Psalm 49:1-9 – Setting Life Priorities Wisely

Translation & Sermon by Nate Wilson for Christ The Redeemer Church, Manhattan, KS, 3 Sept 2023

Introduction:

vs.1-4 Prologue

vs. 5-6 Fear of Man

vs.7-9 The Value Of A Soul’s Redemption

Conclusion

Psalm 49:1-9 Side-by side comparison of versionsA

LXXB
(Ps. 48)

Brenton (Vaticanus)C

Vulgate (Ps. 48)D

KJVE

NAW

Masoretic TextF

PeshittaG

1 Εἰς τὸ τέλοςH· τοῖς υἱοῖς Κορε ψαλμός.
2 Ἀκούσατε ταῦταI, πάν­τα τὰ ἔθνη, ἐνωτίσασθε, πάντες οἱ κατοικοῦν­τες τὴν οἰκ­ουμένηνJ,

1 For the end, a Psalm for the sons of Core. Hear these [words], all ye nations, hearken, all ye that dwell upon the earth:

1 in finem filiis Core psalmus
2
audite haec omnes gentes auribus percipite omnes qui habitatis orbem

1 To the chief Musi­cian, A Psalm for the sons of Korah. Hear this, all ye peo­ple; give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world:

1 {A psalm for the concertmaster, by the sons of Korah.} Listen to this, all you peoples; give hear, all inhabitants of the temporal-world –

א לַמְנַצֵּחַ לִבְנֵי קֹרַח מִזְמוֹר.
ב שִׁמְעוּ זֹאת כָּל הָעַמִּים הַאֲזִינוּ כָּל יֹשְׁבֵי חָלֶדK.





2
שׁמעו הדא כלכון עממא [ו]צותו כל יתבי ארעא

3 οἵ τε γηγενεῖς καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ πλούσιος καὶ πένης.

2 both the sons of mean men, and sons of [great] men; the rich and poor man together.

3 quique terriginae et filii homi­num in unum dives et pauper

2 Both X X X [low] and X X X [high], rich and poor, together.

2 both sons of lowly-men and sons of big-men, rich and poor together!

ג גַּם בְּנֵי אָדָם גַּם בְּנֵי אִישׁ יַחַד עָשִׁיר וְאֶבְיוֹן.

3 X בני ארעא ובנינשׁא [איך] חדא עתירא ומסכנא

4 τὸ στόμα μου λαλήσει σοφίαν καὶ ἡ μελέτη τῆς καρδίας μου σύνεσιν·

3 My mouth shall speak of wisdomX; and the meditation of my heart shall [bring forth] under­standingX.

4 os meum loquetur sapientiam et meditatio cordis mei prudentiam

3 My mouth shall speak of wis­domX; and the medita­tion of my heart shall be of under­standingX.

3 My mouth will speak of wise things, and the meditation of my heart will be on things which must be understood;

ד פִּי יְדַבֵּר חָכְמוֹת וְהָגוּת לִבִּיL תְבוּנוֹתM.

4 פומי נמלל חכמתא ורניה דלבי סוכלא

5 κλινῶ εἰς παραβολὴν τὸ οὖς μου, ἀνοίξω ἐν ψαλτηρίῳ τὸ πρό­βλημάN μου.

4 I will incline mine ear to a parable: I will open my riddle on [the] harp.

5 inclinabo in parabol­am aurem meam aperiam in psalterio proposition­em meam

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

4 I will incline my ear to a pro­verb; I will open up my riddle, accompanied by a guitar:

ה אַטֶּה לְמָשָׁל אָזְנִי אֶפְתַּח בְּכִנּוֹר חִידָתִיO.

5 אצלא אדני למתלא [ו]אמלל בכנרא אוחדתי

6 ἵνα τί φοβοῦμαι ἐν ἡμέρᾳX πονηρᾷ; ἡ ἀνομία τῆς πτέρνηςP μου κυκλώ­σει με.

