Sermon Tone Analysis

Psalm 49:1-20 English Standard Version

Psalm 49:title

1.

To the choirmaster.

2. A Psalm

a.

It is possible that על־מות(“on death”) should be added to the title from Ps 48:15 (see the note on that verse); if inserted after מזמור“psalm,” it could be translated: “a psalm concerning death,” which would be appropriate to the subject matter.[1]

3. of the Sons of Korah.

a. Psalms of the Sons of Korah (Psalms 42-49; Psalms 84; 85; 87; 88)

b.

According to 1 Chronicles, the Korahites were temple keepers and temple singers during the reigns of David and Solomon (1 Chr.

6:31–37; 9:19).5The

Korahites are listed in Num.

26:58 as one of the five major levitical families, but in the book of Chronicles, they generally appear as a subgroup of the Kohathites (1 Chr.

6:22, 31–37; 9:19).[2]

c.

In Pss 42–43 the psalmist was cast down in soul, taunted by the wicked and unjust about where his God had gone.

That individual plea was extended to the believing remnant in Ps 44, and their relief came in the celebration of the king in Ps 45, followed by the establishment of the eschatological city in Ps 46.

The peoples were called to celebrate in Ps 47, and Ps 48 sang the glory of God in the beauty of the city.

Ps 49 now compares the worthless wealth of the nations, wealth that cannot redeem them or continue with them after death, with the lasting treasures of those who know God.[3]

Introduction (Psalm 49:1-2)

Psalm 49:1-2

1. (v.1) Hear this, all peoples!

2. Give ear, all inhabitants of the world,

3. (v.2) both low and high,

4. rich and poor together!

a.

Note the parallelism.

b.

World - duration of life, time span of one’s life, i.e., an indefinite length of time, with a focus on the life lived in that time frame (Job 11:17; Ps 39:6[EB 5]; 89:48[EB 47]+); 2. LN 1.39–1.45

this world, i.e., this present world in contrast, with a focus as a temporary thing (Ps 17:14; 49:2[EB 1][4]

Psalm 49:3-4

1. (v.3) My mouth shall speak wisdom;

2. the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.

3. (v.4)

I will incline my ear to a proverb;

4. I will solve my riddle to the music of the lyre.

a.

The mention of the lyre may indicate a prophetic utterance.

i. 2 Kings 3:15 But now bring me a musician.”

And when the musician played, the hand of the Lord came upon him [Elisha].

b.

This is a wisdom psalm.

i. Proverbs 1:1 The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:

ii.

Proverbs 1:2 To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight,

iii.

Proverbs 1:3 to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity;

iv.

Proverbs 1:4 to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth—

v. Proverbs 1:5 Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance,

vi.

Proverbs 1:6 to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles.

c.

The riddle in this psalm is not like one of the riddles of Samson (Judges 14:14), but is larger in scope than that, and may have the connotation of a difficult or enigmatic question (VanGemeren, ‘Psalms,’ 5:368).[5]

d.

This psalm is going to communicate wisdom to us.

i.

What wisdom, understanding, proverb, or riddle is this psalm helping us understand?

Stanza One (Psalm 49:5-11)

The Riddle of the Wicked Wealthy (Psalm 49:5-6).

Psalm 49:5-6

1. (v.5)

Why should I fear in times of trouble, when the iniquity of those who cheat me surrounds me,

2. (v.6) those who trust in their wealth and boast of the abundance of their riches?

a.

The feature that especially characterizes this group is that they trust in and boast of (the same Hb.

root meaning “praise”) wealth.

Throughout the Psalter, these are verbs that have God as their object.

In this light, we learn that these are people whose ultimate security and values lie in their possessions—this is their god.

The issue here is not wealth per se but trusting in that wealth.[6]

b.

It talks about their *trust and their exulting (*praise).

These are verbs that deserve to have Yhwh as their object (e.g., 22:4–5 [5–6]; 34:2 [3]), but here their object is resources and wealth.

[7]

c.

He will deal with an issue that plagued wisdom: Why do the wicked prosper more than the righteous (see Pss 37; 73; Eccl.

7:15–18; cf.

Jer.

12:1)?[8]

Lesson One: We cannot redeem ourselves from death (Psalm 49:7-9).

Psalm 49:7-9

1. (v.7) Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life,

a.

The point is first made with emphasis by repeating the verb (lit.

“it cannot redeeming redeem”).[9]

2. (v.8) for the ransom of their life is costly and can never suffice,

a. Exodus 21:28 “When an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox shall be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten, but the owner of the ox shall not be liable.

b.

Exodus 21:29 But if the ox has been accustomed to gore in the past, and its owner has been warned but has not kept it in, and it kills a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned, and its owner also shall be put to death.

c.

Exodus 21:30 If a ransom is imposed on him, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is imposed on him.

d.

Exodus 21:31 If it gores a man’s son or daughter, he shall be dealt with according to this same rule.

e. Exodus 21:32 If the ox gores a slave, male or female, the owner shall give to their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.

i.

The idiom implies that behind the fascination with wealth is a denial of death, the notion that riches can ward it off.[10]

3. (v.9) that he should live on forever and never see the pit.

a.

There is not enough money in the world to pay the ransom for a person’s life so they will live on forever and never see death.

b.

Psalm 49:7-9 may be the backdrop of Jesus’s saying in Mark 8:36-37:

i.

Mark 8:36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?