Psalms 37:7(v16)Rest in Yahweh, and wait patiently for him. Don’t fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who makes wicked plots…
1 Timothy 6:7(v17)For we brought nothing into the world, and we certainly can’t carry anything out.
Deuteronomy 29:19(v18)and it happen, when he hears the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, “I shall have peace, though I walk in the…
Luke 12:19(v18)I will tell my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years. Take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry.” ’
Job 27:19(v17)He lies down rich, but he will not do so again. He opens his eyes, and he is not.
Show all 27 cross-references
Psalms 37:1(v16)Don’t fret because of evildoers, neither be envious against those who work unrighteousness.
Job 1:21(v17)He said, “Naked I came out of my mother’s womb, and naked will I return there. Yahweh gave, and Yahweh has taken away. Blessed be Yahweh’s…
Psalms 10:3(v18)For the wicked boasts of his heart’s cravings. He blesses the greedy and condemns Yahweh.
Ecclesiastes 5:15(v17)As he came out of his mother’s womb, naked shall he go again as he came, and shall take nothing for his labor, which he may carry away in…
Luke 16:24(v17)He cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue!…
1 Corinthians 15:43(v17)It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power.
Revelation 21:24(v16)The nations will walk in its light. The kings of the earth bring the glory and honor of the nations into it.
Revelation 21:26(v16)and they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it so that they may enter.
Genesis 31:1(v16)Jacob heard Laban’s sons’ words, saying, “Jacob has taken away all that was our father’s. He has obtained all this wealth from that which…
1 Samuel 25:6(v18)Tell him, ‘Long life to you! Peace be to you! Peace be to your house! Peace be to all that you have!
Esther 3:1-6(v16)After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the…
Esther 3:2(v18)All the king’s servants who were in the king’s gate bowed down, and paid homage to Haman; for the king had so commanded concerning him. But…
Psalms 17:14(v17)from men by your hand, Yahweh, from men of the world, whose portion is in this life. You fill the belly of your cherished ones. Your sons…
Isaiah 5:14(v17)Therefore Sheol has enlarged its desire, and opened its mouth without measure; and their glory, their multitude, their pomp, and he who…
Isaiah 10:3(v17)What will you do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help? Where will you…
Hosea 12:8(v18)Ephraim said, “Surely I have become rich, I have found myself wealth. In all my wealth they won’t find in me any iniquity that is sin.”
Acts 12:20-22(v18)Now Herod was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon. They came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus, the king’s personal…
Revelation 13:3-4(v18)One of his heads looked like it had been wounded fatally. His fatal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled at the beast. They…
Esther 5:11(v16)Haman recounted to them the glory of his riches, the multitude of his children, all the things in which the king had promoted him, and how…
Psalms 49:5(v16)Why should I fear in the days of evil, when iniquity at my heels surrounds me?
Proverbs 28:12(v16)When the righteous triumph, there is great glory; but when the wicked rise, men hide themselves.
Luke 12:20(v17)“But God said to him, ‘You foolish one, tonight your soul is required of you. The things which you have prepared—whose will they be?’
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this passage (17 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
John Calvin1540 · Public DomainOn vv16, 1816 Be not thou afraid The Psalmist repeats, in…
16 Be not thou afraid The Psalmist repeats, in the form of an exhortation, the same sentiment which he had formerly expressed, that the children of God have no reason to dread the wealth and power of their enemies, or to envy their evanescent prosperity; and as the best preservative against despondency, he would have them to direct their eyes habitually to the end of life. The effect of such a contemplation will be at once to check any impatience we might be apt to feel under our short-lived miseries, and to raise our minds in holy contempt above the boasted but delusory grandeur of the wicked. That this may not impose upon our minds, the prophet recalls us to the consideration of the subject of death — that event which is immediately at hand, and which no sooner arrives than it strips them of their false glory, and consigns them to the tomb. So much is implied in the words, He shall not carry away all these things when he dieth Be their lives ever so illustrious in the eyes of their fellow-creatures, this glory is necessarily bounded by the present world. The same truth is further asserted in the succeeding clause of the verse, His glory shall not descend after him Infatuated men may strain every nerve, as if in defiance of the very laws of nature, to perpetuate their glory after death, but they never can escape the corruption and nakedness of the tomb; for, in the language of the poet Juvenal, -
“Mots sola fatetur Quantula sint hominum corpuscula,” —
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“It is death which forces us to confess how worthless the bodies of men are.”
