Psalms 49:4

Psalms 49:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)I will incline mine ear to a parable: I will open my dark saying upon the harp.
• New International Version (NIV)I will turn my ear to a proverb; with the harp I will expound my riddle:
• English Standard Version (ESV)I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will solve my riddle to the music of the lyre.
• New King James Version (NKJV)I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will disclose my dark saying on the harp.

Context of Psalms 49:4

2Both men of low and men of high degree, rich and poor alike. 3My mouth shall speak wisdom, and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding: I will incline mine ear to a parable, I will open my riddle upon the harp. 5Wherefore should I fear in the days of adversity, [when] the iniquity of my supplanters encompasseth me? — 6They depend upon their wealth, and boast themselves in the abundance of their riches. ...

Psalms 49:4 word by word

אַטֶּ֣ה לְמָשָׁ֣ל אָזְנִ֑י אֶפְתַּ֥ח בְּ֝כִנּ֗וֹר חִידָתִֽי׃Read the interlinear

Cross-references for Psalms 49:4

• Psalms 78:2I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter riddles from of old,
• Matthew 13:35so that that should be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden from [the] world's foundation.
• Numbers 23:7And he took up his parable, and said, Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram, from the mountains of the east: Come, curse me Jacob, and come, denounce Israel!
• Ezekiel 20:49And I said, Ah, Lord Jehovah! they say of me, Doth he not speak parables?
• Matthew 13:11And he answering said to them, Because to you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of the heavens, but to them it is not given;
• Proverbs 1:6to understand a proverb and an allegory, the words of the wise and their enigmas.
• Daniel 8:23And at the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors shall have come to the full, a king of bold countenance, and understanding riddles, shall stand up.
• Luke 12:3therefore whatever ye have said in the darkness shall be heard in the light, and what ye have spoken in the ear in chambers shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.
• 2 Corinthians 3:12Having therefore such hope, we use much boldness:

Commentaries on Psalms 49:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4I will incline mine ear to a parable - This was the general method of conveying instruction among the Asiatics. They used much figure and metaphor to induce the reader to study deeply in order to find out the meaning. This had its use; it obliged men to think and reflect deeply; and thus in some measure taught them the use, government, and management of their minds. My dark saying upon the harp - Music was sometimes used to soothe the animal spirits, and…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4I will incline mine ear to a parable - The phrase “I will incline mine ear” means that he would listen or attend to - as we incline our ear toward those whom we are anxious to hear, or in the direction from which a sound seems to come. Compare Psalm 5:1; Psalm 17:1; Psalm 39:12; Isaiah 1:2. On the word rendered “parable” here משׁל mâshâl - see the notes at Isaiah 14:4. Compare Job 13:12, note; Job 27:1, note. The word properly means similitude; then, a…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4The teacher used proverbs and riddles to teach wisdom (see Proverbs 1:5–6).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. incline--to hear attentively (Psa 17:6; 31:2). parable--In Hebrew and Greek "parable" and "proverb" are translations of the same word. It denotes a comparison, or form of speech, which under one image includes many, and is expressive of a general truth capable of various illustrations. Hence it may be used for the illustration itself. For the former sense, "proverb" (that is, one word for several) is the usual English term, and for the latter, in which…Read the comment

Topics related to Psalms 49:4

• Harp

In the dictionaries

• Approve
• Boast
• Carry
• Likewise
• Manasseh
• Proverb
• Psalms
• Affliction
• Bible, the
• Dark Sayings

Commentaries on Psalms 49

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• The Treasury of David
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings