Psalms 49

Old Testament · King James Version

Psalm 49, a wisdom psalm of the sons of Korah, addresses all peoples about wealth, fear, mortality, and redemption. It insists that riches cannot ransom a life from death, warns against measuring worth by prosperity, and places hope in God rather than possessions.

Hear this, all ye people; give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world:

Both low and high, rich and poor, together.

My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.

I will incline mine ear to a parable: I will open my dark saying upon the harp.

Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil, when the iniquity of my heels shall compass me about?

They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches;

None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him:

(For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever:)

That he should still live for ever, and not see corruption.

For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others.

Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names.

Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish.

This their way is their folly: yet their posterity approve their sayings. Selah.

Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling.

But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah.

Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased;

For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him.

Though while he lived he blessed his soul: and men will praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself.

He shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see light.

Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.

Context

Themes & application

A wisdom summons for every people
Wealth cannot ransom a life from death
The way of folly and God’s redeeming claim
Do not fear wealth that cannot survive death

Psalm 49 is a wisdom psalm for all peoples. It exposes the limits of wealth before death, rejects confidence in status or self-ransom, and contrasts human mortality with confidence that God can redeem and guide beyond the power of the grave.

Key verses

Psalm 49:6

Those who trust in wealth and boast in great riches are exposed as placing ultimate confidence in something powerful but finite.

Application: Those who trust in wealth and boast in great riches are exposed as placing ultimate confidence in something powerful but finite.

Commonly misread: Psalm 49 criticizes misplaced trust in wealth, not wealthy people as a class, and it does not romanticize poverty. Its mortality imagery must not be used to dehumanize anyone, especially the comparison with beasts in verses 12 and 20. Verse 15 expresses strong confidence that God can redeem from Sheol, but the psalm’s poetic wisdom setting should not be forced into a complete map of the afterlife or used to promise immunity from physical death.

Psalm 49:7

No person can redeem another or pay God the price of a life; money reaches a boundary where it cannot purchase mastery over mortality.

Application: No person can redeem another or pay God the price of a life; money reaches a boundary where it cannot purchase mastery over mortality.

Psalm 49:12

Human beings do not remain in honor forever; the comparison with perishing beasts stresses mortality, not that any person is subhuman or disposable.

Application: Human beings do not remain in honor forever; the comparison with perishing beasts stresses mortality, not that any person is subhuman or disposable.

Psalm 49:15

The decisive contrast is that God can redeem the psalmist’s life from the power of Sheol and receive him; this is confident hope in God, not a detailed timetable of the afterlife or a promise to avoid physical death.

Application: The decisive contrast is that God can redeem the psalmist’s life from the power of Sheol and receive him; this is confident hope in God, not a detailed timetable of the afterlife or a promise to avoid physical death.

Psalm 49:16

The listener is told not to be afraid when someone becomes rich or a household’s glory increases; another person’s visible success need not govern one’s fear or sense of worth.

Application: The listener is told not to be afraid when someone becomes rich or a household’s glory increases; another person’s visible success need not govern one’s fear or sense of worth.

Psalm 49:20

The closing comparison says that a person with honor but without understanding perishes like the beasts; its target is unreflective confidence, not human dignity, which must never be denied to the rich, poor, living, or dying.

Application: The closing comparison says that a person with honor but without understanding perishes like the beasts; its target is unreflective confidence, not human dignity, which must never be denied to the rich, poor, living, or dying.

Common misreadings of Psalms 49

Misreading: Psalm 49 criticizes misplaced trust in wealth, not wealthy people as a class, and it does not romanticize poverty. Its mortality imagery must not be used to dehumanize anyone, especially the comparison with beasts in verses 12 and 20. Verse 15 expresses strong confidence that God can redeem from Sheol, but the psalm’s poetic wisdom setting should not be forced into a complete map of the afterlife or used to promise immunity from physical death.

In context: Human beings do not remain in honor forever; the comparison with perishing beasts stresses mortality, not that any person is subhuman or disposable.

In context: The decisive contrast is that God can redeem the psalmist’s life from the power of Sheol and receive him; this is confident hope in God, not a detailed timetable of the afterlife or a promise to avoid physical death.

Cross-references

Psalm 39 — Psalm 49 is a wisdom psalm for all peoples. It exposes the limits of wealth before death, rejects confidence in status or self-ransom, and contrasts human mortality with confidence that God can redeem and guide beyond the power of the grave.
Psalm 73 — Psalm 49 is a wisdom psalm for all peoples. It exposes the limits of wealth before death, rejects confidence in status or self-ransom, and contrasts human mortality with confidence that God can redeem and guide beyond the power of the grave.
Ecclesiastes 5 — Psalm 49 is a wisdom psalm for all peoples. It exposes the limits of wealth before death, rejects confidence in status or self-ransom, and contrasts human mortality with confidence that God can redeem and guide beyond the power of the grave.

Frequently asked questions about Psalms 49

What does Psalm 49 teach about wealth?

Wealth can be useful, but it cannot purchase mastery over death or determine human worth; the psalm warns against making it an ultimate trust.

What does Psalm 49:15 mean?

It expresses confident hope that God can redeem from the power of Sheol and receive the psalmist, without supplying a complete map of the afterlife.

Why compare people with beasts in Psalm 49?

The comparison emphasizes shared mortality when honor lacks understanding; it must not be used to deny anyone human dignity.

Sources & editorial notes

Translation: Commentary anchored in the public-domain Psalm 49 text used by the site (en).
Authorship: The superscription identifies Psalm 49 as a psalm of the sons of Korah.
Editorial process: Chapter-specific synthesis checked against Psalm 49’s wisdom movement from universal summons through wealth and mortality to hope in God.

References

Psalm 49 — Primary text and wisdom structure.
Ecclesiastes 5 — Mortality, wisdom, and trust in God rather than possessions.

Author: The Lord Will Editorial Team · Reviewed by: Ugo Candido · Updated: 2026-08-14