Psalm 49:10 kjv
For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others.
Psalm 49:10 nkjv
For he sees wise men die; Likewise the fool and the senseless person perish, And leave their wealth to others.
Psalm 49:10 niv
For all can see that the wise die, that the foolish and the senseless also perish, leaving their wealth to others.
Psalm 49:10 esv
For he sees that even the wise die; the fool and the stupid alike must perish and leave their wealth to others.
Psalm 49:10 nlt
Those who are wise must finally die,
just like the foolish and senseless,
leaving all their wealth behind.
Psalm 49 10 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 3:19 | "for dust you are, and to dust you shall return." | Humanity's mortal decree |
| Psa 39:6 | "man walks about as a phantom... he heaps up riches and knows not who will gather them." | Futility of wealth collection |
| Psa 89:48 | "What man can live and not see death? Can he deliver his soul from the power of Sheol?" | Inescapability of death |
| Psa 90:12 | "So teach us to number our days, that we may get a heart of wisdom." | Urgency of spiritual wisdom in face of mortality |
| Prov 10:2 | "Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit, but righteousness delivers from death." | Righteousness vs. unrighteous gains |
| Prov 11:4 | "Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death." | Riches are useless in divine judgment |
| Prov 11:28 | "Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf." | Consequences of trusting in wealth |
| Ecc 2:16 | "For of the wise man as of the fool there is no enduring remembrance..." | Both wise and fool share the same fate of oblivion |
| Ecc 2:18-19 | "I hated all my toil... because I must leave it to the man who will come after me... a fool or a wise man?" | Uncertainty of heirs for one's toil |
| Ecc 7:12 | "For wisdom is a protection as money is a protection, but the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it." | Wisdom offers true preservation (eternal life) |
| Ecc 9:2 | "All things come alike to all; there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked..." | Equality of outcome (death) for all |
| Isa 57:1-2 | "The righteous perishes, and no one lays it to heart... they enter into peace..." | The rest found by the righteous in death |
| Jer 9:23-24 | "Let not the wise man boast... or the rich man boast... but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me..." | True boast is in knowing God, not human wisdom/wealth |
| Mt 6:19-21 | "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth... but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven..." | Heavenly vs. earthly treasures |
| Lk 12:20-21 | "But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’" | Parable of the rich fool, demonstrating ultimate loss of wealth |
| Lk 16:19-31 | "The rich man also died and was buried... lifted up his eyes, being in torment..." | The Rich Man and Lazarus, depicting post-death realities of the rich and poor |
| 1 Tim 6:7 | "For we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world." | We depart as we arrived |
| 1 Tim 6:10 | "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith..." | The danger of loving money |
| Jas 1:9-11 | "Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the field he will pass away." | Rich man's transient glory |
| Heb 9:27 | "it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment..." | Universality and finality of death |
| Phil 3:7-8 | "But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ." | Counting worldly gain as loss for Christ |
| Psa 49:15 | "But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me." | Contrast: God rescues the trusting from death's ultimate grasp |
Psalm 49 verses
Psalm 49 10 Meaning
Psalm 49:10 reveals the universal reality of death: no one, regardless of their human wisdom or folly, can escape it. The verse profoundly highlights the transient nature of worldly possessions, emphasizing that individuals cannot take their wealth with them into the grave, but rather must abandon it to others. This serves as a stark reminder of the futility of trusting in earthly riches or human capabilities.
Psalm 49 10 Context
Psalm 49 is a Maskil, a psalm offering instruction and contemplation, specifically addressing the universal problem of mortality and the apparent prosperity of the wicked. The psalmist calls for all people to hear his wisdom (v.1-4), which seeks to explain why one should not fear when evil-doers prosper (v.5). He critiques those who trust in their abundant wealth and boast in their riches (v.6-9), pointing out their inability to redeem themselves or others from death. Verse 10 directly states the unescapable fate for all, setting the stage for the crucial contrast between the destiny of the trust-in-riches (v.12-13, 16-20) and the destiny of those who trust in God (v.14-15). It serves as a polemic against any belief system that suggests wealth or human achievement can circumvent death or secure ultimate destiny.
Psalm 49 10 Word analysis
- For he sees (כִּֽי־יִרְאֶ֥ה, kî-yir’e): The Hebrew verb ra’ah (יִרְאֶה) means to see, perceive, understand, or experience. Here, it signifies a known, observed reality. It's not just a casual glance, but an understanding and acknowledgment of this undeniable fact of human existence. The "he" is generic, referring to any observer or humanity as a whole, perceiving this truth.
