Psalm 49:20 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Man in his pomp yet without understanding is like the beasts that perish.

NIV: People who have wealth but lack understanding are like the beasts that perish.

NASB: Mankind in its splendor, yet without understanding, Is like the animals that perish.

CSB: Mankind, with his assets but without understanding, is like the animals that perish.

NLT: People who boast of their wealth don’t understand; they will die, just like animals.

KJV: Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.

NKJV: A man who is in honor, yet does not understand, Is like the beasts that perish.

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).

Psalm 49:13–20 further explains what happens to wicked people who trust in money rather than in God. Sheol—death and the grave—is their destiny. Righteous people should not be jealous of them or fear them. The rich leave everything behind when they die, no different than a poor person. For a second time, the writer compares physical death to that of animals.

The "riddle" in question is the fact that some rich persons are also wicked and ungodly. Rich and poor, alike, should remember that money is temporary. It is not a substitute for God's approval. All people face death and God's judgment. There is no reason to envy a person who has earthly wealth but lacks eternal hope.

As did Psalm 73, this passage tackles the riddle of how to respond to prosperity among those who reject God. Just as did Asaph (Psalm 73:15–19), the psalmist concludes that the prosperous wicked face a hopeless end. The righteous have an endless hope. This psalm is rightfully regarded as a wisdom psalm. Several themes, such as the temporary nature of wealth, are echoed in the book of Proverbs.

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.

Accessed 5/3/2024 4:53:49 AM