5 Where­fore should I fear in the evil dayX? the iniquity of my heelX shall com­pass me.

6 cur timebo in die malo iniquitas calcanei mei circum­dabit me

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

5 Why should I be afraid during evil days? The iniquity of those at my heels surrounds me –

ו לָמָּה אִירָא בִּימֵי רָעQ עֲו‍ֹן עֲקֵבַיR יְסוּבֵּנִי.

6 לאX דחל אנא ביומתא בישׁא עולא [דב]עלדבביS כרכני

7 οἱ πεποιθ­ότες ἐπὶ τῇ δυνάμει αὐτῶν καὶ ἐπὶ τῷ πλή­θει τοῦ πλού­του αὐτῶν καυχώμενοι,

6 They that trust in their strength, and boast themselves in the multi­tude of their wealth

7 qui con­fidunt in virtute sua et in multi­tudine divitiarum suarum gloriantur

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

6 those who are confident based on their wealth and boast in the amount of their riches.

ז הַבֹּטְחִים עַל חֵילָם וּבְרֹב עָשְׁרָם יִתְהַלָּלוּT.

7 כל דתכילין על חילהון ומשׁתבהרין בסוגאא דעותרהון

8 ἀδελφὸς οὐ λυτροῦται· λυτρώσεται ἄνθρωπος; οὐ δώσει τῷ θεῷ ἐξίλασ­μα αὐτοῦ

7 A brother does not re­deem, shall a man redeem? he shall not give to God a ransom for himself,

8 frater non redimit redimet homo non dabit Deo placationem suam

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

7 A man couldn’t even redeem a brother; he can’t give God his ransom,

ח אָחU לֹאV פָדֹה יִפְדֶּה אִישׁ לֹא יִתֵּן לֵאלֹהִים כָּפְרוֹW.

8 אחא לא פרק X [ו]גברא לא יהב לאלהא פורקנה

9 καὶ τὴν τιμὴν τῆς λυτρώσεως τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦX. 10 καὶ ἐκόπα­σενX εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα

8 or the price of the redemption of his soul, though he labour for ever,

9 et pretium redemption­is animae suae et laboravit in aeternum

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

8 indeed, the ransom of their soul is invaluable, indeed, they would have to {labor} for ever,

ט וְיֵקַרY פִּדְיוֹןZ נַפְשָׁםAA וְחָדַלAB לְעוֹלָם.

9 xיקיר הו פורקנא דנפשׁהון ACxלאי לעלם

καὶ ζήσεται εἰς τέλος, [ὅτι] οὐκ ὄψεται καταφθοράν,

9 and live to the end, [so that] he should not see corruption.

10 et vivet adhuc; in finem
11 non vide­bit interitum

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

9 nevertheless, he will live on indefinitely, {and} he will not see the grave,

י ADוִיחִי עוֹד לָנֶצַח לֹאAE יִרְאֶה הַשָּׁחַתAF.

10 דתחאAG לעלם עלמין [ו]לא תחזא חבלא

ὅταν ἴδῃ σο­φοὺς ἀπο­θνῄσκοντας.11 ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ ἄφρων καὶ ἄνους ἀπολοῦνται καὶ κατα­λείψουσιν ἀλλοτρίοις τὸν πλοῦτον αὐτῶν,

10 When he shall see wise men dying, the fool and the senseless one shall perish togeth­er; and they shall leave their wealth to strangers.

cum viderit sapientes morientes simul insip­iens et stultus peribunt et relinquent alienis divitias suas

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

10 while he sees wise-men die. A fool and the stupid man will perish together, and they will abandon their wealth to those who follow.

יא כִּי יִרְאֶה חֲכָמִים יָמוּתוּ יַחַד כְּסִיל וָבַעַר יֹאבֵדוּAH וְעָזְבוּ לַאֲחֵרִים חֵילָם.

11 כד תחזא חכימא [ד]מיתין אכחדא סכלא וחסירי [רעינא] [ד]אבדין ושׁבקין קנינהון לאחרנא


1Cf. Rabbi A. Cohen’s commentary in the Soncino Books of the Bible “man’s temporary place of abode (cf. Rashi)” emphasis original. A.R. Fausset’s commentary defined it as “duration of life.”

