That he should still live for ever, and not see corruption.
Parallel translations
- WEB that he should live on forever, that he should not see corruption.
- BSB that he should live on forever and not see decay.
- NKJV That he should continue to live eternally, And not see the Pit.
- NASB That he might live on eternally, That he might not undergo decay.
- NLT to live forever and never see the grave.
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 payment can secure endless life or escape from the decay of the grave. Wealth cannot win immortality.
Overview
This completes the thought of the previous verses: no ransom can purchase eternal life or prevent bodily corruption. The dream of cheating death through riches is exposed as impossible. Only resurrection power, secured by Christ who saw no corruption, overcomes the grave's claim on the body.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- Ps 89:48What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death? shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave? Selah.
- Ps 16:10For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
- Eccl 8:8There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it.
- Prov 10:2Treasures of wickedness profit nothing: but righteousness delivereth from death.
- Prov 11:4Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death.
- John 8:51–52Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.
- Acts 2:27Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
- Luke 16:22–23And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
- Zech 1:5Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever?
- Ps 22:29All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul.
- Acts 2:31He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.
- Acts 13:35–37Wherefore he saith also in another psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
- Acts 13:33God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.
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 49:9 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.