Psalms 49:1-5

An Appeal To Listen To His Words (Psalms 49:1).

The Psalmist commences by making an appeal to all men, both high and low, rich and poor, to listen to his wisdom. Note his recognition that he is speaking mysteries (parables, dark sayings). This would confirm that he expects them to see in what he is saying something more than the usual platitudes. For he is in fact indicating that for those who trust God this life is not the end. There is hope beyond the grave. Such glimpses of a future hope are found a number of times in Davidic Psalms (e.g. Psalms 16:10; Psalms 17:15; Psalms 23:6) and in Proverbs (Proverbs 11:4; Proverbs 13:14; compare Proverbs 10:2; Proverbs 14:27; Proverbs 14:32; Proverbs 15:24).

Psalms 49:1

‘Hear this, all you peoples,

Give ear, all you inhabitants of the world,

Both low and high,

Rich and poor together.

My mouth will speak wisdom,

And the meditation of my heart will be of understanding.

I will incline my ear to a parable,

I will open my dark saying on the harp.

For what reason should I fear in the days of evil,

When iniquity at my heels compasses me about?

His appeal is to all people of all classes. It contains a universal appeal which is characteristic of wisdom literature, but is also found in the prophets (see Micah 1:2). He wants it known that what he has to say applies to everyone. The word for ‘world' is an unusual one indicating the transitory nature of the world. And it is the transitory nature of life that is a central idea in the Psalm.

He speaks to ‘both low and high'. This is literally ‘both sons of mankind (adam) and sons of men (ish - important men)'. Thus it is to the common man and also to the distinguished man. It is also to rich and poor. To the rich lest they trust in their riches. To the poor lest they become discontented with their lot. All need to heed his words. None must see themselves as outside their scope.

He explains that his aim is to give wisdom and understanding (literally ‘wisdoms and understandings'. The plural indicates the length and breadth of that wisdom and understanding). In other words he is speaking of the deeper things in life. Yet he recognises also that he can only do so in terms of simile and metaphor. He is not speaking of what is commonplace. He thus speaks in comparisons (mashal) and dark sayings (chidah).

‘I will incline my ear --.' He leans forward, as it were, to hear what God has to say, for what he has to say is coming from God..

The word mashal (parable) indicates a comparison, a proverb, a parable, a metaphorical saying, or a poem (Isaiah 14:4). It is illustrative rather than literal. The word chidah (dark saying) indicates an enigma or riddle (Judges 14:12 ff; 1 Kings 10:1), a simile or parable (see Ezekiel 17:2), an obscure utterance, a mystery, a dark saying. For both words used together elsewhere see Psalms 78:2; Proverbs 1:6; Ezekiel 17:2. Certainly one of the great mysteries of life to many was the prosperity of the unrighteous. Why should God allow the unrighteous to prosper, and the truly righteous to go in need? Men often saw only the outward trimmings and not the importance of the inner heart which riches could destroy.

‘On the harp.' He intends to set it to music. Men will often listen to the wisdom of a song where they would eschew the same words if plainly put.

And the question that he raises is as to why he should fear when evil abounds, and when he is dogged by injustice and sin which threaten to trip him up. David especially, for example, had known what it meant to be ‘on the run', as had Elijah. And they had learned in such experiences to trust in God.