Psalms 49 · The Lantern

O hear ye this, all ye people: ponder it with your ears, all ye that dwell in the world;

He who is assembling and summoning all by the proclamation is the Paraclete, the Spirit of truth, who brings together through prophets and apostles those who are saved.… The sharing of the summons is a uniting in peace, so that those who were, up to this time, opposed to each other because of customs might, through gathering together, become habituated to each other in love.

..."Hear ye these things, all ye nations" (ver. 1). Not then you only who are here. For of what power is our voice so to cry out, as that all nations may hear?

Above, the Psalmist invited the nations to joy and thanksgiving for the benefits given to the people of God; here, however, he admonishes them to trust in God. And concerning this he does two things. First, he arouses attention. Second, he pursues his purpose. The title is not new. According to the title, however, a person is rendered attentive in two ways.

High and low, rich and poor: one with another.

Both rich and poor together are called to a single vocation and invited to a certain humility and equality. The rich are not to turn up their noses at the poor, and the poor are not to be jealous of the rich. One grace joins both together. The Lord, though he was rich, became poor, so as to be Savior of poor and rich alike.

And again he says, "both all you earthborn, and sons of men" [Psalm 49:2]. The expression "earthborn" refers to sinners; the expression "sons of men" to the faithful and righteous. You see then that this distinction is observed. Who are the "earthborn"? The children of the earth. Who are the children of the earth? They who desire earthly inheritances.

He sets forth the third when he says, "all you who are earth-born," that is, the ignoble, "and sons of men," that is, the noble. Jerome has, "both sons of Adam and sons of individuals," because some have nothing distinguished from their parents. Mystically, the "earth-born" are called sinners, who cling to the earth through affection; hence they are compared to the serpent.

My mouth shall speak of wisdom: and my heart shall muse of understanding.

If the meditation is wisdom, what will the message be? When the meditation of the heart is wisdom, wicked thoughts will not come within it, nor is a place given to the devil or those things that defile people.

And what is it they are now to hear? "My mouth shall speak of wisdom, and the meditation of my heart understanding" (ver. 3). And this repetition is perhaps made, lest perchance if he had said only "my mouth," thou shouldest suppose that one spake to thee who had understanding but in his lips.

"My mouth." Here he renders them attentive through the promise of the things to be said. Whoever teaches, either teaches things or teaches words. When we preach faith and morals, we teach things; when we expound Scripture, we teach words. First, therefore, he speaks of the first kind of teaching.

I will incline mine ear to the parable: and shew my dark speech upon the harp.

The things that I teach, he says, from the Spirit, these I proclaim to you, saying nothing of my own, nothing human; but, since I have been listening to the propositions of the Spirit, who hands down in mystery to us the wisdom of God, I am opening for you and am making manifest the proposition; moreover, I am opening not otherwise than through psaltery.

The term "parable" or "proverb" has many meanings. A parable is a saying, an example, a reproach, as when he says, "You have made us a parable among the nations, a shaking of the head among the peoples." A parable is also a riddle, which many call a question, suggesting something not immediately clear from the words but containing a meaning hidden within.… A parable also means…

"I will incline." Here he treats of the second kind of teaching, namely of obscure words; and two things are necessary concerning them. First, that one study to understand. Second, that one study to explain them to others.

Wherefore should I fear in the days of wickedness: and when the wickedness of my heels compasseth me round about?

It strikes many people, in fact, as extremely strange and intriguing to say there is nothing to fear in the troubles of life. What, therefore, should I fear, he asks, in the evil day?

I fear and dread the day of retribution, on which the righteous Judge will repay everyone according to their works. Now, aware of this, keep such fear before your eyes in your own case.… But if you were to inquire why I am afraid, listen closely: it is an evil day, about which countless declamations are made in the inspired Scriptures.

"Why shall I fear?" Having set forth the introduction of the Psalm in which he aroused the attention of the people, here he proceeds to the principal purpose, which is to lead men not to fear present evils, nor to trust in present goods, but that their fear and trust should be in God alone. And concerning this he does two things. First, he shows what is to be feared.

There be some that put their trust in their goods: and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches.

Even if he seems to be one of the very powerful people in this life, even if he is surrounded with a great number of possessions, these words teach him to descend from such a notion and to humble himself under the mighty hand of God.

But who are they whom the "iniquity of their heel shall compass"? "They who trust in their virtue, and in the abundance of their riches do glory" [Psalm 49:6]. Therefore such sins will I avoid, and the "iniquity of my heel" shall never compass me. What is avoiding such sins?