John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.
Geneva Bible translators1599 · Public DomainOn v18Hebrew, he blessed his soul.
Hebrew, he blessed his soul.
The flatterers praise them that live in delight and pleasures.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp1656 · Public DomainOn vv16–18Psa 49:16 Be not thou afraid when one is…
Psa 49:16 Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased;
Ver. 16. Be not thou afraid] David was comforted, and so he would have others to be; for as it was said of a certain bishop of Lincoln, that he held nothing his own but what he had bestowed upon others, Hoc habeo quodcunque dedi; so the saints think their comforts nothing so comfortable unless others may share in them, and fare the better by them.
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When the glory of his house is increased] viz. By a numerous offspring, stately building, gay furniture, great rents and revenues; for as they say of the metal they make glass of, it is nearest melting when it shineth brightest; so are the wicked nearest destruction when at greatest lustre.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole1685 · Public DomainOn vv16–18Afraid, i.e. discouraged or dejected. The prosperity of the…
Afraid, i.e. discouraged or dejected. The prosperity of the sinners is oft matter of fear and dread to good men; partly because it enables them to do more mischief; and partly because it shakes their faith in God’s providence and promises, and is apt to engender suspicions in men’s minds, as if God did not regard the actions and affairs of men, and made no difference between the good and the bad, and consequently all religion were vain and unprofitable. See Psa 73:12,13.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill1763 · Public DomainOn vv16–18Be not thou afraid when one is made rich,....…
Be not thou afraid when one is made rich,.... Who before was poor, or not so rich; but now become so, either by inheritance, or by his own diligence and industry, through the permission of Providence. This is to be understood, not of a good man, from whom oppression is not to be feared; but it may be hoped he will do good with his riches, by relieving the poor, and ministering to the support of the interest of religion, and using what power and authority he may have in defence of it: but it is to be interpreted of a wicked man; of one who neither fears God, nor regards man; who makes an ill use of his riches, power, and authority, to the oppression of the poor, and the persecution of the saints, and who seeks to be feared when he is not loved; see Pro 28:12; but the people of God should not be afraid when this is the case, since God is their strength, their light, and their salvation; and since wicked men can go no further than permitted, and at most can do no more than kill the body; see Psa 27:1; these words are an apostrophe of the psalmist, either to his own soul, or to the saints, and every particular believer;
when the glory of his house is increased; either the same with riches, so called, Gen 31:1; because men are apt to glory in them, and for the most part obtain honour and glory from men by them; or children, and an increase of them, and especially when they come to honour; as also the advancement of themselves to high places of honour and trust; as well as additional buildings, large stately edifices, to make them look great, and perpetuate their names.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley1765 · Public DomainOn vv16, 18Afraid - Discouraged.
Afraid - Discouraged.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke1810 · Public DomainOn vv16, 18Verse 16. Be not thou afraid when one is…
Verse 16. Be not thou afraid when one is made rich] Do not be envious; do not grieve: it will do you no harm; it will do him no good. All he gets will be left behind; he can carry nothing with him. Even his glory must stay behind; he shall mingle with the common earth.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson1811 · Public DomainOn vv16, 18Psa 49:16-17. Be not thou afraid — That is,…
Psa 49:16-17. Be not thou afraid — That is, discouraged or dejected; when one is made rich, &c. — The prosperity of sinners is often matter of fear and grief to good men; partly because their prosperity enables them to do more mischief, and partly because it tends to shake the faith of God’s people in his providence and promises, and to engender suspicions in minds not well informed, as if God did not regard the actions and affairs of men, and made no difference between the good and the bad, and consequently, as if all religion were unprofitable and vain. For he shall carry nothing away — For, as he will shortly die, so all his wealth, and power, and glory will die with him, and thou wilt have no cause either to envy or fear him.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes1834 · Public DomainOn vv16–18Be not thou afraid when one is made rich…
Be not thou afraid when one is made rich - Do not dread the power derived from wealth; do not fear anything which a man can do merely because he is rich. The original is, “when a “man” becomes rich.” The allusion is not necessarily to a bad man, though that is implied in the whole passage, since there is no reason for fearing a “good” man, whether he is rich or poor. The only thing that seems to have been apprehended in the mind of the psalmist was that power of doing injury to others, or of employing means to injure others, which wealth confers on a bad man. The psalmist here changes the form of the expression, no longer referring to himself, and to his own feelings, as in the former part of the psalm, but making an application of the whole course of thought to others, showing them, as the result of his own reflection and observation, that no man had any real cause for dread and alarm when riches increased in the hands of the wicked. The reasons why this power should not be feared are stated in the following verses.
