Though while he lived he blessed his soul: and men will praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself.
Parallel translations
- WEB Though while he lived he blessed his soul — and men praise you when you do well for yourself —
- BSB Though in his lifetime he blesses his soul—and men praise you when you prosper—
- NKJV Though while he lives he blesses himself (For men will praise you when you do well for yourself),
- NASB Though while he lives he congratulates himself— And though people praise you when you do well for yourself—
- NLT In this life they consider themselves fortunate and are applauded for their success.
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
Though the rich congratulate themselves in life and others praise their success, this counts for nothing at death. Worldly applause is fleeting.
Overview
During life the wealthy man pronounces himself blessed and receives the admiration of others who flatter the successful. Yet this self-satisfaction and praise prove worthless when death comes. The verse exposes how the world's measures of a 'good life' collapse before eternity.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Luke 12:19And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
- Deut 29:19And it come to pass, when he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst:
- Ps 10:3For the wicked boasteth of his heart’s desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth.
- Hos 12:8And Ephraim said, Yet I am become rich, I have found me out substance: in all my labours they shall find none iniquity in me that were sin.
- Esth 3:2And all the king’s servants, that were in the king’s gate, bowed, and reverenced Haman: for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence.
- Rev 13:3–4And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
- Acts 12:20–22And Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon: but they came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus the king’s chamberlain their friend, desired peace; because their country was nourished by the king’s country.
- 1 Sam 25:6And thus shall ye say to him that liveth in prosperity, Peace be both to thee, and peace be to thine house, and peace be unto all that thou hast.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 49:18 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.