Psalms 49:8
in Psalms 49For the redemption of his soul is costly, and never can payment suffice,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
(For the redemption of their life is costly, And it faileth for ever),
KJV
(For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever:)
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This verse in Psalms 49
Commentary
10 notes on this verseFor the redemption of their soul is precious,.... Or "heavy" (s); it is, as Jarchi observes, "heavier than their substance": it is too weighty a matter for the richest man in the world to engage in; he is not equal to it; his riches are not an equivalent to the redemption of a soul which has sinned, and which is of more worth than the whole world: "what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" or another for him? all the substance of his house would be utterly despised.
This site's exposition
Why should I fear
on Psalms 49:5-9
Why should I fear opens the singer's own answer. Those he fears trust in their wealth and boast in it, and redeeming a brother is beyond any man, whatever ransom is offered to God. A soul's redemption is costly, and the life that does not see decay stands at Psalm 16:10, quoted of Christ at Acts 2:27.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
"He shall not give to God his propitiation, and the price of the redemption of his soul" (ver. 8). He trusteth in his virtue, and in the abundance of his riches doth glory, who "shall not give to God his propitiation:" that is, satisfaction whereby he may prevail with God for his sins: "nor the price of the redemption of his soul," who relieth on his virtue, and on his friends, and on his riches. But who are they that give the price of the redemption of their souls? They to whom the Lord saith, "Make to yourselves friends of the Mammon of unrighteousness, that they may receive you into everlasting habitations." They give the price of the redemption of their soul who cease not to do almsdeeds. So those whom the Apostle chargeth by Timothy he would not have to be proud, lest they should glory in the abundance of their riches. Lastly, what they possessed he would not have to grow old in their hands: but that something should be made of it to be for the price of the redemption of their souls. For he saith, "Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded: nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy." And as if they had said, "What shall we then make of our riches?" he continueth, "Let them be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate," and they will not lose that. How know we? Hear what followeth. "Let them lay up for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on the true life." So shall they give the price of the redemption of their soul. And our Lord counselleth this: "Make for yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where thief approacheth not, neither moth corrupteth." God would not have thee lose thy wealth, but He hath given thee counsel to change the place thereof. Let your love understand. […]
Just as a parent would not choose a house in preference to his child, just so God would not choose the world in preference to the soul.… Do you want to learn how great the price for our souls? The Only-begotten, intending to redeem us, gave not the world, not a human being, not land, not sea, but his precious blood. Thus Paul too said, "A price has been paid for you; do not become people's slaves." Do you see the greatness of the price?… Do you see how elevated the soul's dignity? Consequently, never despise the soul nor make it captive.
Sin is worse than everything; it is this that must be feared, not the possibility of being in need of money, since a person who is rich and in the grip of a multitude of sins is in real difficulty and does not find release …
The Medieval Church1 voice
"Those who trust in their own strength." Here is set forth the reason why there is cause for fear, namely on account of sin. And there is a twofold reason why sin should be feared. First, on account of the impossibility of escaping the punishment …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
It is certainly true that the redemption of the soul is precious and ceaseth for ever; that is, life, when it is going, cannot be arrested, and when it is gone it cannot be recalled, by any human art, or worldly price. But this looks further, to the eternal redemption which was to be wrought out by the Messiah, whom the Old-testament saints had an eye to as the Redeemer.
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever. Too great is the price, the purchase is hopeless. For ever must the attempt to redeem a soul with money remain a failure. Death comes and wealth cannot bribe him; hell follows and no golden key can unlock its dungeon. Vain, then, are your threatenings, ye possessors of the yellow clay; your childish toys are despised by men who estimate the value of possessions by the shekel of the sanctuary.
For the redemption of their soul is precious - It is of too high a price to be redeemed with corruptible things, such as silver or gold, and has required the sacrificial death of Christ. And it ceaseth for ever - This is very obscure, and may apply to the ransom which riches could produce. That ransom must be for ever unavailable, because of the value of the soul. Or this clause should be added to the following verse, and read thus: “And though he cease to be, (וחדל vechadal), during the hidden time, (לעולם leolam); yet he shall live on through eternity, (ויחי עוד לנצח vichi od lanetsach), and not see corruption.” This is probably the dark saying which it was the design of the author to utter in a parable, and leave it to the ingenuity of posterity to find it out. The verb חדל chadal signifies a cessation of being or action, and עולם olam often signifies hidden time, that which is not defined, and the end of which is not ascertained, though it is frequently used to express endless duration. This translation requires no alteration of the original text, and conveys a precise and consistent meaning.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
For the redemption of their soul is precious - The word “soul” here means “life,” and not the immortal part. The only question which the psalmist here considers is the value of wealth in preserving “life,” or in saving man from the grave. The phrase, ““their” soul,” refers doubtless to the man and his brother, as alluded to in the previous verse. The idea is that neither can the man of wealth ransom his own life from the grave, nor the life of his brother. Wealth can save neither of them. The word “precious” means “costly,” “valuable.” The word is applied 1Ki 10:2, 1Ki 10:10-11 to gems, and then to the costlier kinds of stones employed in building, as marble and hewn-stones, 2Ch 3:6. Compare the notes at Psa 36:7. The idea here is, that the rescue of the life, or the saving from the grave, would be too “costly;” it would be beyond the power of all wealth to purchase it; no amount of silver or gold, or raiment, or precious stones, could “constitute” a sufficient “price” to secure it. And it ceaseth for ever - That is, Wealth forever comes short of the power necessary to accomplish this. It has always been insufficient; it always “will” be. There is no hope that it “ever” will be sufficient; that by any increase in the amount - or by any change in the conditions of the bargain - property or riches can avail for this. The whole matter is perfectly “hopeless” as to the power of wealth in saving one human being from the grave. It must always “fail” in saving a man from death. The word rendered “ceaseth” - חדל châdal - means “to leave off, to desist, to fail,” Gen 11:8; Exo 9:34; Isa 2:22. […]
The words behind it
5 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְ֭יֵקַר | veyekar | so it may be costly | H3365 → | 11 times |
| פִּדְי֥וֹן | pidyon | [the] ransom of | H6306 → | |
| נַפְשָׁ֗ם | nafsham | life their | H5315 → | 754 times |
| וְחָדַ֥ל | vechadal | and he will cease | H2308 → | |
| לְעוֹלָֽם׃ | leolam | for ever | H5769 → | 438 times |
וְ֭יֵקַרso it may be costly
veyekarH3365 →11 times
פִּדְי֥וֹן[the] ransom of
pidyonH6306 →
נַפְשָׁ֗םlife their
nafshamH5315 →754 times
וְחָדַ֥לand he will cease
vechadalH2308 →
לְעוֹלָֽם׃for ever
leolamH5769 →438 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
5 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Matthew 16:26What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
it leads to
- Job 27:8
For what is the hope of the godless when he is cut off, when God takes away his life?
- Mark 8:36–37
What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?
- Luke 9:25
What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet lose or forfeit his very self?
- Luke 12:20
But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be required of you. Then who will own what you have accumulated?’
- Psalms 49:7–8
No man can possibly redeem his brother or pay his ransom to God.
- Job 27:8
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Psalms
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Psalms; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, ON THE PSALMS - Psalm 49; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 2; Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Psalms; John Chrysostom, COMMENTARY ON PSALMS 49:5; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theodore of Mopsuestia, COMMENTARY ON PSALMS 49:6B-9 and Thomas Aquinas, Exposition on the Psalms of David.