When the glory of his house is increased - Rich people often lavish much of their wealth on their dwellings; on the dwelling itself; on the furniture; on the grounds and appendages of their habitation. This is evidently referred to here as “the “glory” of their house;” as that which would be adapted to make an impression of the power and rank of its possessor.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown1871 · Public DomainOn vv16, 18applies this instruction. Be not anxious (Psa 37:1, &c.),…
applies this instruction. Be not anxious (Psa 37:1, &c.), since death cuts off the prosperous wicked whom you dread.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon1874 · Public DomainOn v1616-20. The remainder of the psalm is a hortatory…
16-20. The remainder of the psalm is a hortatory application, with a partial rehearsal of what has been already said.
Be not thou afraid—His argument has triumphed over doubt, and from the negative form of reasoning, and the contingent proposition, (Psa_49:5,) “Wherefore should I fear?” the psalmist advances to the positive “be not afraid of,” or, thou shall not fear, the prosperous wicked.
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For when he dieth—The particle “for,” here takes its usual causal sense, because when he dieth, or, because in his dying, not all shall he take, not all his glory shall descend after him. Clearly this shows that the eye of the writer is still on the final result of things, the rewards of the life to come. The wicked are not here supposed, as a common order, or as a certainty, to be disrobed of their wealth and power till in dying. Here only is his certain judgment. Compare Luk_16:25, “Thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things,” etc.
They shall never see light—Hebrew, for ever they shall not see light. “Light,” here, is to be taken spiritually for joy, hope, prosper-ity, blessedness, as in Job_18:5; Psa_97:11; Psa_112:4; Isa_60:1. This, applying to the wicked after death, as a hopeless deprivation, has no doubtful meaning. The opposite of this is the blessedness of the righteous. On these grounds the faith and hope of the Church rest, and endure the reproach of the world and the struggle of the ages against wickedness and wicked persecutors.
Understandeth not—Is ignorant or inconsiderate of his honourable rank in creation, and the glorious end for which he was made.
Like the beasts—The similitude here is in the want of understanding, that is, spiritual wisdom. Both live lives of appetite and instinct, with no evidence of hope in a higher destiny. In Psa_49:12 the resemblance was in their common mortality.
Perish—Is not in the original, which simply reads, “He has been like the beasts, they have been alike.”
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges1878 · Public DomainOn vv16–1816. Be not thou afraid] The Psalmist addresses himself,…
16. Be not thou afraid] The Psalmist addresses himself, repeating the question of Psa_49:5 in the form of an exhortation (the Heb. word is the same), or any individual who is listening to him.
glory] The magnificence and splendour which accompany wealth. Cp. Pro_3:16; Pro_8:18.
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16–20. The rich man cannot carry his wealth with him when he dies. The thought already expressed in Psa_49:10 is resumed and further developed.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers1878 · Public DomainOn vv16, 18(16, 17) After expressing his own hopes of escaping…
(16, 17) After expressing his own hopes of escaping from death, or being rescued from corruption, the psalmist recurs to the question of Psa_49:5, and completes the answer to it. He need not fear, however prosperous and wealthy his adversaries become, for they will die, and, dying, can take none of their possessions with them.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary1880 · Public DomainOn vv16–18Vers. 16-20. The conclusion "repeats and confirms the general…
Vers. 16-20. The conclusion "repeats and confirms the general lessons of the psalm." Ver. 16 is a categorical answer to the doubt propounded in ver. 5. Vers. 17-19 are an echo of ver. 14, and at the same time a counterpoise to the views put forth in vers. 6, 11. Ver. 20 is a repetition, but with an important modification, of ver. 12.
