This is the way of those who are foolish, and of those after them who approve their words. Selah Psalm 49:13 NASB Approve – When is agreement an obvious mistake? According to this psalm, when it aligns with the choices of the foolish. Ah, but Hebrew has three words translated “fool,” and they don’t all mean the same…
But man in his splendor will not endure; he is like the animals that perish. Psalm 49:12 NASB Animals – Do dogs go to heaven? What about cats? Do animals have a “soul”? At one point in human history, such questions caused considerable debate. However, it seems that the Bible makes a significant distinction between animals and humans—except…
Their inner thought is that their houses are forever and their dwelling places to all generations; they have named their lands after their own names. Psalm 49:11 NASB Houses/ dwelling places – Okay, so we know that all the habitations here on earth aren’t permanent. Just like everything else, they will pass away. The Roman Colosseum was meant to last…
For he sees that even wise people die; the foolish and the stupid alike perish and leave their wealth to others. Psalm 49:10 NASB Alike – “because the wise man, just like the fool, is not remembered forever; for, as the succeeding days roll by, both are forgotten. Alas, the wise man dies, just like the fool” (Ecclesiastes 2:16…
For the redemption of his soul is priceless, and he should cease imagining forever—That he might live on eternally, that he might not undergo decay. Psalm 49:8-9 NASB Priceless – What does a priceless work of art cost? More than you have, that’s for sure. But the question itself is nonsense. What is priceless can’t be bought! That’s the point…
No one can by any means redeem another or give God a ransom for him— Psalm 49:7 NASB By any means – We looked at this verse some time ago.[1] On the surface, it completely overturns the penal theory of atonement, a theory that was articulated by Reformation theology and is typical of evangelical thinking today. “Jesus paid it all” is a…
Those who trust in their wealth and boast in the abundance of their riches? Psalm 49:6 NASB Boast – If you read this verse in Hebrew, you’ll discover that “boast” is the last word in the text. You’ll also discover that “those who trust” is the first word. The verse creates a kind of verbal envelope. First these people trust in wealth, then in the abundance…
Why should I fear in days of adversity, when the injustice of those who betray me surrounds me, Psalm 49:5 NASB Why – This question in Hebrew begins with the combination of a preposition and an interrogative: la-mah. It seems insignificant to us, but it has important implications in Hebrew. Literally, “until what” brings into view…
I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will express my riddle on the harp. Psalm 49:4 NASB Riddle – Samson was tested. Solomon was asked. David made mention. But it never confronted Moses. What is it? A riddle (ḥîdâ), of course. “The ḥîdâ is an enigmatic saying, question, or story whose meaning must be determined…
My mouth will speak wisdom, and the meditation of my heart will be understanding. Psalm 49:3 NASB Meditation – “Do you meditate?” Whenever someone asks me that question, I’m never quite sure how to answer. Why? Because I’m not quite sure what meditation really means. Should I start chanting? Should I sit in the lotus position and…
