Do not be amazed when a man grows rich, when the splendor of his house increases.
Parallel translations
- WEB Don’t be afraid when a man is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased;
- KJV Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased;
- NKJV Do not be afraid when one becomes rich, When the glory of his house is increased;
- NASB ¶Do not be afraid when a person becomes rich, When the splendor of his house is increased;
- NLT So don’t be dismayed when the wicked grow rich and their homes become ever more splendid.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Do not be intimidated when someone grows rich and his household's splendor increases. Their prosperity is temporary.
Overview
The psalmist counsels against fear or envy when the wicked prosper, a frequent struggle for the faithful. The following verses explain why: such glory cannot survive death. This wisdom guards believers from being unsettled by the apparent advantages of the godless, anchoring their hope in eternal realities.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Ps 37:7Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when men prosper in their ways, when they carry out wicked schemes.
- Ps 37:1Of David. Do not fret over those who do evil; do not envy those who do wrong.
- Rev 21:26And into the city will be brought the glory and honor of the nations.
- Rev 21:24By its light the nations will walk, and into it the kings of the earth will bring their glory.
- Esth 3:1–6After these events, King Xerxes honored Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, elevating him to a position above all the princes who were with him.
- Gen 31:1Now Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were saying, “Jacob has taken away all that belonged to our father and built all this wealth at our father’s expense.”
- Esth 5:11Haman recounted to them his glorious wealth, his many sons, and all the ways the king had honored and promoted him over the other officials and servants.
- Prov 28:12When the righteous triumph, there is great glory, but when the wicked rise, men hide themselves.
- Ps 49:5Why should I fear in times of trouble, when wicked usurpers surround me?
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 49:16 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.