What does Psalm 49:20 mean?

Scripture reminds the reader that those who reject God and rely on money lack understanding. No different than for the lowliest animal, they will eventually die. Solomon writes: "For what happens to the children of man and what happens to the beasts is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts, for all is vanity" (Ecclesiastes 3:19).

This is true of the human body, but beyond death every person faces divine judgment (Hebrews 9:27). The unsaved person receives eternal punishment (John 3:36), but the saved person experiences forgiveness (John 3:16–18) and an evaluation of the works he performed as a Christian. The unsaved person receives retribution; the saved person receives rewards for faithfulness (Romans 14:12; 1 Corinthians 3:10–15; 2 Corinthians 5:9–10). The unsaved person should fear death, but the saved person should think of death as the gateway to the presence of his Lord and Savior (Philippians 1:20–21).