"Those who trust in their own strength." Here is set forth the reason why there is cause for fear, namely on account of sin. And there is a twofold reason why sin should be feared. First, on account of the impossibility of escaping the punishment of sin.

But no man may deliver his brother: nor make agreement unto God for him;

In fact, what can one find great enough that he may give it for the ransom of his soul? But one thing was found worth as much as all people together. This was given for the price of ransom for our souls, the holy and highly honored blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he poured out for all of us; therefore, we were bought at a great price.

Just as there is one God, "so too there is only one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." He is unique. He alone redeems humankind. He goes far beyond brotherly love, for he sheds his own blood for strangers. None other could offer him for his brother.

Now, you need to understand that virtue and godliness neither of forebears nor brothers is of benefit to those lacking them, nor is it possible after departure from here to buy salvation with money. It is in the present life, you see, as a sage says, "one's own wealth is his ransom."

For it cost more to redeem their souls: so that he must let that alone for ever;

Just as a parent would not choose a house in preference to his child, just so God would not choose the world in preference to the soul.… Do you want to learn how great the price for our souls? The Only-begotten, intending to redeem us, gave not the world, not a human being, not land, not sea, but his precious blood.

Sin is worse than everything; it is this that must be feared, not the possibility of being in need of money, since a person who is rich and in the grip of a multitude of sins is in real difficulty and does not find release from the troubles.… Nor can he then himself by paying money to God prevail on him to desist from punishment; nor does he succeed in redeeming his soul, weigh…

"He shall not give to God his propitiation, and the price of the redemption of his soul" (ver. 8). He trusteth in his virtue, and in the abundance of his riches doth glory, who "shall not give to God his propitiation:" that is, satisfaction whereby he may prevail with God for his sins: "nor the price of the redemption of his soul," who relieth on his virtue, and on his friends,…

Yea, though he live long: and see not the grave.

For he seeth that wise men also die, and perish together: as well as the ignorant and foolish, and leave their riches for other.

A fool has no discernment, and his thoughts are stupid. The unwise person can think, but what he thinks is bad: "The unwise person has said that there is no God." He is culpably wicked because he knows what goodness is. Yet, though he knows it, he commits iniquity in the evil of his own heart. He is also dishonest.

All those great, wise and outspoken will die, not only the foolish and those who gather riches. They are unwilling to have mercy on the ones in need, and they leave their riches behind for others. Although they have many houses, their tombs are their house for eternity. Wretched person. He does not understand that while he is in this body he begins to die.

"And they shall leave." Here he sets forth the evils that befall sinners. And first he sets forth the evils that occur in the present. Second, he sets forth the evils that will come in the future, at "Like sheep." Concerning the first he does two things. First, he sets forth the evils that occur in the present with respect to extrinsic goods.

And yet they think that their houses shall continue for ever: and that their dwelling-places shall endure from one generation to another; and call the lands after their own names.

One who is dead through sins does not dwell in a house but a sepulcher, since his soul is dead.… The thoroughly depraved person dwells in a sepulcher and does not even lay down a foundation of penance because of his dead works, but he is "like a whited sepulcher, which outwardly is very conspicuous but inwardly is full of dead men's bones and of all uncleanness." Therefore, whe…

Bereft not only of wisdom but also of influence and all affluence, they will meet their end, dispatched from their lavish homes to graves and forced to occupy them forever.

The second, at "Their dwellings." With respect to the first he says: they had houses and vineyards and chariots and many precious things. But what shall they have in death? In place of a palace they shall have a tomb, and this "forever," that is, until the day of judgment they shall dwell in their tombs.

Nevertheless, man will not abide in honour: seeing he may be compared unto the beasts that perish; this is the way of them.

David wept for Adam, at how he fell from that royal abode to the abode of wild animals. Because he went astray through a beast he became like the beasts. He ate, together with them as a result of the curse, grass and roots, and he died, becoming their peer. Blessed is he who set him apart from the wild animals again.

For as a snake does not creep on with open steps, but advances by the very minutest efforts of its several scales; so the slippery motion of falling away [from what is good] takes possession of the negligent only gradually, and beginning from a perverse desire for the likeness of God, arrives in the end at the likeness of beasts.

"And man." Above, the Psalmist set forth the evils that threaten the wicked with respect to the loss of exterior goods; here, however, he sets forth those that threaten them from the corruption of interior goods. And concerning this he does two things. First, he proposes the evil of interior corruption.

