Psalms 49
PAThis habitation, the very situation of Mount Zion being most delightful, the pleasantest in all the country, for it lies on the north side of Jerusalem, the city of the great King, the Lord of heaven and earth: Vcr. 3. God is known in her palaces for a refuge.’] Who is the"“principal glory of that place, as that is of the country: for Mount Zion is not so beautiful for its situation, as for his Divine presence in that magnificent palace, which is built for him there; and makes that city an impregnable fortress. To the chief Musician. A Psalm for the Sons ofKorah. The author of this Psalm is not known; nor can we find whether there was any particular occasion of it. But whosoever composed it (whether £ome of the sons of Korah, or any other), it is likely that he had in his eye the unreasonable thirst of mankind after riches, and their insolence and haughtiness when they have acquired them; which, it is possible, was a great discouragement to some pious but poor people in those times; fcind, therefore, after the example of David, (Psal. xxxvii. xxxix.) he indited this Psalm to check that vanity, by setting death before their eyes. The serious meditation of which/ he knew, would both pull down the plumes of the proud and scornful, and preserve thoseupon whom theytramplcd, from being dejected at their prosperous impiety. Vcr. 1. HEAR this all ye people; give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world.] Listen to me nil ye people, in what part of the world soever you dwell; for that which I am going to deliver is of such common concernment, that it belongs to all countries, as much as any one, upon the face of the earth. or persons nobly descended, and in great authority; whether you abound in wealth, or are of a poor estate, you are all alike concerned to attend to my instruction.
Psalms 49:2
Both low and high, rich’ and poor, together. Whether you be men of obscure birth, and meaner rank,
Psalms 49:3
My month shall speak oftvisdovx: and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding. Which is neither about trivial things, nor slightly considered, but about the most weighty matters, which my mind hath deeply pondered; I will enrich your souls with wisdom, which is better than all the worldly wealth yon covet; and teach you how to direct all your actions aright unto that scope at which you aim of being happy.
Psalms 49:4
For, Jo, the kings were assembled, they passed by together. For, behold,. a fresh instance of it; the kings of several neighbouring countries entered into confederacy to cast us out of our possession; (2 Chron. xx. 11.) and made a great progress in their design; marching together from beyond the Dead Sea, (ver. 2.) till they came nigh to Jerusalem, (ver. 1G. 20. 24.) I will incline mine ear to a parable; I will open my dark saying u»on the harp.] It is not vulgar instruction, but most excellent advice, which I have to give you; more to be desired than the skill of resolving the darkest riddles: to which I myself will diligently attend, while it is sung, as I play upon my harp.
Psalms 49:5
They saw it, and so they marvelled; they were troubled, and hasted away. But then they only had a sight of it, and that was all: for a sudden amazement seized on them, and such a panic fear, that they fell into confusion; and, taking one another for enemies, were destroyed by the ambush which one nation laid for the other, (2 Chron. xx. 22.) Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil, when the iniquity of my heels shall compass me about?] I intend not to neglect the counsel I give to others; and therefore shall ask myself the question I mean to answer: What cause is there that I should be troubled with fears, and cares, and anxiety of mind, in calamitous times, when the iniquity of those that endeavour to supplant me hath surrounded me on all sides, and left me no way to escape them?
Psalms 49:6
Fear took hold upon them there, and pain, as of a woman in travail. There was nothing but terror and trembling to be seen throughout all the host: which surprised them so suddenly, and cast them into so great anguish, that it may be compared to the hasty and violent pangs of a travailing woman: TJtey that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches.] They are confident their strength and power are such, that none can resist them; and the high conceit they have of their vast treasures makes them so proud, that they insult over others, and brag what they can do to ruin them.
Psalms 49:7
Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east wind. Or to the consternation and confusion which the mariners aro in, when a fleet of ships richly laden from Tarshish is broken in pieces, by the furious*blasts of the east wind, one against another. [As a fleet of JehosJiaphat’s was shortly after, 2 Chron. xx. 37.] None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him.] Alas! poor men, their weakness is apparent; there is not a man amonj them that, by all the power he hath, can find a means to save the dearest friend alive when God calls for him: he alone can dispose of men’s lives; and the richest of them hath not wealth enough to purchase a reprieve, when he pronounces the sentence of death upon him.
Psalms 49:8
As we have heard, ho have toe seen in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God: God will establish it for ever. Selah. We have heard of such things heretofore, which our fathers have reported to us; but now our eyes see the wonderful works of God, who told us by his prophet, that he would save us from this great army which invaded us, (2 Chron. xx. 14, 15, &c.) And we have seen his w r ord verified in this city; from whence God, whose city it is, and who is the Lord of all the host of heaven and earth, sent invisible powers to terrify and disperse them; (ver. 22.) and will, we hope, defend and protect it from being subverted by the assaults of our enemies in future ages. Vcr. 9. We have thought of thy loving-kindness, O God, in the midst of thy temple.] O God, we. had no confidence in our fortifications, or in our army; but we assembled ourselves together in thy temple, to ask help of thee, (2 Chron. xx. 3 — 5.) and, meditating on thy wonted mercy to those that seek thee, we quietly expected what thy loving-kindness would do for us. Vcr. 10. According to thy name, O God, so is thy praise Unto the ends of the earth: thy right hand is full of righteousness.] And as thou art called, O God, by the name of the Lord of hosts, so thou hast demonstrated thyself in the glorious victory thou hast given us, (2 Chron. xx. 15.) For Tvhich not w r c alone praise thee, but the inost distant people, who hear the fame of it, shall acknowledge and magnify thy power, (ver. 29.) which thou hast abundantly declared in the just destruction of our’enemies, and the gracious protection of us thy faithful servants. (For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever).] That is a business too difficult and costly for him, to redeem the life of a man; or to respite for a time his departure, whose soul is leaving his body: he must let that alone; for, as long as the world lasts, it will be a vain endeavour.