2Including Augustine, Matthew Henry and John Gill

3cf. Exod. 21:30; Num. 35:31-32; Job 33:24; 36:18; Prov. 13:8; Isa. 43:3.

4Delitzsch called it “an easy flight of irony.”

5Namely, the 1st century AD Dead Sea Scroll 4Q91, the 4th-century Greek translations of Theodotian, the Vaticanus, and Origen’s “E,” and the 5th century Latin Vulgate and Syriac Peshitta.

6Namely, the 1st century AD Dead Sea Scroll 4Q85, the enlightenment-era Masoretic manuscripts, and later copies of 2nd-3rd Century Greek translations of Aquila and Symmachus.

AMy original chart includes the NASB, NIV, and ESV, but their copyright restrictions force me to remove them from the publicly-available edition of this chart. (NAW is my translation.) When a translation adds words not in the Hebrew text, but does not indicate it has done so by the use of italics (or greyed-out text), I put the added words in [square brackets]. When one version chooses a wording which is different from all the other translations, I underline it. When a version chooses a translation which, in my opinion, either departs too far from the root meaning of the Hebrew word or departs too far from the grammar form of the original text, I use strikeout. And when a version omits a word which is in the original text, I insert an X. (I also place an X at the end of a word if the original word is plural but the English translation is singular.) I occasionally use colors to help the reader see correlations between the various editions and versions when there are more than two different translations of a given word. The only known Dead Sea Scrolls containing Psalm 49 are 4Q85 Psalmsc (which contains parts of vs. 1-16) and 4Q91 Psalmsj (which contains parts of vs. 5-16), both dating to the first half of the first century. Where the DSS is legible and reads the same as the MT, the Hebrew text is colored purple. Where the DSS and ancient versions support each other against the MT in such a way that I suspect they are the original reading, I have highlighted them with yellow.

BThis Greek New Testament (GNT) is the 1904 "Patriarchal" edition of the Greek Orthodox Church. The Robinson-Pierpont Byzantine majority text of the GNT and the Textus Receptus are very similar. The Westcott-Hort, Nestle-Aland, and UBS editions are a slightly-different family of GNTs developed in the modern era as a break from the traditional Greek Bible by compiling just a few of the oldest-known manuscripts, but even so, the practical differences in the text between these two editing philosophies are minimal.

CEnglish translation of the Septuagint by Sir Lancelot Charles Lee Brenton, 1851, “based upon the text of the Vaticanus” but not identical to the Vaticanus. As published electronically by E-Sword.

DJerome's Latin Vulgate w/ Deuterocanon using Gallican Psalter, 405 AD. As published electronically by E-Sword.

E1769 King James Version of the Holy Bible; public domain. As published electronically by E-Sword.

FFrom the Wiki Hebrew Bible https://he.wikisource.org/wiki/%D7%AA%D7%94%D7%9C%D7%99%D7%9D_%D7%9E%D7%98/%D7%A9%D7%95%D7%A8%D7%95%D7%AA.
DSS text comes from https://downloads.thewaytoyahuweh.com

GThe Leiden Peshitta, Copyright © 2012 by The Peshitta Foundation c/o Leiden University Institute for Religious Studies, as published electronically in BibleWorks.

H2nd-4th century Greek translators Aquila, Symmachus, and Theodotian all rendered this word with a form of the Greek noun for “victory.” Aquila and “E” do it again with the “telos” that appears between verses 9-10.

IFields noted that “other” Greek translators rendered “this” as singular, matching the MT.

JFields noted that most other Greek versions used the synonym [εγ]καταδυ-σιν/τον (settling-down”).

