Bible Strands
Psalms 49:7
No man can possibly redeem his brother or pay his ransom to God.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The psalmist addresses the wise and the multitude regarding the futility of trusting in wealth, specifically when confronting the inevitability of death and divine judgment.
The words — אִ֑ישׁ ('Ish) translates literally as "anyone," while פָדֹ֣ה (fa.Doh) carries the sense of "to ransom," establishing the absolute human limitation stated in the verse.
The thread — This declaration of human financial insufficiency runs parallel to Matthew 16:26, Matthew 20:28, and 1 Timothy 2:6, where the inability to purchase redemption is resolved through divine provision.
Why it lands — The text states that no person can pay a ransom to God, requiring the reader to recognize that material wealth cannot secure spiritual deliverance and must be abandoned as a foundation for hope.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him:
Cross-references
- Matthew 16:26 What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
- Matthew 20:28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
- 1 Timothy 2:6 who gave Himself as a ransom for all—the testimony that was given at just the right time.
- 1 Peter 1:18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life you inherited from your forefathers,
- Matthew 25:9 ‘No,’ said the wise ones, ‘or there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’