Psalms 49:19
in Psalms 49he will join the generation of his fathers, who will never see the light of day.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
He shall go to the generation of his fathers; They shall never see the light.
KJV
He shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see light.
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This verse in Psalms 49
Commentary
12 notes on this verseHe - Now he returns to the third person: such changes are frequent in this book. Go - To the grave and hell, where he shall meet with his wicked parents, who by their counsel and example, led him into his evil courses.
This site's exposition
Do not be amazed
on Psalms 49:16-20
Do not be amazed when a man's wealth grows. He will carry nothing away when he dies, his abundance will not follow him down, and he joins the generation of his fathers. A man with riches and no understanding is like the beasts that perish, the refrain of verse 12.
This site's exposition
the generation of his fathers
He will join his fathers, and none of that generation will see the light of day again. Barnes noted that joining the fathers is the common Old Testament phrase for death. Henry read the lost light as utter darkness.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"He shall enter even unto the generations of his fathers" (ver. 19): that is, he shall imitate his fathers. For the unrighteous, that now are, have brothers, have fathers. Unrighteous men of old, are the fathers of the present; and they that are now unrighteous, are the fathers of unrighteous posterity: just as the fathers of the righteous, the righteous of old, are the fathers of the righteous that now are; and they that now are, are the fathers of them that are to be. The Holy Spirit hath willed to show that righteousness is not evil when men murmur against her: but these men have their father from the beginning, even to the generation of their fathers. Two men Adam begat, and in one was unrighteousness, in one was righteousness: unrighteousness in Cain, righteousness in Abel. Unrighteousness seemed to prevail over righteousness, because Cain unrighteous slew Abel righteous in the night. Is it so in the morning? Nay, "but the righteous shall reign over them in the morning." The morning shall come, and it shall be seen where Abel is, and where Cain. So all men who are after Cain, and so all who are after Abel, even unto the end of the world. "He shall enter even unto the generations of his fathers: even to eternity he shall not see light." Because even when he was here, he was in darkness, taking pleasure in false goods, and not loving real goods: even so he shall go hence into hell: from the darkness of his dreams the darkness of torments shall receive him. Therefore, "even to eternity he shall not see light."
The Medieval Church1 voice
"He shall enter." Here he sets forth the failure of spiritual goods. And first he shows the failure; second, he sets forth the order of arriving at this failure, at "Man." And first he sets forth the failure of guilt; second, of punishment. With respect …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
He shall go to be there where they are that shall never see light, shall never have the least glimpse of comfort and joy, being condemned to utter darkness. Be not afraid then of the pomp and power of wicked people; for the end of the man that is in honour, if he be not wise and good, will be miserable; if he understand not, he is to be pitied rather than envied.
He shall go to the generation of his fathers,....
This is the psalmist's preface to his discourse concerning the vanity of the world and its insufficiency to make us happy; and we seldom meet with an introduction more solemn than this is; for there is no truth of more undoubted certainty, nor of greater weight and importance, and the consideration of which will be of more advantage to us.
4 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
He shall go to the generation of his fathers. Where the former generations lie, the present shall also slumber. The sires beckon to their sons to come to the same land of forgetfulness. Mortal fathers beget not immortal children. As our ancestors have departed, so also must we. They shall never see light. To this upper region the dead worldling shall never return again to possess his estates, and enjoy his dignities. Among the dead he must lie in the thick darkness, where no joy or hope can come to him. Of all his treasures there remains not enough to furnish him one poor candle; the blaze of his glory is out for ever, and not a spark remains to cheer him. How then can we look with fear or envy upon a wretch doomed to such unhappiness?
He shall go to the generation of his fathers. Where the former generations lie, the present shall also slumber. The sires beckon to their sons to come to the same land of forgetfulness. Mortal fathers beget not immortal children. As our ancestors have departed, so also must we. They shall never see light. To this upper region the dead worldling shall never return again to possess his estates, and enjoy his dignities. Among the dead he must lie in the thick darkness, where no joy or hope can come to him.
They shall never see light - Rise again they shall; but they shall never see the light of glory, for there is prepared for them the blackness of darkness for ever.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
He shall go to the generation of his fathers - To be gathered to one’s own people, or to his fathers, is a common expression in the Old Testament in speaking of death. See Gen 25:8, Gen 25:17; Gen 35:29; Gen 49:29, Gen 49:33, Num 20:24, Num 20:26; Num 27:13; Num 31:2; Deu 32:50; Jdg 2:10. It means that they were united again with those who had gone before them, in the regions of the dead. Death had indeed separated them, but by death they were again united. They shall never see light - He and the “generation” to which he has gone to be united, would no more see the light of this world; no more walk among the living: Job 33:30. Compare the notes at Isa 38:11; notes at Psa 27:13. The meaning is, that the rich sinner will die as others have done before him, leaving all his earthly possessions, and will no more be permitted to revisit the world where his forsaken possessions are, and will not even be permitted to “look” on what before had been to him such a source of self-confidence, self-gratulation, and pride.
The words behind it
9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| תָּ֭בוֹא | tavo' | it will go | H935 → | 2568 times |
| עַד־ | ʾad- | to | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| דּ֣וֹר | dor | [the] generation of | H1755 → | 167 times |
| אֲבוֹתָ֑יו | ʾavotav | ancestors his | H1 → | 1212 times |
| עַד־ | ʾad- | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| נֵ֝֗צַח | netzach | perpetuity | H5331 → | 43 times |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִרְאוּ־ | yiru- | they will see | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| אֽוֹר׃ | ʾor | light | H216 → | 121 times |
תָּ֭בוֹאit will go
tavo'H935 →2568 times
עַד־to
ʾad-H5704 →1261 times
דּ֣וֹר[the] generation of
dorH1755 →167 times
אֲבוֹתָ֑יוancestors his
ʾavotavH1 →1212 times
עַד־until
ʾad-H5704 →1261 times
נֵ֝֗צַחperpetuity
netzachH5331 →43 times
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
יִרְאוּ־they will see
yiru-H7200 →1300 times
אֽוֹר׃light
ʾorH216 →121 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 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
Luke 12:20But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be required of you. Then who will own what you have accumulated?’
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?
- Jeremiah 17:11
Like a partridge hatching eggs it did not lay is the man who makes a fortune unjustly. In the middle of his days his riches will desert him, and in the end he will…
- 1 Timothy 6:7
For we brought nothing into the world, so we cannot carry anything out of it.
- Psalms 39:6
Surely every man goes about like a phantom; surely he bustles in vain; he heaps up riches not knowing who will haul them away.
- Job 27:8
Through
Psalms 56:13For You have delivered my soul from death, and my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.
it leads to
- Psalms 116:8–9
For You have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling.
- Job 33:30
to bring back his soul from the Pit, that he may be enlightened with the light of life.
- Revelation 21:23–24
And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, because the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its lamp.
- Psalms 116:8–9
Through
Genesis 15:15You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a ripe old age.
it leads to
- Job 5:26
You will come to the grave in full vigor, like a sheaf of grain gathered in season.
- Job 5:26
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Psalms
This page draws on 10 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; 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; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Exposition on the Psalms of David.