KThis word only occurs four other times in the Hebrew Bible, all in poetic literature (Job 11:17; Ps. 17:14; 39:6; 89:48), and is translated “life,” “time,” “lifetime,” “span of time,” and “world” in English versions. Augustine found in these paired nouns (“peoples” and “land-residents,” “adam” and “ish,” “rich and poor”) a contrast between believers and unbelievers, and this is also reflected in the Targum (“sons of old Adam” – i.e. Gentiles – “and sons of Jacob”), but I think they have more to do with various ways we identify ourselves. All would agree, however, that they are merisms signifying “everybody without exception.”

LWisdom unites the lips and the heart with integrity. “For many have understanding in their lips, but have not in their heart, of whom the Scripture saith, ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.’” ~Augustine, quoting Isa. 29:13.

M“understandings” - plural like this in only five other places: Job 32:11 (“reasonings”); Ps. 78:72 (“skilfulness”); Prov. 11:12; 28:16; Isa. 40:14. Delitzsch commented that the plural indicates profoundness. Calvin commented, “He puts himself forward as an humble scholar, one who, in acting the part of teacher, has an eye at the same time to his own improvement. It were desirable that all the ministers of God should be actuated by a similar spirit, disposing them to regard God as at once their own teacher and that of the common people, and to embrace in the first place themselves that divine word which they preach to others.”
Delitzsch noted that this introduction is “Very similarly [to the way] the elder (in the reign of Jehoshaphat) and the younger Micha (Micah) introduce their prophecies in 1 Kings 22:28 & Micah 1:2; and Elihu in the Book of Job his didactic discourses.”

Ncf. Aquila, αινιγμα from which we get “enigma.”

Ocf. Psalm 78:2 “I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old” (NKJV) Augustine commented: “And why ‘to a parable’? Because ‘ we see through a glass darkly,’ (1 Cor. 13:12) as the Apostle said; ‘while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord.’ (2 Cor. 5:6) For our vision is not yet that ‘face to face’ ... where there no longer are riddles and comparisons... However much a man may cultivate his heart and apply himself to apprehend mysteries, so long as we see through the corruption of this flesh, we ‘see but in part’.…But, as He ‘was seen by those who believed,’ and by those who crucified Him, when He was judged; so will He be seen, when He shall have begun to be judge, both by those whom He shall condemn, and by those whom He shall crown.”

PSymmachus rendered ιχνεων (footsteps”).

QGill suggested (based on Eccl. 12:1) that “evil days” meant the approach of death, but Delitzsch (based on Psalm 94:13 and Amos 6:3) argued that it meant, “days in which one experiences evil.” Both are themes of this Psalm.

RLit. “my heels” cf. Psalm 41:9 “Even my peaceful ally – who I confided in, who ate my food – he has enlarged [his] footprint/heel over me.” (NAW) Delitzsch was the only commentator I read who found this “inadmissable,” but his translator was so taken aback by this that he added a conciliatory paragraph to tone it down.

S“Enemies” is the interpretation here. The Arabic Bible also interprets the Hebrew word thus.

TLXX, Vulgate, and KJV connect this verse with the following verse (explaining who cannot be redeemed), whereas NASB, NIV, and ESV connect it with the previous verse as further explanation of who “those at my heels” are.
Calvin commented: “[T]he fear of man is unwarrantable… it argues ignorance of what man is even at his best... it were as reasonable to startle at a shadow or a spectre... It is not merely from the intrinsic insufficiency of wealth, honors, or pleasures, to confer true happiness that the Psalmist proves the misery of worldly men, but from their manifest and total incapacity of forming a correct judgment of such possessions.”

UThis is the Hebrew word for “brother.” The LXX & Vaticanus interpreted it as the subject, but Ibn Ezra and Delitzsch and the English versions interpreted it as the object. Either is possible, as the Hebrew here is somewhat ambiguous, but what is clear here is that the word “brother” is emphatic. (The NLT, instead, renders “self,” and NIV/ESV “another.”)

