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PSALM 49

To him that presides; a Psalm for the sons of Korah.

1. Hear this all you peoples; give ear all you inhabitants of the world.
2. Both low and high, rich and poor together.
3. My mouth shall speak wisdom, and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.
4. I will incline mine ear to a proverb, I will open my dark saying on the harp:
5. Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil? When the iniquity of my heels does encompass me?
6. Of them that trust in their wealth, and boast of the multitude of their riches.
7. No man shall by any means redeem his brother, or give to god a ransom for him;
8. For the redemption of their soul is precious; and he live on for ever.
9. Though he continue to live, and not see the grave;
10. Yet he will see the wise die, likewise the fool and brutish perish, and leave their wealth to others.
11. Their inward thought is, that their houses are for ever, their dwelling-places to all generations; they call lands after their own names;
12. Yet that man shall not abide in glory, he is like the beasts that perish.
13. This their way is their foolish confidence, and they who go after them approve their sayings. Selah.
14. Like sheep they are laid in hell; death shall feed on them; the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; their beauty shall be consumed; hell shall be their dwelling.
15. But god shall redeem my soul from the hand of hell, for he shall receive me. Selah.
16. Be not you afraid when a man is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased.
17. For at his death he shall take nothing away, his glory shall not descend after him.
18. Though he blessed his soul in his life time, and they praised you, because you do well to yourself;
19. Yet he shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see light.
20. Man that is in honour, and understands not, is like the beasts that perish.

Verses 1, 2, 3. Hear this, all you peoples, give ear all you inhabitants of the world, both you sons of man [homo], and you sons of man [vir]; both rich and poor together; my mouth shall speak wisdom, and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding. By the sons of man [homo] are signified spiritual truths which are from the lord by the word, which truths are doctrinals; and by the sons of man [vir] are signified rational and natural truths, which are from the understanding of the word, thus the understanding of the word; by rich and poor are signified those who derive thence much wisdom and who derive little. AE 724.

Verse 5. When the iniquity of my heels does encompass me. That by the heel is meant the lowest natural or corporeal principle cannot be known, unless it be understood, how the most ancient people considered the things that are in man; they referred his celestial and spiritual things to the head and face: the things which derive existence thence as mercy and charity, they referred to the breast; his natural things to the soles of the feet; and the lowest natural or corporeal things to the heel; nor did they consider them only according to such reference, but also gave them names agreeable thereto. The lowest things relating to reason, such as things scientific, were also understood by what Jacob prophesied concerning Dan, "Dan shall be a serpent in the way, an adder in the path that bites the horses' heels, so that his rider shall fall backward," Gen 49:17; and also by what is written in David, "The iniquity of my heels does encompass me," Psalm 49:5. AC 259.

Verse 2, Both you sons of man, [homo] and you sons of man. [vir] In the commonly received English version of the Psalms, these words are rendered high and low; but it is plain from the exposition given by the enlightened expositor above, that this rendering does not give the full meaning of the original Hebrew, which literally is, both you sons of man, [homo] and you sons of man. [vir].