Psalm 49

Psalm 49
Psalm 49
← Psalm 48 Psalm 50 →
Book	Book of Psalms
Hebrew Bible part	Ketuvim
Order in the Hebrew part	1
Category	Sifrei Emet
Christian Bible part	Old Testament
Order in the Christian part	19

Psalm 49
Psalm 49
"Hear this, all ye people"
	The Greek text of Psalm 49:11–18 in the fragment of folio 100 verso of Codex Sinaiticus (4th century)
Other name	Psalm 48; "Audite haec omnes gentes";
Language	Hebrew (original)

Psalm 49 is the 49th psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "Hear this, all ye people; give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world". In the slightly different numbering system used in the Greek Septuagint version of the bible, and generally in its Latin translations, this psalm is Psalm 48. In the Vulgate, it begins "Audite haec omnes gentes".^[1] The psalm is attributed to the sons of Korah and is closely connected with the "Wisdom" or religious philosophy of ancient Israel.^[2]

The psalm forms a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican and other Protestant liturgies, and has been set to music.

Text

Hebrew

The following table shows the Hebrew text^[3]^[4] of the Psalm with vowels alongside an English translation based upon the JPS 1917 translation (now in the public domain).

Verse	Hebrew	English translation (JPS 1917)
1	לַמְנַצֵּ֬חַ ׀ לִבְנֵי־קֹ֬רַח מִזְמֽוֹר׃‎	For the Leader; a Psalm for the sons of Korah.
2	שִׁמְעוּ־זֹ֭את כׇּל־הָעַמִּ֑ים הַ֝אֲזִ֗ינוּ כׇּל־יֹ֥שְׁבֵי חָֽלֶד׃‎	Hear this, all ye peoples; Give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world,
3	גַּם־בְּנֵ֣י אָ֭דָם גַּם־בְּנֵי־אִ֑ישׁ יַ֝֗חַד עָשִׁ֥יר וְאֶבְיֽוֹן׃‎	Both low and high, Rich and poor together.
4	פִּ֭י יְדַבֵּ֣ר חׇכְמ֑וֹת וְהָג֖וּת לִבִּ֣י תְבוּנֽוֹת׃‎	My mouth shall speak wisdom, and the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.
5	אַטֶּ֣ה לְמָשָׁ֣ל אׇזְנִ֑י אֶפְתַּ֥ח בְּ֝כִנּ֗וֹר חִידָתִֽי׃‎	I will incline mine ear to a parable; I will open my dark saying upon the harp.
6	לָ֣מָּה אִ֭ירָא בִּ֣ימֵי רָ֑ע עֲוֺ֖ן עֲקֵבַ֣י יְסוּבֵּֽנִי׃‎	Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil, when the iniquity of my supplanters compasseth me about,
7	הַבֹּטְחִ֥ים עַל־חֵילָ֑ם וּבְרֹ֥ב עׇ֝שְׁרָ֗ם יִתְהַלָּֽלוּ׃‎	Of them that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches?
8	אָ֗ח לֹא־פָדֹ֣ה יִפְדֶּ֣ה אִ֑ישׁ לֹא־יִתֵּ֖ן לֵאלֹהִ֣ים כׇּפְרֽוֹ׃‎	No man can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him—
9	וְ֭יֵקַר פִּדְי֥וֹן נַפְשָׁ֗ם וְחָדַ֥ל לְעוֹלָֽם׃‎	For too costly is the redemption of their soul, and must be let alone for ever—
10	וִיחִי־ע֥וֹד לָנֶ֑צַח לֹ֖א יִרְאֶ֣ה הַשָּֽׁחַת׃‎	That he should still live always, that he should not see the pit.
11	כִּ֤י יִרְאֶ֨ה ׀ חֲכָ֘מִ֤ים יָמ֗וּתוּ יַ֤חַד כְּסִ֣יל וָבַ֣עַר יֹאבֵ֑דוּ וְעָזְב֖וּ לַאֲחֵרִ֣ים חֵילָֽם׃‎	For he seeth that wise men die, The fool and the brutish together perish, And leave their wealth to others.
12	קִרְבָּ֤ם בָּתֵּ֨ימוֹ ׀ לְֽעוֹלָ֗ם מִ֭שְׁכְּנֹתָם לְד֣וֹר וָדֹ֑ר קָרְא֥וּ בִ֝שְׁמוֹתָ֗ם עֲלֵ֣י אֲדָמֽוֹת׃‎	Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, And their dwelling-places to all generations; They call their lands after their own names.
13	וְאָדָ֣ם בִּ֭יקָר בַּל־יָלִ֑ין נִמְשַׁ֖ל כַּבְּהֵמ֣וֹת נִדְמֽוּ׃‎	But man abideth not in honour; He is like the beasts that perish.
14	זֶ֣ה דַ֭רְכָּם כֵּ֣סֶל לָ֑מוֹ וְאַחֲרֵיהֶ֓ם ׀ בְּפִיהֶ֖ם יִרְצ֣וּ סֶֽלָה׃‎	This is the way of them that are foolish, and of those who after them approve their sayings. Selah
15	כַּצֹּ֤אן ׀ לִ֥שְׁא֣וֹל שַׁתּוּ֮ מָ֤וֶת יִ֫רְעֵ֥ם וַיִּרְדּ֘וּ בָ֤ם יְשָׁרִ֨ים ׀ לַבֹּ֗קֶר (וצירם) [וְ֭צוּרָם] לְבַלּ֥וֹת שְׁא֗וֹל מִזְּבֻ֥ל לֽוֹ׃‎	Like sheep they are appointed for the nether-world; death shall be their shepherd; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; And their form shall be for the nether-world to wear away, That there be no habitation for it.
16	אַךְ־אֱלֹהִ֗ים יִפְדֶּ֣ה נַ֭פְשִׁי מִֽיַּד־שְׁא֑וֹל כִּ֖י יִקָּחֵ֣נִי סֶֽלָה׃‎	But God will redeem my soul from the power of the nether-world; For He shall receive me. Selah
17	אַל־תִּ֭ירָא כִּֽי־יַעֲשִׁ֣ר אִ֑ישׁ כִּי־יִ֝רְבֶּ֗ה כְּב֣וֹד בֵּיתֽוֹ׃‎	Be not thou afraid when one waxeth rich, When the wealth of his house is increased;
18	כִּ֤י לֹ֣א בְ֭מוֹתוֹ יִקַּ֣ח הַכֹּ֑ל לֹֽא־יֵרֵ֖ד אַחֲרָ֣יו כְּבוֹדֽוֹ׃‎	For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away; His wealth shall not descend after him.
19	כִּֽי־נַ֭פְשׁוֹ בְּחַיָּ֣יו יְבָרֵ֑ךְ וְ֝יוֹדֻ֗ךָ כִּי־תֵיטִ֥יב לָֽךְ׃‎	Though while he lived he blessed his soul: 'Men will praise thee, when thou shalt do well to thyself';
20	תָּ֭בוֹא עַד־דּ֣וֹר אֲבוֹתָ֑יו עַד־נֵ֝֗צַח לֹ֣א יִרְאוּ־אֽוֹר׃‎	It shall go to the generation of his fathers; They shall never see the light. .
21	אָדָ֣ם בִּ֭יקָר וְלֹ֣א יָבִ֑ין נִמְשַׁ֖ל כַּבְּהֵמ֣וֹת נִדְמֽוּ׃‎	Man that is in honour understandeth not; He is like the beasts that perish.

