Yet they cannot redeem themselves from death by paying a ransom to God.
Parallel translations
- WEB none of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give God a ransom for him.
- KJV None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him:
- BSB No man can possibly redeem his brother or pay his ransom to God.
- NKJV None of them can by any means redeem his brother, Nor give to God a ransom for him—
- NASB No one can by any means redeem another Or give God a ransom for him—
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
No amount of wealth can redeem a person from death or pay God a ransom for another's life. Money is powerless before the grave.
Overview
Here is the psalm's central truth: the rich cannot buy back even a brother's life or offer God a sufficient ransom. Human resources fail utterly against death and divine judgment. This sets the stage for the gospel, for the ransom no man could pay was provided by God Himself in Christ, who gave His life as a ransom for many.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- Matt 16:26For what will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his life? Or what will a man give in exchange for his life?
- Matt 20:28even as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
- 1 Tim 2:6who gave himself as a ransom for all; the testimony in its own times;
- 1 Pet 1:18knowing that you were redeemed, not with corruptible things, with silver or gold, from the useless way of life handed down from your fathers,
- Matt 25:9But the wise answered, saying, ‘What if there isn’t enough for us and you? You go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’
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 49:7 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.