Bible Strands
Psalms 89:48
What man can live and never see death? Can he deliver his soul from the power of Sheol? Selah
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The psalmist speaks to God immediately after pleading for divine remembrance of his shortened lifespan and the futility of human creation.
The words — מָוֶת (ma.vet) means death, and יְמַלֵּט (ye.ma.let) means he will deliver or rescue.
The thread — Psalms 49:15 states God will redeem the psalmist’s life from Sheol, while Ecclesiastes 9:5 records that the dead know nothing and have no reward. Hebrews 11:5 notes Enoch did not see death because God took him.
Why it lands — The text asserts that no human can avoid death or rescue his own soul from Sheol, requiring the reader to acknowledge human limitation and look to God’s covenant faithfulness.
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
What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death? shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave? Selah.
Cross-references
- Psalms 49:15 But God will redeem my life from Sheol, for He will surely take me to Himself. Selah
- Ecclesiastes 9:5 For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing. They have no further reward, because the memory of them is forgotten.
- Hebrews 11:5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he did not see death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.
- Psalms 49:7 No man can possibly redeem his brother or pay his ransom to God.
- Ecclesiastes 8:8 As no man has power over the wind to contain it, so no one has authority over his day of death. As no one can be discharged in wartime, so wickedness will not release those who practice it.
- Ecclesiastes 12:7 before the dust returns to the ground from which it came and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
- Job 30:23 Yes, I know that You will bring me down to death, to the place appointed for all the living.
- John 8:51 Truly, truly, I tell you, if anyone keeps My word, he will never see death.”
- Psalms 22:29 All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before Him—even those unable to preserve their lives.
- Acts 2:27 because You will not abandon my soul to Hades, nor will You let Your Holy One see decay.