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Psalm 49:19
he shall go to the generation of his fathers. They shall never see the light.
17for when he dies he will carry nothing away. His glory won’t descend after him.
18Though while he lived he blessed his soul— and men praise you when you do well for yourself—
19he shall go to the generation of his fathers. They shall never see the light.
20A man who has riches without understanding, is like the animals that perish.
Notice
The rich man's return to his fathers cuts through the praise he received in life, exposing how little success can do against death.
Questions to write on. Each one opens a new entry with this verse already attached.
What questions arise for you from the statement that they shall never see the light?
Write on thisWhere, if anywhere, does praise for doing well shape what you hope your life will amount to?
Write on thisConnect
Where else Scripture says this
12 passages readers most often link with this verse, and the thread each one shares with it.
This verse's connections, by chapterThe Bible's strongest chapter linksHover or tap a book to trace it
John 8:12Again, therefore, Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.”Light marks the contrast: the psalm describes those who will never see it, while Jesus promises the light of life to his followers.
John 3:36One who believes in the Son has eternal life, but one who disobeys the Son won’t see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”Both passages speak of a future deprivation: never seeing light in the psalm, and not seeing life for one who disobeys the Son.
Job 33:30to bring back his soul from the pit, that he may be enlightened with the light of the living.Both connect light with life, though the psalm describes its loss and Job describes rescue from the pit.
Genesis 15:15but you will go to your fathers in peace. You will be buried at a good old age.Both describe death as going to one's fathers, though Genesis includes peace and a good old age.
Psalm 56:13For you have delivered my soul from death, and prevented my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living.Death and light appear in both psalms: one describes light lost, while the other thanks God for deliverance into the light of the living.
1 Peter 3:10For, “He who would love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.The shared thread is limited to seeing life's good: Peter speaks of good days, while the psalm speaks of light never seen.
Luke 12:20“But God said to him, ‘You foolish one, tonight your soul is required of you. The things which you have prepared—whose will they be?’Both passages confront a prosperous person with death, exposing the limits of possessions when life ends.
Job 33:28He has redeemed my soul from going into the pit. My life will see the light.’Seeing the light is the shared phrase, with the psalm denying that prospect and Job celebrating redemption from the pit.
Matthew 22:13Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and throw him into the outer darkness. That is where the weeping and grinding of …Both describe a grim fate without light, though Matthew depicts a king's sentence and the psalm describes the rich man's end.
1 Kings 16:6Baasha slept with his fathers, and was buried in Tirzah; and Elah his son reigned in his place.Both describe death in relation to one's fathers; Kings names Baasha's burial, while the psalm adds the loss of light.
Luke 16:22–23The beggar died, and he was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried.Both describe a rich man's death; Luke also records the beggar's death and his being carried to Abraham's bosom.
Ecclesiastes 12:7and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.Both describe where a person goes at death, using different terms: fathers in the psalm, dust and spirit in Ecclesiastes.
Where this verse fits
Death and what comes after. envy and comparison. retirement or purpose.
One step
Something small to carry out of this verse
Encouragement
The praise attached to wealth cannot tell you what a life is worth. God's warning is sober: riches without understanding offer no protection from death.
Now put it in your words.
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Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).