Psalms 49:9
That he should still live for ever, and not see corruption. Let him attempt it, if ho please, upon himself: can he prolong his own life, from time to time, so that it shall be perpetuated and never dissolved?
Psalms 49:10
For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others. No such matter; the wisdom I speak of (ver. 3.) promises no exemption to the best of men, but they must die as well as others: and therefore those wicked sots, whose life differs little from that of beasts, may justly expect not merely to die, but to be destroyed and cut off like the beasts that perish. And then what becomes of all their wealth, which they are forced to leave to others; perhaps to strangers?
Psalms 49:11
Let Mount Zion rejoice, let the daughters of Judah be glad, because of thy judgments. Let the inhabitants of Jerusalem then, which is the mother-city, give an example of joy and thankfulness to all the rest of the cities and towns of Judah: and let them unanimously join together with the greatest gladness, to express how sensible they are of thy power and goodness in this wonderful deliverance. Tlieir 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.] They imagined, indeed, tind secretly pleased themselves in this fancy, that when they could stay no longer in the world, their goodly houses, which they had built, should stand for ever, and the places of their abode continue in their family from age to age: though they could not be immortal themselves, yet Jhey hoped their names, which they imposed upon their lands, should never die.
Psalms 49:12
Walkabout Zion, and go round about her: tell the towers thereof. Make a solemn procession, and go round about the city, blessing and praising God with thankful hearts; who hath preserved you from being begirt by the enemy: tell all the towers as you go along, and see if there be so much as one wanting, or the least hurt done to any of them. Nevertheless, man being in honour abidethnot: he is like the beasts that perish.’] But, alas! the thoughts of man are vain: for whatsoever esteem or reputation one of these worldlings gets here, it lasts not at all, but dies together with him; he is in this also like to his fellow-beasts, whom, when they arc dead, nobody remembers.
Psalms 49:13
Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces; that ye may tell it to the generation following. Observe the outworks, and attentively consider them; take a distinct survey of all the sumptuous buildings also; and mark how entire they” are, and untouched by the enemies’ batteries, that you may keep a record -of it, and preserve the memory of so great a wonder for the benefit of succeeding generations. Tins their way is their folly; yet their posterity approve their sayings. Selah.] Thus their life concludes, as it was spent, in folly; (for they have no security that the names they impose on their lands shall last; or if they do, that men shall think of them; or if they should, what are they the better for it?) and yet, so close doth this folly stick to mankind, that they that succeed in their possessions make no benefit of this observation, but are as very fools as themselves, and tread in the steps of those that went before them.
Psalms 49:14
For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide eventinto death. For this is the God who alone can protect us, and will be our defender, if we depend upon him, for ever and ever: he will not content himself with having preserved us once; but be our conductor, and exercise a most tender providence over us, as a shepherd doth over his sheep, all the days of our life. Like sheep that 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.] They go in droves to their graves, when death seizes on them; thither it drives them in the close of their days, just as the shepherd doth his sheep to the fold in the evening: and then the just, over whom they insulted, shall quickly trample upon, and triumph over them (as they shall do much more when they awake out of the dust at the resurrection); all their power and splendour wherein they formerly appeared, though they seem as firm as a rock, shall moulder away; for the grave is their utmost bound, beyond which they cannot go.
Psalms 49:15
But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave; for he shall receive me. Selah. And doubtless God will rescue me from that imminent danger wherein I am (ver. 5.) of being destroyed, and not let me descend into the’grave, but live to have dominion over them; for he hath graciously received mc into his favour (so that if I die, I shall still have this comfort remaining, that he will one day raise me out of my grave again). Ver. 1C. Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased.] Be not thou then troubled, nor dismayed, (no more than I, ver. 5;) whosoever thou art that nearest or rcadest this, when thou seest a worldly man grow very rich, and great honours heaped on his family; which enable and embolden him, perhaps, to use the meaner sort contemptuously:
Psalms 49:17
For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away; his glory shall not descend after him. For he can by no means, as I told thee, purchase the privilege of living one moment longer than God pleases; and when he dies, he is no greater than other men: for he can carry none of his wealth along with him; nor shall he that was so terrible here be at all regarded in the other world.
Psalms 49:18
Tliough while he lived he blessed his soul (and men will praise thee, when thou doestwell to thyself). For all his happiness ends with this life, (why shouldcstthou then be troubled at his prosperity?) which he spends in luxury Digitized. by Microsoft® [psalm l. and riot, pride and vanity, applauding himself in his riches and in his pleasures, and having a company of flatterers about him; who will commend thee too, if thou wilt imitate him in indulging thino own appetite, and denying nothing to thyself and companions, but doing no good to any body else.
Psalms 49:19
He shall go to the generation of his fathers; they sJtall never see light. And he arrives, perhaps, at the ago of his forefathers, whose steps he follows; but after that shall all bo alike miserable, and never more partake of the least joy or consolation.
Psalms 49:20
Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish. So true it is, which was said before (and so little cause there is to envy such men’s greatness), that a man raised.to great dignity in this world, and never considers how short his honour is, (ver. 15.) behaves himself like a brute while he lives; and, thinking of no such thing, is cut off like a brute, whom nobody regards when he is dead.