Psalms 89:48
in Psalms 89What man can live and never see death? Can he deliver his soul from the power of Sheol? Selah
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
What man is he that shall live and not see death, That shall deliver his soul from the power of Sheol? [Selah
KJV
What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death? shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave? Selah.
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This verse in Psalms 89
Commentary
7 notes on this verseWhat man is he that liveth, and shall not see death? All must die. None of our race can answer to the question here propounded except in the negative; there is none that can claim to elude the arrows of death. Shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave? Neither by strength, wisdom, nor virtue can any man escape the common doom, for to the dust return we must. Since then we must all die, do not make this life all wretchedness, by smiting us so long, O Lord.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"What man is he that shall live, and shall not see death?" [Psalm 89:48]. For being raised from the dead He dies no more, and death has no more dominion over Him. [Romans 6:9] And as in another Psalm it is said, "You shall not leave my soul in Hell, neither shall Thou suffer Your Holy One to see corruption," the Apostolic teaching takes up this testimony, and in the Acts of the Apostles [Acts 2:29] thus argues against the unbelieving; Men and brethren, we know that the patriarch David is dead and buried, and his flesh has seen corruption. Therefore it cannot be said of him, "neither shall Thou suffer Your Holy One to see corruption." Of whom then is it said? "What man is he that shall live, and shall not see death?" Perhaps there is no man such. Nay, but "who is it?" is said to make you inquire, not despair. But perhaps there may be some man "that shall live, and shall not see death," and yet perhaps he did not speak of Christ, who died? There is no man "that shall live, and shall not see death," except Him who died for mortals. That you may be assured that it is said of Him, consider the sequel; "What man is he that lives, and shall not see death?" Did He never die then? He did. How then shall He live, and never see death? "He shall deliver His own soul from the hands of Hell." He is spoken of alone indeed, in that He alone of all others "shall live, and shall not see death: He shall deliver His own soul from the hand of Hell," because although the rest of His faithful shall rise from the dead, and shall themselves live for evermore, without seeing death; yet they shall not themselves deliver their own souls from the hands of Hell. He who delivers His own soul from the hands of Hell, Himself delivers those of His believers: they cannot do so of themselves. Prove that He delivers His own soul. "I have power to lay down My life, and I have power to take it again. […]
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
What man - All men at their best estate are mortal and miserable; kings and people must unavoidably die by the conditions of their natures; and therefore, Lord, do not increase our affliction.
What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death?....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death? All must die. None of our race can answer to the question here propounded except in the negative; there is none that can claim to elude the arrows of death. Shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave? Neither by strength, wisdom, nor virtue can any man escape the common doom, for to the dust return we must. Since then we must all die, do not make this life all wretchedness, by smiting us so long, O Lord. Thy Son our covenant Head died, and so also shall we; let us not be so deserted of thee in this brief span that we shall be quite unable to testify to thy faithfulness: make us not feel that we have lived in vain. Thus the brevity of life and the certainty of death are turned into pleas with the Most High. Selah. Here we rest again, and proceed to further pleadings.
What man is he that liveth - All men are mortal, and death is uncertain and no man, by wisdom, might, or riches, can deliver his life from the hand - the power, of death and the grave.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death? - Shall not die - to see death being an expression often used to denote death itself. Death is represented as a real object, now invisible, but which will make itself visible to us when we die. The meaning here is, “All men are mortal; this universal law must apply to kings as well as to other men; in a short time he to whom these promises pertain will pass away from the earth; and the promises made to him cannot then be fulfilled.” Shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave? - His life. Will he be able to deliver that from the power of the grave; in Hebrew, שׁאול she'ôl. Death - the grave - Sheol - asserts a universal dominion over mankind, and no one can be rescued from that stern power.
The words behind it
11 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| מִ֤י | mi | who? | H4310 → | 423 times |
| גֶ֣בֶר | gever | [is the] man | H1397 → | 65 times |
| יִֽ֭חְיֶה | yichyeh | [who] he will live | H2421 → | 282 times |
| וְלֹ֣א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִרְאֶה־ | yireh- | he will see | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| מָּ֑וֶת | mavet | death | H4194 → | 156 times |
| יְמַלֵּ֨ט | yemalet | [who] he will deliver | H4422 → | 95 times |
| נַפְשׁ֖וֹ | nafsho | life his | H5315 → | 754 times |
| מִיַּד־ | miyad- | from [the] hand of | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| שְׁא֣וֹל | sheol | Sheol | H7585 → | 66 times |
| סֶֽלָה׃ | selah | Selah | H5542 → | 74 times |
מִ֤יwho?
miH4310 →423 times
גֶ֣בֶר[is the] man
geverH1397 →65 times
יִֽ֭חְיֶה[who] he will live
yichyehH2421 →282 times
וְלֹ֣אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
יִרְאֶה־he will see
yireh-H7200 →1300 times
מָּ֑וֶתdeath
mavetH4194 →156 times
יְמַלֵּ֨ט[who] he will deliver
yemaletH4422 →95 times
נַפְשׁ֖וֹlife his
nafshoH5315 →754 times
מִיַּד־from [the] hand of
miyad-H3027 →1618 times
שְׁא֣וֹלSheol
sheolH7585 →66 times
סֶֽלָה׃Selah
selahH5542 →74 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
Ecclesiastes 12:7before the dust returns to the ground from which it came and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
it leads to
- Daniel 12:2
And many who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to everlasting life, but others to shame and everlasting contempt.
- Ecclesiastes 3:20–21
All go to one place; all come from dust, and all return to dust.
- Psalms 146:4
When his spirit departs, he returns to the ground; on that very day his plans perish.
- Genesis 3:19
By the sweat of your brow you will eat your bread, until you return to the ground—because out of it were you taken. For dust you are, and to dust you shall return.”
- Daniel 12:2
Through
Ecclesiastes 9:5For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing. They have no further reward, because the memory of them is forgotten.
it leads to
- Isaiah 26:14
The dead will not live; the departed spirits will not rise. Therefore You have punished and destroyed them; You have wiped out all memory of them.
- Ecclesiastes 1:11
There is no remembrance of those who came before, and those yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow after.
- Psalms 6:5
For there is no mention of You in death; who can praise You from Sheol?
- Isaiah 26:14
Through
Hebrews 11:5By faith Enoch was taken up so that he did not see death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one…
it leads to
- Genesis 5:21–24
When Enoch was 65 years old, he became the father of Methuselah.
- Genesis 5:21–24
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Psalms
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, Exposition on Psalm 89; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 4; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament.