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Psalm 49:6-8
New Catholic Bible
Psalm 49:6-8
New Catholic Bible
6 Why should I be afraid in evil times
when I am beset by the wickedness of my foes,[a]
7 those who place their trust in their wealth
and boast of the abundance of their riches?
8 [b]For no one can ever redeem himself
or pay a ransom to God for his release.
Footnotes
- Psalm 49:6 The psalmist stresses that there is no reason to fear the wicked, for they place their trust in their wealth—which is powerless to save them from God (see vv. 8-10).
- Psalm 49:8 Wealth is useless to evade death; only God has the power to bring it about (see v. 16; 116:15; Job 33:24-26; Prov 11:4; Ezek 7:19; Mt 16:26; Rom 3:24). A wealthy person may live lavishly and give the impression that he will live forever. However, he too must at some point face death—which is a separation from the land of the living, from all life’s comforts, and from social and economic advantages. Pit: a synonym for the netherworld (see Ps 16:10) that signifies death and perhaps retribution for evil done during life (see Ps 94:13).
