For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others.
Wisdom summons the whole world to hear that intelligent people die just as surely as senseless and brutish people perish, and all leave their riches behind for others. Ordinary observation confirms this leveling, bringing people of every rank, station, and character to the same grave that neither honor, wisdom, riches, nor worldly success can prevent. Human life is not deathless in itself but depends on the breath God gives, so wealth is fleeting and cannot ransom a soul from death or keep anyone alive forever. There is therefore no reason to fear when a person grows rich, since earthly glory cannot be carried beyond death, and trust in God with little is better than possessing the world's goods while remaining poor in what truly matters.
All Die and Leave Wealth
The speaker is Wisdom calling the entire world to listen to the vanity of riches that cannot ransom a soul from death. The wise die, and in exactly the same way the fool and the brutish perish. Death comes to the wise as well as to the foolish and brutish, with no exemption for wisdom. The word person means an individual human being and does not denote something deathless, for the person himself perishes.
This leveling of all is plain from ordinary observation. Death brings people of every rank, station, and character to the same grave and the same end. Neither wisdom nor folly can prevent dying, and neither can honor, riches, or worldly success keep anyone from death. Riches do not prevent death.
Those who die leave their wealth to others, and what they gathered passes into other hands to be spent and disposed of after them. Earthly wealth and ambition do not last, and no generation can make its works or wealth endure forever. A life spent accumulating money ends in leaving it to heirs, with wealth buying little more than a tomb.
Mortality Redemption and Judgment
Human life is not immortal or deathless in itself but depends on the breath of life given by God, so that both wise people and fools die alike and leave their wealth to others. Because death overtakes the wise as well as the foolish and brutish, human life and earthly possessions are temporary and no generation can make its works or wealth endure forever. Read with verses 6-9, the leveling death of all shows that riches are vain and cannot redeem a soul from death. No person can redeem another so that the other lives forever and escapes corruption, for the One who knows what ransom redemption required declares that wise men die just as the fool and the brutish person perish and leave their wealth to others. That this is so is evident from ordinary observation.
The coming of death to all people, wise and foolish alike, with the dead leaving their wealth to others, supports that the dead know nothing and their thoughts perish. The first death is a sure reality for all, since it comes to wise and foolish alike. This universal fulfillment of the death penalty proves that God will also surely inflict the second death on those who disobey the gospel.
The psalm exposes the fleeting nature of human life and the folly of mortal pride, since death brings people of every rank and character to the grave when wise and foolish alike die and leave their wealth behind. Because it shows that death comes to the wise as well as to fools and that people leave their wealth to others when they die, it is offered for reflection by those enduring affliction.
Trust God Not Riches
No fear is due when a man grows rich and his household gains splendor, for none of his wealth and earthly glory can be carried beyond death when he dies. Money cannot be kept beyond life, though men may cling to it ever more tightly as they grow old, and whatever wealth is acquired is left for others to spend. Wisdom and folly alike cannot hold off death, for both the wise and the foolish perish and their wealth passes to others, so that a man who spends his life accumulating money only dies and leaves it to his heirs, and his wealth buys him a tomb but little more.
Those who spend their lives gathering wealth but fail to give it away while they can will leave what they gathered for others to dispose of after death. Death ends wise and foolish alike and parts them from their wealth, and earthly possessions cannot make a life lasting or satisfying, for a person may work hard and amass great wealth yet die without God, without love and joy, and without a cherished memory. Giving one's life to the pursuit of possessions instead of living with God and using what one gains to bless others is therefore folly.
The verse teaches the necessity of trust in God rather than in accumulation. Earthly riches cannot prevent death nor supply true riches, so a life of trust in God even with little material wealth is better than possessing the world's goods while dying poor in what truly matters.
Wisdom summons the whole world to hear that intelligent people die just as surely as senseless and brutish people perish, and all leave their riches behind for others. Ordinary observation confirms this leveling, bringing people of every rank, station, and character to the same grave that neither honor, wisdom, riches, nor worldly success can prevent. Human life is not deathless in itself but depends on the breath God gives, so wealth is fleeting and cannot ransom a soul from death or keep anyone alive forever. There is therefore no reason to fear when a person grows rich, since earthly glory cannot be carried beyond death, and trust in God with little is better than possessing the world's goods while remaining poor in what truly matters.
All Die and Leave Wealth
The speaker is Wisdom calling the entire world to listen to the vanity of riches that cannot ransom a soul from death. The wise die, and in exactly the same way the fool and the brutish perish. Death comes to the wise as well as to the foolish and brutish, with no exemption for wisdom. The word person means an individual human being and does not denote something deathless, for the person himself perishes.
This leveling of all is plain from ordinary observation. Death brings people of every rank, station, and character to the same grave and the same end. Neither wisdom nor folly can prevent dying, and neither can honor, riches, or worldly success keep anyone from death. Riches do not prevent death.
Those who die leave their wealth to others, and what they gathered passes into other hands to be spent and disposed of after them. Earthly wealth and ambition do not last, and no generation can make its works or wealth endure forever. A life spent accumulating money ends in leaving it to heirs, with wealth buying little more than a tomb.
Mortality Redemption and Judgment
Human life is not immortal or deathless in itself but depends on the breath of life given by God, so that both wise people and fools die alike and leave their wealth to others. Because death overtakes the wise as well as the foolish and brutish, human life and earthly possessions are temporary and no generation can make its works or wealth endure forever. Read with verses 6-9, the leveling death of all shows that riches are vain and cannot redeem a soul from death. No person can redeem another so that the other lives forever and escapes corruption, for the One who knows what ransom redemption required declares that wise men die just as the fool and the brutish person perish and leave their wealth to others. That this is so is evident from ordinary observation.
The coming of death to all people, wise and foolish alike, with the dead leaving their wealth to others, supports that the dead know nothing and their thoughts perish. The first death is a sure reality for all, since it comes to wise and foolish alike. This universal fulfillment of the death penalty proves that God will also surely inflict the second death on those who disobey the gospel.
The psalm exposes the fleeting nature of human life and the folly of mortal pride, since death brings people of every rank and character to the grave when wise and foolish alike die and leave their wealth behind. Because it shows that death comes to the wise as well as to fools and that people leave their wealth to others when they die, it is offered for reflection by those enduring affliction.
Trust God Not Riches
No fear is due when a man grows rich and his household gains splendor, for none of his wealth and earthly glory can be carried beyond death when he dies. Money cannot be kept beyond life, though men may cling to it ever more tightly as they grow old, and whatever wealth is acquired is left for others to spend. Wisdom and folly alike cannot hold off death, for both the wise and the foolish perish and their wealth passes to others, so that a man who spends his life accumulating money only dies and leaves it to his heirs, and his wealth buys him a tomb but little more.
Those who spend their lives gathering wealth but fail to give it away while they can will leave what they gathered for others to dispose of after death. Death ends wise and foolish alike and parts them from their wealth, and earthly possessions cannot make a life lasting or satisfying, for a person may work hard and amass great wealth yet die without God, without love and joy, and without a cherished memory. Giving one's life to the pursuit of possessions instead of living with God and using what one gains to bless others is therefore folly.
The verse teaches the necessity of trust in God rather than in accumulation. Earthly riches cannot prevent death nor supply true riches, so a life of trust in God even with little material wealth is better than possessing the world's goods while dying poor in what truly matters.