Psalms 49:8 — Word Study
WLCוְ֭יֵקַר פִּדְי֥וֹן נַפְשָׁ֗ם וְחָדַ֥ל לְעוֹלָֽם׃
BSAbrotherʼâch notlôʼ to ransompâdâh to ransompâdâh manʼîysh notlôʼ to givenâthan Godʼĕlôhîym ransomkôpher
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וְ֭יֵקַר | so it may be costly | Conjunction, verb qal third person masculine singular |
| פִּדְי֥וֹן | [the] ransom of | Noun common, masculine singular construct |
| נַפְשָׁ֗ם | life their | Noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
| וְחָדַ֥ל | and he will cease | Verb, Qal, sequential perfect third person masculine singular |
| לְעוֹלָֽם׃ | for ever | Preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | For the redemption of his soul is costly, and never can payment suffice, |
| KJV | (For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever:) |
| ASV | (For the redemption of their life is costly, And it faileth for ever), |
| YLT | And precious [is] the redemption of their soul, And it hath ceased — to the age. |
| WEB | For the redemption of their life is costly, no payment is ever enough, |
| BBE | (Because it takes a great price to keep his soul from death, and man is not able to give it.) |
Where they part company is יֵקַר — see How Translations Differ.
The main clause presents the high cost of redemption, followed by a subordinate clause emphasizing the insufficiency of payment.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbנָתַן
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Psalms 49:8
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Cost of Redemptiongenerated
Psalms 49:8 highlights the concept that the redemption of one's soul is of immense value, suggesting that no amount of wealth can secure eternal life. The surrounding verses emphasize the inability of humans to redeem one another and the inevitability of death, contrasting earthly riches with spiritual worth.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Job 36:18–19 | Be careful that no one lures you with riches; do not let a large bribe lead you astray. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 1 reference, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — יֵקַר, yeqargenerated
The verb יֵקַר (yeqar) means to be precious or valuable. It conveys the idea of something esteemed highly, indicating that the act of redemption is not merely a transaction but a matter of great worth.
This term appears in various contexts throughout the Hebrew Bible, often associated with the concept of rarity and value, particularly when discussing the soul's worth.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verbs יֵקַר and חָדַל govern the structure of the verse, indicating the costliness of redemption and the finality of payment. The sentence is built around these actions, with the subject being the redemption of the soul.
The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the preciousness of the ransom, suggesting that the soul's value is paramount in the context of redemption.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates יֵקַר as οὐ (ou), which negates the idea of sufficiency in payment. This choice reflects a broader interpretation of the Hebrew, emphasizing the inadequacy of human efforts to achieve redemption.
The Greek term λυτροῦται for פִּדְי֥וֹן suggests a focus on the act of being ransomed, aligning with the Hebrew's emphasis on the value of redemption.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalms 49:8 explains that the redemption of one's soul is very valuable, and no amount of money can ever be enough to pay for it. This verse warns against relying on wealth for eternal life, emphasizing the soul's true worth.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It signifies that the value of redeeming one's soul is extremely high, beyond what human payment can achieve.
Because the spiritual nature of the soul and the cost of sin cannot be measured by material wealth.
It highlights the futility of seeking eternal life through wealth, pointing instead to the intrinsic value of the soul.
The psalmist suggests that no man can redeem another, emphasizing the unique and precious nature of each soul.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways do I value my soul and the souls of others?
- How can I better understand the concept of redemption in my own life?
- What are the implications of viewing redemption as costly?
- How does this understanding affect my perspective on material wealth?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early Church Fathers have commented on this verse, emphasizing the significance of the soul's redemption and the cost associated with it.
