others . 49:11 Their grave becomes their permanent residence , their eternal dwelling place . They name their lands after themselves, 49:12 but, despite their wealth , people do not last , they are like animals that perish . 49:13 This is the destiny of fools , and of those who approve of their philosophy . (Selah ) 49:14 They will travel to Sheol like sheep , with death as their shepherd . The godly will rule over them when the day of vindication dawns ; Sheol will consume their bodies and they will no longer live in impressive houses . 49:15 But God will rescue my life from the power of Sheol ; certainly he will pull me to safety. (Selah ) 49:16 Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich and his wealth multiplies ! 49:17 For he will take nothing with him when he dies ; his wealth will not follow him down into the grave. 49:18 He pronounces this blessing on himself while he is alive : “May men praise you, for you have done well !” 49:19 But he will join his ancestors ; they will never again see the light of day . 49:20 Wealthy people do not understand ; they are like animals that perish .

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  • [Psa 49:5] Why Should I Fear In Evil Days
  • [Psa 49:6] No More, Dear Savior, Will I Boast
  • [Psa 49:10] Dust To Dust, The Mort­al Dies
  • [Psa 49:15] Hark! From The Tombs A Dole­ful Sound

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Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • The texts of the individual psalms do not usually indicate who wrote them.1However some of the titles of the individual psalms do contain information about the writers.2This is the only really reliable information we have as ...
  • I. Book 1: chs. 1-41II. Book 2: chs. 42-72III. Book 3: chs. 73-89IV. Book 4: chs. 90-106V. Book 5: chs. 107-150...
  • David realized God's good loyal love (Heb. hesed) would pursue him throughout his life. To follow here does not mean to bring up the rear but to pursue vigorously (cf. 83:15).67The phrase "goodness and lovingkindness"(NASB) o...
  • This psalm advances the thought of Psalm 36. Here David urged the righteous not to let the prosperity of the wicked upset them but to continue to trust in God's justice. Similar encouragements characterize Psalms 49 and 73. H...
  • In Book 1 we saw that all the psalms except 1, 2, 10, and 33 claimed David as their writer. It is likely that he wrote these four as well even though they do not bear his name. In Book 2 the titles identify David as the write...
  • 49:1-2 The psalmist urged all people to listen to what he had to say in this poem. All kinds of people need to be aware of the insight he revealed here. This fact applies to the wicked as well as the righteous.49:3-4 What fol...
  • 49:5-6 This rhetorical question sets forth the folly of fearing when wicked people oppose the righteous. It introduces the revelation that the prosperous ungodly enjoy a false security (vv. 7-12).49:7-9 Material wealth cannot...
  • 49:13-14 The writer marvelled at the folly of the proud wicked. How silly it is to live only for the present. Death will end it all. The wicked may dominate the upright in this life, but a new day is coming in which God will ...
  • In this psalm Asaph related his inner mental struggle when he compared his life as one committed to Yahweh with the lives of his acquaintances who did not put God first. He confessed discouragement. On further reflection he r...
  • Allen, Ronald B. "Evidence from Psalm 89."In A Case for Premillennialism: A New Consensus, pp. 55-77. Edited by Donald K. Campbell and Jeffrey L. Townsend. Chicago: Moody Press, 1992._____. Lord of Song. Portland: Multnomah P...
  • The Hebrew word translated "proverb"(masal) essentially means a comparison. However through usage it came to mean any profound pronouncement including maxims, observations, sermons (e.g., ch. 5), even wisecracks (cf. Ezek. 18...
  • Isaiah continued the sheep metaphor but applied it to the Servant to contrast sinful people and their innocent substitute. Here it is not the sheep's tendency to get lost but its nondefensive nature that is the characteristic...
  • Whereas the previous verses have focused on the Antichrist, those in this pericope concern Israel. Here we learn that this "end time"will definitely be a time of intense persecution of Jews. This section constitutes the clima...
  • The following prayer is mainly thanksgiving for deliverance from drowning. It is not thanksgiving for deliverance from the fish. Jonah prayed it while he was in the fish. Evidently he concluded after some time in the fish's s...
  • Abbot, T. K. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistles to the Ephesians and to the Colossians. International Critical Commentary series. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1897.Aldrich, Roy L. "The Gift of God."Biblioth...
  • Adamson, James B. The Epistle of James. New International Commentary on the New Testament series. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1976; reprint ed. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1984.Bailey, Mark...

Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)

  • The strength of the family tie in the Israelitish polity was great. The family was the unit--hence there were certain duties devolving on the nearest male relative. These, so far as we are at present concerned, were three.(a)...
  • Like sheep they are laid in the grave; Death shall feed on them.'--Psalm 49:14.The Lamb which is in the midst of the Throne shall feed them.'--Rev, 7:17.THESE TWO verses have a much closer parallelism in expression than appea...
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