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Psalm 49 Bible study: No payment is ever enough
"None of them can by any means redeem his brother" (49:7) and "But God will redeem my soul" (49:15) use the same Hebrew word, yifdeh. And the refrain changes: man "doesn’t endure" (49:12), then a man "without understanding" (49:20), and the two Hebrew verbs, yalin and yavin, are a single letter apart.
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“But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me. Selah.”
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“Psalm 49 says of a flock appointed for Sheol, "Death shall be their shepherd."”
Is that in Psalm 49, or not? Make your call.
What's really going on
Rich and poor together
The title is "For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by the sons of Korah." (49:1), and it says no more than that. Then the psalm calls everyone to listen: "Hear this, all you peoples. Listen, all you inhabitants of the world, both low and high, rich and poor together" (49:1-2). It says what it is bringing: "My mouth will speak words of wisdom. My heart will utter understanding. I will incline my ear to a proverb. I will solve my riddle on the harp" (49:3-4) (tap proverb, riddle). Then it asks a question: "Why should I fear in the days of evil, when iniquity at my heels surrounds me?" (49:5). Here is what almost everyone misses: the whole psalm is spoken to people, not to God. It speaks about God twice (49:7, 49:15), and it speaks to its hearer, "Don’t be afraid when a man is made rich" (49:16), but it never turns to pray.
Honest questions
Questions people ask about Psalm 49
That was a taste
The rest of Psalm 49 is waiting in Favor
- No payment is ever enough
- A refrain that changes
- Death shall be their shepherd, but God will redeem
- A proverb and a riddle
- A ransom for a life, in the law
- Words Psalm 73 also uses
- 8 questions as you read
- 13 more Hebrew words
- A short check at the end
- Your notes, saved as you go
Favor reads the Bible in order, so you'll reach Psalm 49 with everything before it in view. First week free, then $10 a month per person.
The Hebrew word behind it
פָּדָהpadahsay pa-DAH
Brown-Driver-Briggs: "ransom". Strong's: "to sever, i.e. ransom; generally to release, preserve". The psalm has it three times. "None of them can by any means redeem his brother" (49:7): in Hebrew can by any means redeem is fadoh yifdeh, the verb twice. And "But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol" (49:15): there will redeem is yifdeh again, the same form as in 49:7. What no one can do for his brother, the psalmist says God will do for him. The Psalms have the verb 14 times in Hebrew. Another is "He will redeem Israel from all their sins" (Psalm 130:8).
For your group
Psalm 49 Bible study questions
- 1"Why should I fear in the days of evil?" (49:5). When people with money or power seem to hold all the cards, what does this psalm give you to stand on?
- 2"For when he dies he will carry nothing away" (49:17). What are you working hardest to build right now, and how does this line change the way you see it?
- 3"None of them can by any means redeem his brother" (49:7), "But God will redeem my soul" (49:15). Where are you tempted to trust what you have, rather than God, for what only he can do?
Leading a group? In Favor, everyone reads Psalm 49 during the week and answers these questions privately. Answers stay sealed until you meet, then appear together, and you can print the week's sheet.
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Questions
What is Favor?
Favor is a Bible study app that explains every chapter as you read: the Hebrew and Greek behind the words, the details most readers miss, and how each part of the Bible leads to Jesus. Read on your own, or start a Bible study with friends, family or your church.
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Can I read Psalm 49 straight away?
Favor takes the Bible as one story, in order, so you'll reach Psalm 49 with everything that leads up to it in view. Start from Genesis, or meet Jesus first in the Gospels. You can read the text of any chapter in Favor's Look up whenever you like.
Do I need a group?
No. Many people read on their own. If you'd like to read with others, start a Bible study and share one link. Everyone's answers stay private until you meet.
I've never really read the Bible. Is this for me?
Yes. Favor starts where you are and explains as it goes. The questions along the way aren't marked right or wrong: you answer, then see what the text shows.
Which Bible does Favor use?
The World English Bible, a modern, readable translation in the public domain. God's name appears as "the LORD", as in most English Bibles.
Is Favor tied to a church?
No. Favor is non-denominational. Where Christians read a passage differently, it shows the main views side by side and doesn't pick one.
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Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Hebrew and Greek words are checked against the original-language texts and public-domain lexicons. What we believe · Favor home