V“[T]he negative in other instances stands after the intensive infinitive, but here, as in Gen. 3:4, Amos 9:8, and Isa. 28:28, before it.” ~Delitzsch

WAugustine interpreted this to mean that the ungodly refuse to give alms, but I think this is saying that it is not possible to use temporal wealth to redeem a man’s soul from God’s judgment. On “precious,” cf. 1 Sam. 26:21 Then Saul said, "I have sinned. Return, my son, David, for I will not cause harm to you any more, since, when it came down to it, my soul was precious in your eyes this day..." Psalm 72:14 “He will redeem their life from oppression and violence; And precious shall be their blood in His sight.” (NKJV) and Isaiah 43:3-4 “...I gave Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Sudan instead of you. Because you are precious in my eyes, you were honored, and I myself loved you, and I gave a man instead of you and peoples instead of your soul.” (NAW)

XAquila and Symmachus corrected to the MT reading with a form of the verb παυσ- “cease,” but Theodotian and “E” used the same verb for “labor” as the LXX.

YThe meaning has to do with being valuable because it is rare. Calvin noted, “not to be understood as implying merely that it is an event of rare occurrence, but that it never can take place… [I]t is not merely impossible to redeem the life of menwhen they are dead, but impossible while they are yet living, to extend the term of their existence.” “Jarchi observes, ‘heavier than their substance’: it is too weighty a matter for the richest man in the world to engage in” ~J. Gill. “[T]he λυτρον which is required to be paid for the souls of men is too precious, i.e., exorbitant, or such as cannot be found…” Often connected with the value of a life, cf. 1 Sam. 26:21, Ps. 72:12-14, Isa. 43:3-4. LXX renders this word as a noun out of the same consonants, as though it were pointed וׅיקָר.

ZOnly other instance of this word in the Hebrew OT is in Exodus 21:30.

AALXX & Vulgate have a singular pronoun “his” instead of “their,” but the Peshitta matches the plural in the MT.

ABDSS 4Q85 reads the same as the MT (“and he ceased”), but DSS 4Q91 reads וחלו matching the LXX, Vulgate, and Peshitta “labor,” (although it is singular in LXX and Peshitta, “he labour”). Calvin, on the other hand, rendered it “continue.” AJV = “let alone” Gill commented, “...the redemption of the soul... must have ceased, it could never have been accomplished, had not Christ undertook it... Or ...the brother, whose soul or life is to be redeemed, he ...dies the second and eternal death, for aught his brother can do for him... Jarchi[Rashi] observes; he ceases from redeeming his brother; he finds he cannot do it... Some... connect these words with the following... that is, it is impossible that such an one by such means should live for ever.” Fausset = “that is, the ransom fails, the price is too precious, costly.”

ACBauscher translated “it labors,” which matches the LXX, Vulgate, and 4Q91. Lamsa translated “do good,” which seems to be out in left field.

AD“[N]othing remains but to take v.9 as a parenthesis; the principal clause affirms that no man can give to God a ransom that shall protect another against death, so that this other should still continue (עֹוד) to live… The כִּי in v.11 is now confirmatory of what is denied by its opposite...” ~Delitzsch

AEDead Sea Scrolls, Septuagint, and Peshitta all have a vav prefix.

AFTargum explains the pit as “the judgment of Gehenum/hell.”

AGThe Syriac changed the person of the verbs in this verse (and in the next) to second singular “you”

AH“Designedly the word used of the death of wise men is מוּת, and of the death of the fool and the stupid man, אָבַד.” ~Delitzsch. In other words, while affirming that wise men and fools both die, it is not denying that the fool experiences a destructive judgment not experienced by the wise.
“It is a common proverb, that experience teaches fools, and they may be looked upon as something worse who will not lay to heart their mortality, when surrounded by so many convincing illustrations of it.” ~J. Calvin
Luke 16:22 “So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried.” “And what did it profit the rich man, who asked, while lying in torments in hell, that a drop of water should be poured upon his tongue from the finger of Lazarus... and it was not granted to him? One longed for the drop from the finger, as the other had for the crumbs from the rich man’s table; but the labour of the one is ended, and the life of the other is ended” ~Augustine

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