Psa 49:8-10 | NETfull | STEP | (the ransom price for a human life is too high, and people go to their final destiny),

Psalms 49:8-10

8 (the ransom price for a human life ^{▼▼ Heb “their life.” Some emend the text to “his life,” understanding the antecedent of the pronoun as “brother” in v. 7. However, the man and brother of v. 7 are representative of the human race in general, perhaps explaining why a plural pronoun appears in v. 8. Of course, the plural pronoun could refer back to “the rich” mentioned in v. 6. Another option (the one assumed in the translation) is that the suffixed mem is enclitic. In this case the “ransom price for human life” is referred to an abstract, general way.} is too high,
and people go to their final destiny), ^{▼▼ Heb “and one ceases forever.” The translation assumes an indefinite subject which in turn is representative of the entire human race (“one,” that refers to human beings without exception). The verb חָדַל (khadal, “cease”) is understood in the sense of “come to an end; fail” (i.e., die). Another option is to translate, “and one ceases/refrains forever.” In this case the idea is that the living, convinced of the reality of human mortality, give up all hope of “buying off” God and refrain from trying to do so.}
9 so that he might continue to live ^{▼▼ The jussive verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive is taken as indicating purpose/result in relation to the statement made in v. 8. (On this use of the jussive after an imperfect, see GKC 322 #109.f.) In this case v. 8 is understood as a parenthetical comment.} forever
and not experience death. ^{▼▼ Heb “see the Pit.” The Hebrew term שַׁחַת (shakhat, “pit”) is often used as a title for Sheol (see Pss 16:10; 30:9; 55:24; 103:4).}
10 Surely ^{▼▼ The particle כִּי (ki) is understood here as asseverative (emphatic).} one sees ^{▼▼ The subject of the verb is probably the typical “man” mentioned in v. 7. The imperfect can be taken here as generalizing or as indicating potential (“surely he/one can see”).} that even wise people die; ^{▼▼ The imperfect verbal forms here and in the next line draw attention to what is characteristically true. The vav (ו) consecutive with perfect in the third line carries the same force.}
fools and spiritually insensitive people all pass away ^{▼▼ Heb “together a fool and a brutish [man] perish.” The adjective בַּעַר (ba’ar, “brutish”) refers to spiritual insensitivity, not mere lack of intelligence or reasoning ability (see Pss 73:22; 92:6; Prov 12:1; 30:2, as well as the use of the related verb in Ps 94:8).}
and leave their wealth to others. ^{▼▼ Death shows no respect for anyone. No matter how wise or foolish an individual happens to be, all pass away.}