1The Psalmist calleth upon all the earth to join him in his meditations: 5he sheweth the vanity of trusting in worldly wealth.
0To the 1chief Musician, A Psalm for the 2sons of Korah.
1 See the first annotation at Psalm 4 in the title.
2 See the third annotation at Psalm 42 in the title.
1HEAR this, all ye people; give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world:
2Both 3low and high, rich and poor, together.
3 Hebr. Also sons or children of men, also sons of man. See Psalm 4 on verse 2.
3My mouth shall speak of 4wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall be of 5understanding.
4 Hebr. wisdoms.
5 Hebr. understandings.
4 Ia will incline mine ear to a parable: I will open my 6dark saying upon the 7harp.
a Psalm 78:2; Mat. 13:35.
6 Or, riddle. See Judges 14 on verse 12; 1 Kings 10 on verse 1.
7 Other, cithern.
5Wherefore should I fear in the days of 8evil, when the 9iniquity of my heels shall compass me about?
8 Or, evil days, that is, time of adversity and sorrow.
9 Hebr. the iniquity of my heels surround me. That is, men of iniquity, unrighteous men. Or, understand the iniquity and malice of mine enemies, persecuting me unjustly and following me so closely at the heels that sometimes they compass me around. This entire psalm shows that the godly have cause to be of good cheer and comfort in the midst and against the power and insolence of all their wicked persecutors.
6They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches;
7None of them can 10by any means redeem his 11brother, nor give to 12God a 13ransom for him:
10 Hebr. shall redeeming redeem, that is, they shall never, nor in any wise be able to deliver or redeem them.
11 That is, kinsman, friend, whom he would gladly preserve alive and be loath to lose by death, if it was in his power to prevent it.
12 The Lord of life and death, to Whom people do owe death, Gen. 2:17; 3:19; Rom. 5:12, etc.; 6:23.
13 Or, redemption-money.
8(For the 14redemption of their 15soul is 16precious, and it 17ceaseth for ever:)
14Or, ransom, deliverance, liberation.
15 That is, of their life. See Gen. 19 on verse 17.
16 Other, too heavy, that is, impossible, as Dan. 2:11.
17 That is, never to occur again, shall have to be left behind everlastingly.
9That he should 18still live 19for ever, and not see 20corruption.
18 As he was not able to redeem others from death, so he cannot do it for himself either.
19 Or, always, evermore.
20 See Psalm 16 on verse 10.
1021For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and the 22brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others.
21 Or, One surely seeth, or, Yet one seeth.
22 Or, brutal one, that is, he, who as a brute beast, has no understanding, or he who is enflamed or enraged with unreasonable and furious passions. Compare Psalm 73:22; 92:6; 94:8; Prov. 30:2; 2 Peter 2:12; Jude verse 10.
1123Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to 24all generations; 25they call their lands after their own names.
23 Hebr. their inward, or, inmost.
24 Hebr. in generation and generation.
25 Other, they boast or proclaim their names in the lands.
12Nevertheless man being in 26honour 27abideth not: he is like the beasts that 28perish.
26 And has no understanding, as verse 20, being in his excellent state such a fool as is described before. See verses 6, 11.
27 Hebr. properly, shall not stop overnight, but the Hebrew word is taken for lodging, sojourning, abiding.
28 Or, cut off or destroyed. The likeness consists in the death, which is common to wicked men and beasts, and in regard of the brute, dull and senseless condition wherein the wicked die, even as if they were beasts. Of the immortality of the soul, there is spoken elsewhere.
13This their 29way is their 30folly: yet their posterity approve their 31sayings. 32Selah.
29 That is, course of life, practice and conduct. See Gen. 6 on verse 12.
30 Other, hope, that is, that wherein they put their hope and confidence. The Hebrew word admits contrary significations, sometimes folly, inconstancy, unsteadiness, sometimes hope, steadfastness, confidence; even as the Hebrew word berech signifies blessing and sometimes cursing, the like happens also with some words in most languages, some being of very different and even contrary significations.
31 Hebr. mouth, that is, sayings, instructions, charges, commands, as the mouth is often taken for what proceeds from it. The sense is: they imitate as others did before them, instead that they ought to have abhorred the folly of their predecessors.
32 See Psalm 3 on verse 2.
14Like 33sheep they are 34laid in the 35grave; death shall 36feed on them; and the upright shall have 37dominion over them in the 38morning; and their 39beauty shall 40consume in the grave from their 41dwelling.
33 Who are thrust and thronged into the fold as thick as they can stand; whereas formerly the entire world was hardly sufficient to contain the ambitious and covetous thoughts of the wicked.
34 Hebr. they put or place, lay, namely them, the wicked rich persons, that is, one puts them, or they are put, as frequently elsewhere.
35 Hebr. scheol, and so in the sequel. See Gen. 37 on verse 35.
36 That is, consume them, waste them. See of the Hebrew word Job 24 on verse 21. Other, feed them, that is, be their lord, master and governor.
37 In Christ, their Head, under Whose feet all enemies shall be thrown, and made, as it were, His footstool, Psalm 110:1; 1 Cor. 15:25.
38 When they shall awake out of their sleep unto their blessed resurrection, through the power of their Head Jesus Christ.
39 Or, shape, countenance. Other, their rock, strength, whereon they grounded their confidence.
40 Hebr. properly, become old.
41 Namely, being plucked away from there, for all the fond and vain conceits he entertained thereof. See verse 11. Other, thus for their (the uprights) Rock (the Messiah) is to destroy the grave, that it shall be no habitation to them (Hebr. him, that is, to none of the godly, nor one of them); or, out of its (of the grave) habitation, as when one subdues an enemy in his own camp.
1542But God will redeem my 43soul from 44the power of the grave: 45for he shall receive me. Selah.
42 Or, Assuredly, in regard of the translation just mentioned before.
43 Compare Psalm 16 on verse 10. Though here regard is had to the perfect redemption of all the members of Christ in soul and body, which every true believer applies unto himself, as is done here.
44 Hebr. out or from the hand, so Hosea 13:14. See Job 5 on verse 20; Psalm 22:20.
45 Or, when he shall take me up. See John 14:3; 1 Thes. 4:14, 17.
1646Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is 47increased;
46 Be not perplexed, or succumb; be not faint-hearted or distrustful when the wicked become mighty.
47 Or, multiplied, enlarged.
17For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him.
18Though while he lived he blessed his 48soul: and 49men will praise thee, 50when thou doest well to thyself.
48 That is, count himself a happy man. See Deut. 29 on verse 19. Some do understand it of his voluptuous and luxurious course of life, spoken of in the sequel, and Luke 12:19; 16:25.
49 The foolish children of the world praise and exalt thee (O foolish rich man).
50 Or, for doing good to thyself.
1951He shall go to the generation of his 52fathers; they shall never see 53light.
51 Namely, the soul, whereof was spoken in the previous verse, that is, himself.
52 Of his forefathers, who are gone down to the grave and pit of hell; even as the faithful are gathered to their fellow members. See Gen. 15:15; 25:8, 17. Some understand this verse thus: that those wicked ones shall live no longer on earth as did their forefathers, that they shall not enjoy everlasting life here in this world.
53 Compare Psalm 36 on verse 9, but they (the wicked described before) shall be cast out into utter darkness, Mat. 8:12.
20Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.