Just as a parent would not choose a house in preference to his child, just so God would not choose the world in preference to the soul.… Do you want to learn how great the price for our souls? The Only-begotten, intending to redeem us,Early Church Fathers on Psalms 49 →
Sin is worse than everything; it is this that must be feared, not the possibility of being in need of money, since a person who is rich and in the grip of a multitude of sins is in real difficulty and does not find release from the…Early Church Fathers on Psalms 49 →
"He shall not give to God his propitiation, and the price of the redemption of his soul" [Psalms 49:8].Early Church Fathers on Psalms 49 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 49:8 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleFor the redemption of their soul [is] precious,.... Or "heavy" (s); it is, as Jarchi observes, "heavier than their substance": it is too weighty a matter for the richest man in the world to engage
Read John Gill on Psalms 49 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryNone of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him: -The godly has no cause for overwhelming fear because of the power of the ungodly; nor has the ungodly reason to
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 49 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleOf their soul, i.e. of their life, as soul is commonly used. Is precious, i.e. rare, as the word is used, , hard to be obtained. But he doth not call it simply impossible, because Christ hath purchased this privilege for his true disciples, that in some sense they shall not see death, . It ceaseth for ever, i.e. it is never to be accomplished, to wit, by any mere man, for himself or for his brother.
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 49 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 49:8 (For the redemption of their soul [is] precious, and it ceaseth for ever:)Ver. 8. For the redemption of their soul is precious] i.e. The price of life is greater than that any man, how wealthy soever, can compass it. Money is the monarch of this world, but not of the next. And it ceaseth for ever] i.e. The purchase of a longer life ceaseth, there is no such thing, believe it, Job 36:18-19 Deuteronomy 23:22 Zechariah 11:12. To blame, then, were the Agrigentines, who did eat, build, plant, &c., as though they should live for ever.
Read John Trapp on Psalms 49 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(8) For.—This verse is rightly placed in a parenthesis. “Soul” is the animal life, as generally, and here necessarily from the context. There is no anticipation of the Christian scheme of redemption from sin. A ransom which could buy a man from death, as one redeems a debtor or prisoner, would be beyond the means of the wealthiest, even if nature allowed such a bargain. It ceaseth for ever.—This is obscure. It may mean, either the ransom utterly fails, or the life utterly perishes, and so cannot be ransomed. Or, as in the Prayer Book version, the verb may be taken transitively, “he lets that alone for ever.” The first of these is the simplest, and most agreeable to the context.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 49 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 8. For the redemption of their soul is precious] It is of too high a price to be redeemed with corruptible things, such as silver or gold, and has required the sacrificial death of Christ. And it ceaseth for ever] This is very obscure, and may apply to the ransom which riches could produce. That ransom must be for ever unavailable, because of the value of the soul. Or this clause should be added to the following verse, and read thus: "And though he cease to be, (וחדל vechadal,) during the hidden time, (לעולם leolam;) yet he shall live on through eternity, (ויחי עוד לנצח vichi od lanetsach,) and not see corruption." This is probably the dark saying which it was the design of the author…
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 49 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges8. Render: For too costly is the redemption of their life, And he must let it alone for ever. The sum to be paid by the man whose life was forfeit was to be assessed, probably in proportion to his culpability and his means: but there is no ransom which can be paid to God; it is hopeless to think of attempting it. Cp. Matthew 5:26. Their refers to brother, regarded generically; or, if the reading But is adopted, to the rich men.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 49 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleFor the redemption of their soul is precious - The word “soul” here means “life,” and not the immortal part.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 49 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
For the redemption of his soul is costly, and never can payment suffice,
For the redemption of their life is costly, no payment is ever enough,
For the redemption of his soul is costly, and never can payment suffice,
(the ransom price for a human life is too high, and people go to their final destiny),
Tyndale line
(For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever:)
(For the redemption of their life is costly, And it faileth for ever),
(For the redemption of their soul is costly, and must be let alone for ever:)
(For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever:)
(So precious is the redemption of their soules, and the continuance for euer)
Strictly literal
(For the redemption of their soul is costly, and must be given up for ever,)
And precious [is] the redemption of their soul, And it hath ceased — to the age.
And precious [is] the redemption of their soul, || And it has ceased for all time.
(49:9) For the ransom of their soul is too costly, and it is omitted for ever.
For the redemption of one's life is costly, and no one can pay what we owe.
From the Latin
I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices: and thy burnt offerings are always in my sight.
Simplified
Redemption is beyond price; no one could ever pay enough
(Because it takes a great price to keep his soul from death, and man is not able to give it.)
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint match closely, with all five key words corresponding directly. The Dead Sea Scrolls reflect a similar sentiment, though some words are restored by an editor, indicating the text's preservation and the importance of the concept of redemption.
