Psalms 49:6-10

The Helplessness Of The Rich In The Face Of Death (Psalms 49:6).

He now points out that the rich are helpless in the face of death. None can redeem his brother, because the price of such redemption is too high. None can give to his brother eternal life and incorruptibility. The implication is that such a redemption might be possible. But not at a cost that the rich can pay, however rich they are.

Psalms 49:6

Those who 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 life is costly,

And it fails for ever),

That he should still live always,

That he should not see corruption.'

He sees men strutting around in their riches and splendour, confident that nothing can drag them down. And then they are suddenly faced with the death of a loved one, and there is nothing that they can do about it. Suddenly all their wealth has become useless. All their money cannot enable them to buy that person back from death. They cannot make anyone live for ever.

The words for ransom and redemption are found in Exodus 21:30 where a man is considered to bear the guilt for a death which is caused by an ox if that ox has gored men previously, thus showing its propensities, and has been allowed to live (thus putting its owner under a responsibility to ensure that it cannot happen again). If it gores a man to death the owner bears the guilt. But in that case ransom and redemption was possible and the courts and the relatives of the dead man could determine the size of compensation which would allow the owner to live.

However, the Psalmist's point is that when it comes to a man or woman themselves dying, there is no price payable by man that can prevent them from dying and their body corrupting. In this case no ransom is sufficient. The redemption of such a life is too costly. Any attempt to achieve it must fail for ever. Again, however, there is the implication that there is such a redemption. It is simply one that is not achievable by man.

‘By any means redeem.' This is translating the emphatic repetition of the root for ‘redeem' in the Hebrew text (padoh yipdeh). We might paraphrase as ‘redeem by redemption'. The idea is that redemption by any earthly means is totally impossible.

‘Nor give to God a ransom for him.' Indeed none is able to pay sufficient to satisfy God's requirements. And that is because the price of redemption is too high (‘the redemption of their life is costly') and all men's efforts to achieve it can only fail (‘it fails for ever').

Psalms 49:10

For he will see it.

Wise men die,

The fool and the brutish alike perish,

And leave their wealth to others.'

‘For he will see it.' The one who dies will see corruption whatever men do to prevent it. It will be just as true for the wise man as for the fool and brutish. All alike perish. And all alike leave their wealth to others.