Псалом 48

The said psalm does not contain such indications that would make it possible to approximately accurately determine the time of its origin. According to the unanimous inscription of the Hebrew, Greek and Latin Bibles, the writer was the sons of Korah. In the Greek Bible, the inscription contains the name of David, which shows the connection of the content of this psalm with the era of King David. Indeed, if we assume the origin of the psalm from the era of persecution from Absalom, then in its content there will be nothing that contradicts this time. There is even one indication of a private nature, apparently confirming this assumption. The wicked, to perpetuate the memory of themselves, loved to give their names to their lands. From 2 Samuel 18:18, it is clear that Absalom also erected a monument to himself during his lifetime to convey and preserve his name in history. All you people, listen to the saying of wisdom (2–5). One should not be afraid of persecution of the wicked, since these people will die and there is no one who can escape death (6-11). The wicked, who thinks to live in posterity, calls the earth by his name. Through this, however, he will not escape death, after which he will be imprisoned in the underworld; the grave is his dwelling place, and the righteous will be accepted by God (12-16). Do not be afraid when you see the increase in the power and glory of the wicked: after death he will go to his fathers who do not see the light, he will perish for his foolishness like an animal (17-21). Ps.48:2. Hear this, all you nations; take heed to this, all you who live in the universe, Ps.48:3. both simple and noble, rich as well as poor. The writer invites everyone living on earth to listen to the saying that he intends to convey. The appeal to all living things indicates the importance of this message. This method of appeal is quite common in the Bible (see (Deut. 32:1; Isa. 1:2), etc.). Ps.48:5. I will incline my ear to the parable, and on the harp I will reveal my riddle: The writer listens carefully to the voice speaking inside him. This indicates both that what he communicates is not the fruit of human invention, but a Divine revelation, and that special attention is required to this “Riddle”, incomprehensible at first in speech. Ps.48:6. “Why should I be afraid in the days of trouble, when the iniquity of my ways surrounds me?” The riddle itself is given in the indicated verse, and the rest of the content of the psalm represents the revelation and confirmation of its truth. Translation from Hebrew not particularly clear. The expression “paths”, in Hebrew “hageb” actually means “heel”, and hence “Bumper, persecutor”. Then the whole expression takes on the following form: “Why should I be afraid in the days of disaster, when the iniquity of my reproaches surrounds me?” There is no point, there is no need to be afraid, even if enemies surround me on all sides, and I will have to die from them. Ps.48:7. Those who trust in their own strength and boast of the abundance of their wealth! Ps.48:8. a man will in no way redeem his brother and will not give God a ransom for him: Ps.48:9. the price of the redemption of their souls is dear, and it will never be, Ps.48:10. so that someone can live forever and not see the grave. The death that befalls me will inevitably befall the wicked and powerful of my persecutors. This death will befall you, self-confident rich people! It is impossible for anyone to redeem themselves from this death, since “the price of the redemption of their soul is dear” - since the price is too expensive, too much for a person to bear, by which it would be possible to free (“redemption”) life (“soul”) from death. Man cannot do this. Of people, all must die. Ps.48:11. Everyone sees that the wise die, just as the ignorant and senseless perish and leave their property to others. Ps.48:12. They have in their minds that their houses are eternal, and that their dwellings for generations and generations, and their lands they call by their proper names. If death is the inevitable fate of all living things, then man’s attachment to earthly things is pathetic, his faith in the indestructibility of his material acquisitions is pathetic, his desire to perpetuate himself by calling his lands by their proper names is pathetic. Such concern for immortality in posterity is painful self-delusion and harmful. Ps.48:13. But man will not remain in honor; he will become like animals that perish. Ps.48:14. This way of theirs is their madness, although those who follow them approve of their opinion. A wicked man does not receive until death the fame for which he cared so much during life. After death, he is likened to animals, dying unknown, even though others followed and imitated these wicked people in the methods of their actions. Ps.48:15. They will be thrown into hell like sheep; death will rule over them, and in the morning the righteous will rule over them; their strength will be exhausted; the grave is their dwelling. Ps.48:16. But God will deliver my soul from the power of hell when He accepts me. When the wicked die, God will imprison them in the underworld, where death guards them like sheep. They remain in the grave forever. The righteous person “in the morning”, that is, immediately after death will “rule”, will be rewarded, since God will deliver his soul from the underworld and accept him to Himself. These verses express the doctrine of the afterlife of people after death. The wicked always remain in a dark place, but the righteous are before God and are freed from this heavy darkness. There is no clear idea of ​​life beyond the grave, but there is a contrast to the existence in Sheol of life before God: the first is the grave, the power of death, and the second is life, closeness to God. Ps.48:17. Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich, when the glory of his house increases: Ps.48:18. for in dying he will take nothing; his glory will not follow him; It is clear that if after death a fair assessment of earthly life is made, then there should be no fear on earth of the expansion of the power of the wicked, because what is great on earth turns out to be insignificant after death. Ps.48:19. although during his lifetime he pleases his soul, and they glorify you for satisfying yourself, This verse, according to the thought contained in it, could be represented in the following distribution of expressions: “although during his life he pleases his soul” (of course, with the speeches that he hears about himself): “they glorify you that you satisfy yourself,” that is, many flatter the wicked during his life that he does well when he lives by satisfying his needs. Ps.48:20. but he will go to the family of his fathers, who will never see the light. These reviews are of no use to him: after death, he follows his ancestors, who will never see the light, but will be in the darkness of Sheol. Here a new feature is introduced into the doctrine of the afterlife: life in Sheol is a life of darkness, opposite to the light that man enjoyed on earth. On earth, his life was full of prosperity, glory and honor, and therefore in Sheol there will come days of sorrow, oblivion and humiliation, days of suffering, which (according to Art. 16) the righteous living near God are deprived of. In Sheol there is no influence or help from God to those who are there. You might be interested in: