| Scripture |
Expanded Comments |
| 1 To the Overseer. By sons of Korah. A Psalm. |
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| Hear this, all ye peoples, Give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world. |
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| 2 Both low and high, together rich and needy. |
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| 3 My mouth speaketh wise things, And the meditations of my heart [are] things of understanding. |
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| 4 I incline to a simile mine ear, I open with a harp my riddle: |
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| 5 Why do I fear in days of evil The iniquity of my supplanters doth compass me. |
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| 6 Those trusting on their wealth, And in the multitude of their riches, Do shew themselves foolish. |
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| 7 A brother doth no one at all ransom, He doth not give to God his atonement. |
None of them – None born of Adam, the contaminated fountain. R5972:1, R777:1, 2, R1247:4; E102; HG351:5; A172
Because there is "none righteous, no, not one." (Rom. 3:10) R5429:6; E96; T78
Illustrating the exactness and particularity of divine justice. OV22:1
Therefore without hope of ability to recover himself. R3847:3
Since none could be found, God arranged with the Logos that he should become a man and be the Redeemer of the race. R5352:4
Had our Lord not been absolutely free from sin he never could have redeemed us. R1186:6
Jesus must have been a perfect man since he was able to do what no imperfect man had done or could do--give himself a ransom. R776:2
Proven by God's Law to Israel and, through their experience, to all the world. R682:6
Thus the necessity for Jesus' having no earthly father, but being begotten of the holy Spirit. R4941. 2
Redeem his brother – Adam and all condemned in his transgression. E418
To give a ransom for father Adam, or for any other man. OV150:2; R4426:1, R5352:4
Or even satisfy the claims of justice against himself. F101; R5972:1
Since man could not justify himself he would be wholly unable to justify another--his brother. R5972:1
A ransom – The word "ransom" in the Old Testament seems to be used less definitely than in the New Testament. The Hebrew word is "kopher" and signifies a covering, a protection. R5972:1
Proving that God's Law did demand a ransom; that he will by no means "clear (excuse) the guilty." (Ex. 34:7) R709:5
None can, by any works, meet the requirements of justice. F101
So God had compassion on man, and love made a provision for this. The Son of God became a man and paid man's ransom-price. HG346:5
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| 8 And precious [is] the redemption of their soul, And it hath ceased to the age. |
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| 9 And still he liveth for ever, He seeth not the pit. |
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| 10 For he seeth wise men die, Together the foolish and brutish perish, And have left to others their wealth. |
Leave their wealth – The result of an unsound mind. If the mind were well balanced its energies would be divided between accumulation and using, for good and noble uses for himself and his fellowmen. R1080:5
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| 11 Their heart [is]: Their houses [are] to the age, Their tabernacles to all generations. They proclaimed their names over the lands. |
That their houses – Their families. C20
Shall continue – Holding to the present arrangement of society with a death clutch. C20
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| 12 And man in honour doth not remain, He hath been like the beasts, they have been cut off. |
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| 13 This their way [is] folly for them, And their posterity with their sayings are pleased. Selah. |
Posterity approve – Receiving their inheritance with mean ingratitude and generally using it to their own injury. R1080:5, R1413:4
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| 14 As sheep for Sheol they have set themselves, Death doth afflict them, And the upright rule over them in the morning, And their form [is] for consumption. Sheol [is] a dwelling for him. |
Like sheep – Sheep are not buried in graves, but in oblivion. E363
They – A certain class who vainly think to build up fortunes and make their names endure without realizing what is the true wealth of character which should be sought. R2338:2
Laid In the grave – Sheol, oblivion, death; not torment. E363; R2600:2
And the upright – The saints. (Dan. 7:27) R2600:2
"The saints shall judge the world." (1 Cor. 6:2) E364
Dominion over them – Come under the dominion of Christ and the Church in the morning of the Millennial day. R2338:3
"Rule them with a rod of iron." (Rev. 19:15) A303
In the morning – Of the resurrection, the Millennium. A60; E363; R302:6*
The morning shall bring dominion to the righteous-- redemption from the power of the grave. R302; 6*
Grave from their dwelling – The grave, sheol, oblivion, being an habitation to every one of them (margin). E363
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| 15 Only, God doth ransom my soul from the hand of Sheol, For He doth receive me. Selah. |
Will redeem my soul – By giving thy Son as my ransom price. A172
It is the soul that was sentenced to death. R5166:3, R1510:2, R3854:5; E328, E348
The soul that went into death is the soul that was redeemed by Jesus. R5166:3
Power of the grave – Sheol, oblivion, death; not torment. E328, E363
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| 16 Fear not, when one maketh wealth, When the honour of his house is abundant, |
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| 17 For at his death he receiveth nothing, His honour goeth not down after him. |
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| 18 For his soul in his life he blesseth, (And they praise thee when thou dost well for thyself.) |
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| 19 It cometh to the generation of his fathers, For ever they see not the light. |
They shall – His earthly riches shall. R1761:5
Never see light – Never more be seen as his. R1761:5
They shall never see light before death overtakes them. R3725:4*
Never-- "ad," as far as, or until; "naytsakh," goal, or the bright object at a distance traveled towards; "lo," not. Instead of teaching everlasting death, the word "never" teaches resurrection. R2358:4*
Never see life in the full sense, though all the families of the earth shall be awakened and brought to a full clear knowledge of the truth before being sentenced as wicked. R1106:4
Never be enlightened concerning a better way. R3725:4* Psalms 49:20
That is in honour – Therefore not heathen, or men dying in ignorance of God. R1761:3
Lifted up by restitution processes to the glory and honor of perfect manhood. R1761:3
Understandeth not – Does not appreciate the work which Christ has done for him. R1761:5
Like the beasts – Perishing hopelessly. R1761:3
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| 20 Man in honour, who understandest not, Hath been like the beasts, they have been cut off! |
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