Salmos 49

VBL · Chapter 49/150

1Para el director del coro. Un salmo de los hijos de Coré. ¡Escuchen esto! ¡Presten atención, personas del mundo,

2sean de alta o baja sociedad, sean ricos o pobres!

3Porque lo que diré son palabras sabias, y mi pensamiento es perspicaz.

4Prestaré atención a los proverbios; responderé las preguntas difíciles al son del arpa.

5¿Por qué debería temer cuando los problemas vienen o cuando mis enemigos me rodeen?

6Ellos confían en su riqueza; alardean de sus posesiones,

7pero nadie puede pagar por rescatar a otro de la muerte; nadie puede pagarle un rescate a Dios.

8La redención va más allá de un precio; nadie nunca podrá pagar lo suficiente

9como para vivir para siempre y no enfrentar la tumba.

10Todos saben que el sabio morirá, pero aquellos que son tontos y tercos también, dejando todo lo que tienen a la siguiente generación.

11Ellos creen que sus hogares durarán para siempre, que el lugar donde viven se mantendrá por todas las generaciones.

12Pero los seres humanos, ni con todo su honor entenderán. Ellos morirán, igual que los animales.

13Este es el camino de los necios, sin embargo, los que vienen después de ellos piensan que van a ser más inteligentes Selah.

14Como ovejas están destinados a la tumba. La muerte será su pastor. Pero los que viven con rectitud gobernarán sobre ellos en la mañana gloriosa. Sus cuerpos se desintegrarán en la tumba, lejos de sus hogares.

15Pero seguramente Dios me rescatará del poder de la muerte; él me traerá de vuelta. Selah.

16No te molestes cuando las personas se hagan ricas, y llenen sus casas con posesiones.

17Porque no se llevarán nada con ellos cuando mueran; sus riquezas no irán con ellos a la tumba.

18Ellos se felicitan entre ellos por sus posesiones, las personas siempre te alabarán cuando hagas las cosas bien,

19pero su destino es el mismo que el de sus antepasados: nunca más verán la luz del día.

20Los seres humanos, nunca entenderán, debido a toda su fama, y morirán, tal como los animales.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

A wisdom psalm that teaches that wealth cannot ransom anyone from death, since the wise and the foolish die alike, yet the psalmist trusts that God will redeem his soul from the power of the grave.

Explanation

This is one of the wisdom psalms dealing with a universal theme: the futility of trusting in riches in the face of the certainty of death, which levels rich and poor, wise and foolish alike. The phrase 'none of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him' (v. 7) acknowledges the limits of money before human mortality. By contrast, verse 15 ('God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave') expresses a hope that goes beyond mere resignation to death, pointing to confidence in something beyond physical death. Today's application: invest your life in relationships and lasting values, not merely in accumulating possessions that no one takes along after death.

Fun facts

  • The idea that wealth cannot buy eternal life or escape death is echoed almost word for word by Jesus in the parable of the rich fool (Luke 12:16-21), showing continuity between the wisdom of the psalms and the teachings of Jesus.
  • The Hebrew verb used in 'God will redeem my soul' (v. 15) is the same word used to describe the redemption of a slave or lost property in the Law of Moses (goel), suggesting the image of a kinsman-redeemer who pays the price of someone's freedom.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. Salmos 49:1The psalm opens like a wisdom teacher addressing everyone, not only Israel, calling all the peoples of the earth to listen.
  2. Salmos 49:2It makes clear that the lesson to follow applies equally to everyone, with no distinction of social class, wealth, or standing.
  3. Salmos 49:3It promises that what is about to be said grew out of careful reflection, not loose opinion: wisdom coming from a heart that meditated before speaking.
  4. Salmos 49:4It announces that the lesson will come in the form of a parable or riddle, sung to the harp, the common format of Hebrew wisdom poetry.
  5. Salmos 49:5It asks a rhetorical question that introduces the central theme: why fear the evil days, even surrounded by the wickedness of those who set traps?
  6. Salmos 49:6It describes the kind of people who cause that fear: those who trust in their own possessions and boast in accumulated wealth, but the psalm is already building its counterargument.
  7. Salmos 49:7Redeem is the same verb used for buying someone out of slavery by paying a price; the point here is that no matter how rich a person is, no amount of money can purchase more lifetime or free another person from death.
  8. Salmos 49:8It explains, in parentheses, why wealth doesn't solve the real problem: redeeming a soul from death costs too much, beyond what any fortune can pay.
  9. Salmos 49:9It continues the same idea: no matter how much money someone has, it would never be enough to buy eternal life or escape the body's decay.
  10. Salmos 49:10It notes an uncomfortable truth: the wise die just like fools, and in the end everyone leaves their possessions for someone else to use.
  11. Salmos 49:11It describes the illusion of the rich: they secretly think their own house will last forever, even naming lands after themselves, as if that guaranteed some kind of permanence.
  12. Salmos 49:12It contradicts that illusion with a harsh comparison: even someone full of honor does not escape, ending up perishing just like the animals.
  13. Salmos 49:13It calls this path pure folly, yet notes that the generations that follow keep repeating the same mistake, approving the same empty words.
  14. Salmos 49:14Death is treated almost like a shepherd who devours the flock, an image that reverses expectations: the rich and powerful, who thought themselves owners of everything, end up as death's own food.
  15. Salmos 49:15It is a hope of being redeemed from the power of Sheol, but scholars disagree about how far this goes: it may mean only being spared an untimely death in this life, or it may be one of the earliest, still vague signs of hope for a life beyond death.
  16. Salmos 49:16It returns to the theme from the start of the psalm: there is no reason to fear when someone grows rich and the glory of his house increases, because that greatness does not last.
  17. Salmos 49:17It explains the reason not to fear: at the hour of death, none of it goes with the person, not even a bit of the glory accumulated in life.
  18. Salmos 49:18Even if that person congratulates himself in life and receives praise from others for taking good care of himself, it does not change the final destiny still to come.
  19. Salmos 49:19It describes death as a joining with one's ancestors, a place where the light is no longer seen, reinforcing the same somber idea of an end common to everyone.
  20. Salmos 49:20The psalm closes by repeating almost the same line from verse 12, but now highlighting that the real problem isn't honor itself, it's the lack of understanding about what truly matters.

Chapters

Our apps

Our apps →

Bible in Stories

The Bible told as a story, with audio and videos.

📱 Get the app

World in Stories

True stories of humanity that sound made up.

Feito! Pequenas Vitórias

A light daily routine for people who lose track of the day.