God’s Word Translation
Psalms 49:16
16Do not be afraid when someone becomes rich, when the greatness of his house increases.
Psalms 49:16 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased;
- New International Version (NIV)Do not be overawed when others grow rich, when the splendor of their houses increases;
- English Standard Version (ESV)Be not afraid when a man becomes rich, when the glory of his house increases.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Do not be afraid when one becomes rich, When the glory of his house is increased;
Context of Psalms 49:16
14Like sheep, they are driven to hell with death as their shepherd. (Decent people will rule them in the morning.) Their forms will decay in the grave, far away from their comfortable homes. 15But God will buy me back from the power of hell because he will take me. Selah Do not be afraid when someone becomes rich, when the greatness of his house increases. 17He will not take anything with him when he dies. His greatness cannot follow him. 18Even though he blesses himself while he is alive (and they praise you when you do well for yourself),
Read all of Psalms 49Psalms 49:16 word by word
אַל־תִּ֭ירָא כִּֽי־יַעֲשִׁ֣ר אִ֑ישׁ כִּֽי־יִ֝רְבֶּה כְּב֣וֹד בֵּיתֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Psalms 49:16
- Psalms 49:5Why should I be afraid in times of trouble, when slanderers surround me with evil?
- Psalms 37:1Do not be preoccupied with evildoers. Do not envy those who do wicked things.
- Esther 3:1Later, King Xerxes promoted Haman. (Haman was the son of Hammedatha and was from Agag.) He gave Haman a position higher in authority than all the other officials who were with him.
- Proverbs 28:12When righteous people triumph, there is great glory, but when wicked people rise, people hide themselves.
- Genesis 31:1Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were saying, “Jacob has taken everything that belonged to our father and has gained all his wealth from him.”
- Esther 5:11Then Haman began to relate in detail to them how very rich he was, the many sons he had, and all about how the king promoted him to a position over the officials and the king’s advisers.
- Revelation 21:24The nations will walk in its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.
Commentaries on Psalms 49:16
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16Be not thou afraid when one is made rich - Do not be envious; do not grieve: it will do you no harm; it will do him no good. All he gets will be left behind; he can carry nothing with him. Even his glory must stay behind; he shall mingle with the common earth.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16Be not thou afraid when one is made rich - Do not dread the power derived from wealth; do not fear anything which a man can do merely because he is rich. The original is, “when a “man” becomes rich.” The allusion is not necessarily to a bad man, though that is implied in the whole passage, since there is no reason for fearing a “good” man, whether he is rich or poor. The only thing that seems to have been apprehended in the mind of the psalmist was that…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-20Verses 15-20 Believers should not fear death. The distinction of men's outward conditions, how great soever in life, makes none at death; but the difference of men's spiritual states, though in this life it may seem of small account, yet at and after death is very great. The soul is often put for the life. The God of life, who was its Creator at first, can and will be its Redeemer at last. It includes the salvation of the soul from eternal ruin. Believers…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16-20The wicked might have rich, luxurious lives, but they forget that they cannot avoid death.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 16-1916-19. applies this instruction. Be not anxious (Psa 37:1, &c.), since death cuts off the prosperous wicked whom you dread.Read the comment
Topics related to Psalms 49:16
In the dictionaries
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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