King James Version

Hear this, all ye people; give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world:
Both low and high, rich and poor, together.
My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.
I will incline mine ear to a parable: I will open my dark saying upon the harp.
Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil, when the iniquity of my heels shall compass me about?
They that 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 soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever:)
That he should still live for ever, and not see corruption.
For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others.
Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names.
Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish.
This their way is their folly: yet their posterity approve their sayings. Selah.
Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling.
But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah.
Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased;
For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him.
Though while he lived he blessed his soul: and men will praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself.
He shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see light.
Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.

Commentary

In Jewish tradition the psalm is attributed to the sons of Korah after recognizing their father's greed for wealth as the root of his downfall, and to teach that the purpose of one's life on earth is to enhance his or her spiritual development and to prepare for the world to come.^[5]

Alexander Kirkpatrick, in the Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges commentary, notes that this Psalm addresses “all peoples” with a theme of common interest to all humanity: is not wealth, after all, the master-force in the world? Must not the poor tremble before its power and pay court to its splendour? In reply, "the Psalmist expresses his own faith that righteousness will be finally triumphant".^[2]

Uses

Judaism

Psalm 49 is recited on the day of Parshat Shekalim.^[6]
It is also recited following Shacharit and Maariv in a house of mourning.^[5]
Verse 6 is found in the Foundation of Repentance, recited on the eve of Rosh Hashanah.^[7]

Book of Common Prayer

In the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer, this psalm is appointed to be read on the evening of the ninth day of the month.^[8]

Musical settings

Heinrich Schütz wrote a setting of a paraphrase of Psalm 49 in German, "Hört zu ihr Völker in gemein", SWV 146, for the Becker Psalter, published first in 1628.