Be not thou afraid when one is made rich (see vers. 5, 6). There is no ground for fear, nor even for perplexity, when the wicked grow rich and prosper. Their wealth will not ransom their souls (vers. 7-9). They cannot take it with them to another world (ver. 17). They will have no advantage from it there. On the contrary, their misery in another world will be such as to far outweigh any enjoyment which they may have had on earth (vers. 14, 19). When the glory of his house is increased (see ver. 11).
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Charles H. Spurgeon1885 · Public DomainOn vv16–18Ver. 16. In these last verses the psalmist becomes…
Ver. 16. In these last verses the psalmist becomes a preacher, and gives admonitory lessons which he has himself gathered from experience. Be not thou afraid when one is made rich. Let it not give thee any concern to see the godless prosper. Raise no questions as to divine justice; suffer no foreboding to cloud thy mind. Temporal prosperity is too small a matter to be worth fretting about; let the dogs have their bones, and the swine their draff. When the glory of his house is increased. Though the sinner and his family are in great esteem, and stand exceedingly high, never mind; all things will be righted in due time. Only those whose judgment is worthless will esteem men the more because their lands are broader; those who are highly estimated for such unreasonable reasons will find their level ere long, when truth and righteousness come to the fore.
None.
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None.
Psalms 49:17*
Charles H. Spurgeon's The Treasury of David (1869–1885) — public domain. Psalms only. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0On vv16, 18the glory of his house increases
the glory of his house increases
The word "glory" here refers to wealth or riches. Possible meanings are 1) "when he gains more wealth in his house" or 2) "when his family becomes richer."
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he will take nothing away
"he will take nothing with him to the grave"
his glory will not go down after him
The phrase "go down" refers to when the man dies. AT: "his glory will not go along with him when he dies" or "he will not keep his reputation when he dies" (See: Euphemism)
GEBible — Godless Engineer's Bible App
John Calvin 1540 · Public Domain On vv16, 18 16 Be not thou afraid The Psalmist repeats, in…
16 Be not thou afraid The Psalmist repeats, in the form of an exhortation, the same sentiment which he had formerly expressed, that the children of God have no reason to dread the wealth and power of their enemies, or to envy their evanescent prosperity; and as the best preservative against despondency, he would have them to direct their eyes habitually to the end of life. The effect of such a contemplation will be at once to check any impatience we might be apt to feel under our short-lived miseries, and to raise our minds in holy contempt above the boasted but delusory grandeur of the wicked. That this may not impose upon our minds, the prophet recalls us to the consideration of the subject of death — that event which is immediately at hand, and which no sooner arrives than it strips them of their false glory, and consigns them to the tomb. So much is implied in the words, He shall not carry away all these things when he dieth Be their lives ever so illustrious in the eyes of their fellow-creatures, this glory is necessarily bounded by the present world. The same truth is further asserted in the succeeding clause of the verse, His glory shall not descend after him Infatuated men may strain every nerve, as if in defiance of the very laws of nature, to perpetuate their glory after death, but they never can escape the corruption and nakedness of the tomb; for, in the language of the poet Juvenal, -
“Mots sola fatetur Quantula sint hominum corpuscula,” —
Read full note →
“It is death which forces us to confess how worthless the bodies of men are.”
John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On v18 Hebrew, he blessed his soul.
Hebrew, he blessed his soul.
The flatterers praise them that live in delight and pleasures.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv16–18 Psa 49:16 Be not thou afraid when one is…
Psa 49:16 Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased;
Ver. 16. Be not thou afraid] David was comforted, and so he would have others to be; for as it was said of a certain bishop of Lincoln, that he held nothing his own but what he had bestowed upon others, Hoc habeo quodcunque dedi; so the saints think their comforts nothing so comfortable unless others may share in them, and fare the better by them.