This is their foolishness: and their posterity praise their saying.

He uses "this" as a demonstrative, meaning, Such behavior is responsible for their troubles, and their heedless enjoyment of God's good things inevitably brings down on them God's punishment.… Even when those forebears who were in receipt of riches suffer retribution and just punishment from God, people after them do not come to their senses; on the contrary, they are pleased w…

Those boast of the abundance of their riches who love their riches in such a way that they place their ultimate happiness in them. They trust in their own strength who scorn riches in such a way that they attribute this contempt to their own strength.

"This is their way." Here he shows what follows from this evil that they have incurred, namely that they have become bestial; for someone could say that no evil follows from it. But it is not so. Rather, something else follows. And first he shows what follows with respect to them. Second, with respect to others.

They lie in the hell like sheep, death gnaweth upon them, and the righteous shall have domination over them in the morning: their beauty shall consume in the sepulchre out of their dwelling.

The manner in which they will be cut down, in which they will perish suddenly and betake themselves to hell with ease, with facility, unexpectedly, effortlessly, is the manner in which sheep are cut down.

They will be withdrawn from the comely glory of their nature, and their bodies will become a desolate place. Recollect at all times that lamentable sight of corruption, that formless dispersion of your senses, that ruin of the edifice of your body, and how your wholesome constitution will become mud in Sheol.

"Like sheep." Here he sets forth the evils that will befall sinners after this life. And because he has already spoken of three evils -- namely, that they are like beasts, that they despise wisdom, and the third is that they trust in their own strength -- against the first he says: because these are like beasts, it is fitting that they be punished like beasts.

But God hath delivered my soul from the place of hell: for he shall receive me.

Be not thou afraid, though one be made rich: or if the glory of his house be increased;

When you see the unjust becoming rich and the just poor, do not fear for yourself; do not be dismayed in mind, as if the providence of God is nowhere looking on human affairs, or perhaps, somewhere there is a divine watchfulness, but it does not reach to places near the earth, so as to watch over our affairs; for, if there were a providence, it would be apportioning to each per…

After this he provides explanation and advice for those condemned to a life of poverty and worn out through the arrogance of the rich.… Do not consider present prosperity any great thing, he is saying: wealth that catches all eyes is not lasting; those who raise their eyebrows and are puffed up at it will shortly after leave it all behind and be dispatched to death.

"Do not fear." Above, the Psalmist showed what is to be feared in the world by man; here he shows what is not to be feared, namely the prosperity of the wicked.

For he shall carry nothing away with him when he dieth: neither shall his pomp follow him.

Even if rich in this life, he will not for this reason prove to be blessed after death as well. On the contrary, then, he will leave it all behind and thus present himself naked at the judge's tribunal.

He did not say, note, "when their glory is increased," but "the glory of their house." All these things that I enumerated, after all—fountains, walkways and baths, gold and silver, horses and mules, carpets and clothes—are the glory of the house, not of the person living in the house. A person's glory, in fact, is virtue, which takes the journey from here with its possessor.

"For when he shall die." Here the reason is assigned why the wicked are not to be feared if they become rich. First, because at some point they shall be deprived of all exterior goods; second, they shall also fail in all interior goods. The second is at "For his soul." Therefore he says, they are not to be feared, because God reserves greater things for you.

For while he lived, he counted himself an happy man: and so long as thou doest well unto thyself, men will speak good of thee.

Since, you see, this is a particular object of interest for the rich—flattery in the marketplace, attention from the populace, public commendation, tributes teeming with hypocrisy, cutting a fine figure at spectacles, applauded at banquets and in the courts, being on everybody's lips, thought to be conscientious—note how this in turn he prunes away in time.

Let your love observe: "For his soul shall be blessed in his life" (ver. 18). As long as he lived he did well for himself. This all men say, but say falsely. It is a blessing from the mind of the blesser, not from the truth itself. For what sayest thou? Because he ate and drank, because he did what he chose, because he feasted sumptuously, therefore he did well with himself.

"For his soul in his lifetime shall be blessed; he will praise you when you do well for him." Here he sets forth, first, the failure of interior goods pertaining to the body; second, pertaining to the soul, at "And he shall enter." First, therefore, he shows that after this life the good of the body fails them; second, he shows that the good of virtue, if they had any, comes to…

He shall follow the generation of his fathers: and shall never see light.

Man being in honour hath no understanding: but is compared unto the beasts that perish.

Psalms49