וְ֭יֵקַר פִּדְי֥וֹן נַפְשָׁ֗ם וְחָדַ֥ל לְעוֹלָֽם׃
5 of the 5 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
[אח] [לא] [פדה] [יפדה] [איש] לא יתן לאלהים כפר׳ו
4 words on the leather — 5 supplied entire by an editor.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Psalms 49:8
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
יָקַר (yaqar) means to be precious or valued, indicating something that is esteemed or costly. It can also refer to the act of making something precious. The term appears in various contexts, emphasizing its figurative meaning of value and rarity, particularly in the Hiphil form, which suggests causing something to be regarded as precious.
[יָקַר] vb. be precious, prized, appraised
Qal
be precious
be appraised
Hiph. I will make men more rare (lit. precious) than fine gold
base
H3365 יָקַר be precious, prized, appraised
3365 yaqar yaw-kar'
a primitive root; properly, apparently, to be heavy, i.e.
(figuratively) valuable; causatively, to make rare
(figuratively, to inhibit):--be (make) precious, be prized, be
set by, withdraw.
יָקַר (ya.qar) — be precious.
1) to esteem, be prized, be valuable, be precious, be costly, be appraised
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to be precious, be highly valued, be esteemed, be costly
1a2) to be appraised
1b) (Hiphil) to make something precious
HC/Vqu3ms — Conjunction · verb qal third person masculine singularHC/Vqu3ms
פִּדְיוֹם (pidyom) refers to a concept of ransom or redemption. It is derived from the root word for redemption, פִּדְיוֹן (pidyon), which shares the same meaning. The entries consistently emphasize its use in the context of being redeemed or ransomed.
פִּדְיוֹם n.m. ransom
base
פִּדְיוֹן n.m. id. [q.aj.ae]
base
H6306a פִּדְיוֹם ransom H6306b פִּדְיוֹן id. [6306a]
6306 pidyowm pid-yome'
or pidyom {pid-yome'}; also pidyown {pid-yone'}; or pidyon
{pid-yone'}; from 6299; a ransom; --ransom, that were
redeemed, redemption.
see HEBREW for 06299
פִּדְיוֹם (pid.yom) — redemption.
ransom, redemption
Another spelling of pid.yon (פִּדְיוֹן "redemption" H6306B)
פִּדְיוֹן (pid.yon) — redemption.
ransom, redemption
Also means: pid.yom (פִּדְיוֹם "redemption" H6306A)
HNcmsc — Noun common · masculine singular constructHNcmsc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
The Hebrew word נֶ֫פֶשׁ (*nephesh*) broadly means 'soul' or 'living being,' encompassing concepts like life, self, person, desire, and emotion. It is derived from the root meaning 'to breathe' and signifies both physical and mental aspects of existence. The lexicons note its use in various contexts, including as the seat of appetites and emotions, though its application to will and character is uncertain.
נֶ֫פֶשׁ 756 n.f. soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion
= that which breathes, the breathing substance or being
The נפשׁ becomes a living being
The נפשׁ is specif.
The נפשׁ as the essential of man stands for the man himself
נפשׁ = seat of the appetites, in all periods (46 t.)
נ׳ = seat of emotions and passions
נפשׁ is used occasionally for mental acts
נפשׁ for acts of the will is dub.
נפשׁ = character is still more dub.
נ׳ in D
base
H5315 נֶ֫פֶשׁ soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion . = that which breathes, the breathing substance or being
. The נפשׁ becomes a living being
. The נפשׁ is specif.
. The נפשׁ as the essential of man stands for the man himself
. נפשׁ = seat of the appetites, in all periods (46 t.)
. נ׳ = seat of emotions and passions
. נפשׁ is used occasionally for mental acts
. נפשׁ for acts of the will is dub.
. נפשׁ = character is still more dub.
. נ׳ in D
5315 nephesh neh'-fesh
from 5314; properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of
(abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal,
accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental):--any,
appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, X dead(-ly), desire,
X (dis-)contented, X fish, ghost, + greedy, he, heart(-y),
(hath, X jeopardy of) life (X in jeopardy), lust, man, me,
mind, mortally, one, own, person, pleasure, (her-, him-, my-,
thy-)self, them (your)-selves, + slay, soul, + tablet, they,
thing, (X she) will, X would have it.
see HEBREW for 05314
נֶ֫פֶשׁ (ne.phesh) — soul.
1) soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion
1a) that which breathes, the breathing substance or being, soul, the inner being of man
1b) living being
1c) living being (with life in the blood)
1d) the man himself, self, person or individual
1e) seat of the appetites
1f) seat of emotions and passions
1g) activity of mind
1g1) uncertain
1h) activity of the will
1h1) uncertain
1i) activity of the character
1i1) uncertain
נֶ֫פֶשׁ (ne.phesh) — soul: life.
1) soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion
1a) that which breathes, the breathing substance or being, soul, the inner being of man
1b) living being
1c) living being (with life in the blood)
1d) the man himself, self, person or individual
1e) seat of the appetites
1f) seat of emotions and passions
1g) activity of mind
HNcfsc/Sp3mp — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHNcfsc/Sp3mp
חָדַל (chadal) is a Hebrew verb meaning to cease or come to an end. It conveys the idea of stopping, leaving off, or forgoing something. The entries highlight its use in various contexts, including the Qal stem, which indicates simple action. There is a specific note in the Hophil form suggesting a passive sense of being made to leave.
חָדַל vb. cease
Qal
cease, come to an end
cease, leave off
Hoph. should I be made to leave
base
H2308 חָדַל cease .. cease, come to an end
. cease, leave off
. should I be made to leave
2308 chadal khaw-dal'
a primitive root; properly, to be flabby, i.e. (by
implication) desist; (figuratively) be lacking or
idle:--cease, end, fall, forbear, forsake, leave (off), let
alone, rest, be unoccupied, want.
חָדַל (cha.dal) — to cease.
1) to stop, cease, desist, forego, cease to be, leave undone, forbear
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to cease, come to an end
1a2) to cease, leave off
Hc/Vqq3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential perfect third person masculine singularHc/Vqq3ms
ses: A remarkable array of 20 Hebrew and 6 Greek words is so translated. In the King James Version 15 of the former and 3 of the latter are used only once with this rendering. The originals most frequently in use are chadhal, "to leave off"; shabhath "to rest from" (labor); pauomai, "to make to cease." Few words illustrate better the fertility of the Hebrew in expressing limitless shades of meaning, impoverished by the use of one English word. This extensive variety is, however, well expressed by "cease": i.e. stop, come to an end, e.g. ceasing of tears (Jer 14:17); work (Ezr 4:24); grinders (Ec 12:3); thunder (Ex 9:29); the wicked (
עוֹלָם (owlam) refers to concepts of long duration, antiquity, and futurity, encompassing meanings like eternity and perpetual existence. It is derived from a root meaning 'concealed' or 'the vanishing point.' The term is used to describe both ancient times and an indefinite future, indicating continuity and everlastingness.
עוֹלָם 439 n.m. long duration, antiquity, futurity
base
H5769 עוֹלָם long duration, antiquity, futurity
5769 `owlam o-lawm'
or lolam {o-lawm'}; from 5956; properly, concealed, i.e. the
vanishing point; generally, time out of mind (past or future),
i.e. (practically) eternity; frequentatively, adverbial
(especially with prepositional prefix) always:--alway(-s),
ancient (time), any more, continuance, eternal, (for,
(n-))ever(-lasting, -more, of old), lasting, long (time), (of)
old (time), perpetual, at any time, (beginning of the) world
(+ without end). Compare 5331, 5703.
see HEBREW for 05956
see HEBREW for 05331
see HEBREW for 05703
עוֹלָם (o.lam) — forever: enduring.
: enduring/eternal
1) long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world
1a) ancient time, long time (of past)
1b) (of future)
1b1) for ever, always
1b2) continuous existence, perpetual
1b3) everlasting, indefinite or unending future, eternity
עוֹלָם (o.lam) — Everlasting.
This name means long duration, everlasting, perpetual
Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)
עוֹלָם (o.lam) — forever: any time.
: any_time
1) long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world
1a) ancient time, long time (of past)
1b) (of future)
1b1) for ever, always
1b2) continuous existence, perpetual
1b3) everlasting, indefinite or unending future, eternity
עוֹלָם (o.lam) — forever: antiquity.
: old/ancient
HR/Ncmsa — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHR/Ncmsa