Read full note →
When the glory of his house is increased] viz. By a numerous offspring, stately building, gay furniture, great rents and revenues; for as they say of the metal they make glass of, it is nearest melting when it shineth brightest; so are the wicked nearest destruction when at greatest lustre.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv16–18 Afraid, i.e. discouraged or dejected. The prosperity of the…
Afraid, i.e. discouraged or dejected. The prosperity of the sinners is oft matter of fear and dread to good men; partly because it enables them to do more mischief; and partly because it shakes their faith in God’s providence and promises, and is apt to engender suspicions in men’s minds, as if God did not regard the actions and affairs of men, and made no difference between the good and the bad, and consequently all religion were vain and unprofitable. See Psa 73:12,13.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv16–18 Be not thou afraid when one is made rich,....…
Be not thou afraid when one is made rich,.... Who before was poor, or not so rich; but now become so, either by inheritance, or by his own diligence and industry, through the permission of Providence. This is to be understood, not of a good man, from whom oppression is not to be feared; but it may be hoped he will do good with his riches, by relieving the poor, and ministering to the support of the interest of religion, and using what power and authority he may have in defence of it: but it is to be interpreted of a wicked man; of one who neither fears God, nor regards man; who makes an ill use of his riches, power, and authority, to the oppression of the poor, and the persecution of the saints, and who seeks to be feared when he is not loved; see Pro 28:12; but the people of God should not be afraid when this is the case, since God is their strength, their light, and their salvation; and since wicked men can go no further than permitted, and at most can do no more than kill the body; see Psa 27:1; these words are an apostrophe of the psalmist, either to his own soul, or to the saints, and every particular believer;
when the glory of his house is increased; either the same with riches, so called, Gen 31:1; because men are apt to glory in them, and for the most part obtain honour and glory from men by them; or children, and an increase of them, and especially when they come to honour; as also the advancement of themselves to high places of honour and trust; as well as additional buildings, large stately edifices, to make them look great, and perpetuate their names.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv16, 18 Afraid - Discouraged.
Afraid - Discouraged.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv16, 18 Verse 16. Be not thou afraid when one is…
Verse 16. Be not thou afraid when one is made rich] Do not be envious; do not grieve: it will do you no harm; it will do him no good. All he gets will be left behind; he can carry nothing with him. Even his glory must stay behind; he shall mingle with the common earth.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On vv16, 18 Psa 49:16-17. Be not thou afraid — That is,…
Psa 49:16-17. Be not thou afraid — That is, discouraged or dejected; when one is made rich, &c. — The prosperity of sinners is often matter of fear and grief to good men; partly because their prosperity enables them to do more mischief, and partly because it tends to shake the faith of God’s people in his providence and promises, and to engender suspicions in minds not well informed, as if God did not regard the actions and affairs of men, and made no difference between the good and the bad, and consequently, as if all religion were unprofitable and vain. For he shall carry nothing away — For, as he will shortly die, so all his wealth, and power, and glory will die with him, and thou wilt have no cause either to envy or fear him.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On vv16–18 Be not thou afraid when one is made rich…
Be not thou afraid when one is made rich - Do not dread the power derived from wealth; do not fear anything which a man can do merely because he is rich. The original is, “when a “man” becomes rich.” The allusion is not necessarily to a bad man, though that is implied in the whole passage, since there is no reason for fearing a “good” man, whether he is rich or poor. The only thing that seems to have been apprehended in the mind of the psalmist was that power of doing injury to others, or of employing means to injure others, which wealth confers on a bad man. The psalmist here changes the form of the expression, no longer referring to himself, and to his own feelings, as in the former part of the psalm, but making an application of the whole course of thought to others, showing them, as the result of his own reflection and observation, that no man had any real cause for dread and alarm when riches increased in the hands of the wicked. The reasons why this power should not be feared are stated in the following verses.
When the glory of his house is increased - Rich people often lavish much of their wealth on their dwellings; on the dwelling itself; on the furniture; on the grounds and appendages of their habitation. This is evidently referred to here as “the “glory” of their house;” as that which would be adapted to make an impression of the power and rank of its possessor.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On vv16, 18 applies this instruction. Be not anxious (Psa 37:1, &c.),…
applies this instruction. Be not anxious (Psa 37:1, &c.), since death cuts off the prosperous wicked whom you dread.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On v16 16-20. The remainder of the psalm is a hortatory…
16-20. The remainder of the psalm is a hortatory application, with a partial rehearsal of what has been already said.
Be not thou afraid—His argument has triumphed over doubt, and from the negative form of reasoning, and the contingent proposition, (Psa_49:5,) “Wherefore should I fear?” the psalmist advances to the positive “be not afraid of,” or, thou shall not fear, the prosperous wicked.
Read full note →
For when he dieth—The particle “for,” here takes its usual causal sense, because when he dieth, or, because in his dying, not all shall he take, not all his glory shall descend after him. Clearly this shows that the eye of the writer is still on the final result of things, the rewards of the life to come. The wicked are not here supposed, as a common order, or as a certainty, to be disrobed of their wealth and power till in dying. Here only is his certain judgment. Compare Luk_16:25, “Thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things,” etc.