- that even the wise (חֲכָמִ֣ים, ḥăḵāmîm): Ḥāḵām refers to those possessing wisdom, skill, and insight. This is human wisdom—intellectual prowess, shrewdness, strategic thinking, often valued and admired in society. The inclusion of "even the wise" emphasizes that no level of human intellect, ingenuity, or worldly success can overcome death.
- die (מֵתִ֑ים, mētîm): From mût, meaning to die, expire, or pass away. It denotes the cessation of life. This simple, stark reality is central to the verse.
- the fool (כְּסִ֥יל, kəsîl): The kesîl is a specific type of fool in Hebrew wisdom literature, distinct from the naive or simple. This is an arrogant, stubbornly foolish individual who disregards instruction, lacks moral insight, and rejects divine wisdom. This folly often leads to destruction.
- and the senseless alike (וְנָבָ֖ר, wə-nāḇār): Nāḇār (from the root nābāl) denotes a brutish, unthinking, and often impious person, characterized by a lack of moral discernment or intellectual capacity, like Nabal in 1 Samuel. "Alike" (יַ֤חַד, yaḥaḏ) stresses the shared fate, emphasizing that whether one is wise or utterly devoid of understanding, death comes to all without discrimination.
- perish (יֹאבֵֽדוּ׃, yōḇēḏū): From 'ābad, meaning to perish, be lost, destroyed, or come to an end. It implies a sense of ruin or disappearance, intensifying the finality of their earthly existence. It’s not just death but the loss of everything earthly.
- and leave (וְעָֽזְב֣וּ, wə-‘āzḇū): From ‘āzav, meaning to abandon, forsake, or leave behind. This verb highlights the involuntary act of relinquishing one's possessions at death.
- their wealth (חֵילָֽם׃, ḥêlām): Ḥayil refers to strength, ability, virtue, or, as here, substantial riches, possessions, or even military power. It encapsulates all their material accumulation.
- to others (לַאֲחֵרִ֣ים, la’ăḥērîm): Emphasizes that all their hard-earned or ill-gotten gains ultimately pass into the hands of someone else, possibly strangers, who did not toil for it.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "the wise die; the fool and the senseless alike perish": This stark juxtaposition underlines the great equalizer of death. Human distinctions of intellect or lack thereof become meaningless in the face of mortality. There is no escaping the grave for anyone, rich or poor, learned or ignorant.
- "and leave their wealth to others": This phrase highlights the profound futility of relying on material possessions for security or status. The inability to take one's accumulated wealth into death renders its earthly value utterly null at life's end, serving as a powerful counter-argument to the self-assured prosperity of the unrighteous.
Psalm 49 10 Bonus section
The Hebrew word kəsîl (fool) in this verse carries a strong moral connotation beyond mere lack of intelligence. It describes someone who is spiritually dull, insensitive to God's ways, and often arrogant in their self-sufficiency, embodying a heart that actively resists wisdom. This stands in sharp contrast to the true wisdom of fearing the Lord. This verse serves as a crucial bridge within Psalm 49, transitioning from the futility of human efforts (vv. 6-9) to the certain end of all humanity, whether esteemed or disdained (v.10), setting up the triumphant declaration of God's redemptive power for those who trust in Him (v.15). The observation "he sees" is not merely cognitive but implies a sober recognition of this unavoidable reality by anyone paying attention to the cycle of life and death, reinforcing the psalmist's foundational message for all listeners.
Psalm 49 10 Commentary
Psalm 49:10 serves as a pivot point in the psalmist's instruction, forcefully confronting the core illusion of human self-reliance—be it on intellect or riches. It unveils a universal truth, visible to all observers: that death indiscriminately claims both the highly esteemed, worldly wise and the contemptible, morally senseless. This demonstrates that neither human cleverness nor abject foolishness provides an escape from the ultimate earthly demise. The poignant concluding phrase, "and leave their wealth to others," utterly shatters the delusion that material accumulation offers any lasting advantage. All possessions accumulated throughout a lifetime become detached from their owner, testifying to the radical impermanence of all earthly endeavors. This truth compels the wise believer to place their hope not in fleeting material comforts or their own sagacity, but in the enduring and redemptive power of God, as foreshadowed later in the Psalm.