They shall never see light—Hebrew, for ever they shall not see light. “Light,” here, is to be taken spiritually for joy, hope, prosper-ity, blessedness, as in Job_18:5; Psa_97:11; Psa_112:4; Isa_60:1. This, applying to the wicked after death, as a hopeless deprivation, has no doubtful meaning. The opposite of this is the blessedness of the righteous. On these grounds the faith and hope of the Church rest, and endure the reproach of the world and the struggle of the ages against wickedness and wicked persecutors.
Understandeth not—Is ignorant or inconsiderate of his honourable rank in creation, and the glorious end for which he was made.
Like the beasts—The similitude here is in the want of understanding, that is, spiritual wisdom. Both live lives of appetite and instinct, with no evidence of hope in a higher destiny. In Psa_49:12 the resemblance was in their common mortality.
Perish—Is not in the original, which simply reads, “He has been like the beasts, they have been alike.”
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv16–18 16. Be not thou afraid] The Psalmist addresses himself,…
16. Be not thou afraid] The Psalmist addresses himself, repeating the question of Psa_49:5 in the form of an exhortation (the Heb. word is the same), or any individual who is listening to him.
glory] The magnificence and splendour which accompany wealth. Cp. Pro_3:16; Pro_8:18.
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16–20. The rich man cannot carry his wealth with him when he dies. The thought already expressed in Psa_49:10 is resumed and further developed.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv16, 18 (16, 17) After expressing his own hopes of escaping…
(16, 17) After expressing his own hopes of escaping from death, or being rescued from corruption, the psalmist recurs to the question of Psa_49:5, and completes the answer to it. He need not fear, however prosperous and wealthy his adversaries become, for they will die, and, dying, can take none of their possessions with them.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv16–18 Vers. 16-20. The conclusion "repeats and confirms the general…
Vers. 16-20. The conclusion "repeats and confirms the general lessons of the psalm." Ver. 16 is a categorical answer to the doubt propounded in ver. 5. Vers. 17-19 are an echo of ver. 14, and at the same time a counterpoise to the views put forth in vers. 6, 11. Ver. 20 is a repetition, but with an important modification, of ver. 12.
Be not thou afraid when one is made rich (see vers. 5, 6). There is no ground for fear, nor even for perplexity, when the wicked grow rich and prosper. Their wealth will not ransom their souls (vers. 7-9). They cannot take it with them to another world (ver. 17). They will have no advantage from it there. On the contrary, their misery in another world will be such as to far outweigh any enjoyment which they may have had on earth (vers. 14, 19). When the glory of his house is increased (see ver. 11).
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Charles H. Spurgeon 1885 · Public Domain On vv16–18 Ver. 16. In these last verses the psalmist becomes…
Ver. 16. In these last verses the psalmist becomes a preacher, and gives admonitory lessons which he has himself gathered from experience. Be not thou afraid when one is made rich. Let it not give thee any concern to see the godless prosper. Raise no questions as to divine justice; suffer no foreboding to cloud thy mind. Temporal prosperity is too small a matter to be worth fretting about; let the dogs have their bones, and the swine their draff. When the glory of his house is increased. Though the sinner and his family are in great esteem, and stand exceedingly high, never mind; all things will be righted in due time. Only those whose judgment is worthless will esteem men the more because their lands are broader; those who are highly estimated for such unreasonable reasons will find their level ere long, when truth and righteousness come to the fore.
None.
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None.
Psalms 49:17*
Charles H. Spurgeon's The Treasury of David (1869–1885) — public domain. Psalms only. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv16, 18 the glory of his house increases
the glory of his house increases
The word "glory" here refers to wealth or riches. Possible meanings are 1) "when he gains more wealth in his house" or 2) "when his family becomes richer."
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he will take nothing away
"he will take nothing with him to the grave"
his glory will not go down after him
The phrase "go down" refers to when the man dies. AT: "his glory will not go along with him when he dies" or "he will not keep his reputation when he dies" (See: Euphemism)
translationWords
house
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v16 49:16-20 The wicked might have rich, luxurious lives, but…
49:16-20 The wicked might have rich, luxurious lives, but they forget that they cannot avoid death.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.