His spirit shall go forth, and he shall return into his earth: in that day all their thoughts shall perish.

“To these were added the sons of Maximin, with whom he had already shared imperial honors and whose features he had displayed publicly in portraits. Those who previously had boasted that they were related to the tyrant and tried to lord it over others endured the same sufferings and disgrace, for they did not accept correction or understand the precept in the sacred books:Put not your trust in princes, In the sons of men who cannot save. His breath shall depart and he shall return to his earth. In that day all his thoughts shall perish. When the impious were thus removed, the rule that belonged to them was preserved secure and undisputed for Constantine and Licinius alone. They had made it their priority to purge the world of hostility to God, and, acknowledging the blessings he had conferred on them, they showed their love of virtue and of God, their devotion and gratitude to the Deity, through their edict in behalf of the Christians.”

“There are many uses of the word spirit in general in the sacred Scriptures, and a person could easily become confused from ignorance, if he did not know to what sort of spirit the particular text refers. Therefore, we must be sure of the nature of the Holy Spirit according to Scripture. For example Aaron is called Christ (anointed), and David also, and Saul and others are called Christs, yet there is only one true Christ; similarly since the name of spirit has been given to many things, we must determine what in particular is called the Holy Spirit. Many things are called spirits; our soul is called spirit; this wind that is blowing is called spirit; great valor is called spirit; impure action is called spirit; and a hostile devil is called spirit. Take care, therefore, when you hear such things, not to mistake one for another because of the similarity of name. Scripture says of the soul, "When his spirit departs he returns to the earth"; and again of the soul, "Who forms the spirit of a person within him." It says in the Psalms of the angels, "Who make your angels spirits";16 it says of the wind: "With a vehement spirit you shall break in pieces the ships of Tharsis"; and "As the trees of the woods are moved with the spirit";18 and "Fire, hail, snow, ice, spirit of storm." Our Lord says of his blessed teaching: "The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life," that is, they are spiritual. The Holy Spirit is not an utterance of the tongue; he is living, granting wise speech, speaking and discoursing himself.”

“The poor Christian sees this, ignoble, sighing in daily labor with groans, and perhaps says to himself: "What good is it to me that I have become a Christian? Am I better off than he who is not, than he who does not believe in Christ, than he who blasphemes my God?" The psalm advises him: do not put your trust in princes. Why does the flower of the grass delight you? All flesh is grass, as the Prophet says; he not only speaks but exclaims. The Lord exclaimed to him: Cry out, He said. And he answered: What should I cry out? All flesh is grass, and all the glory of the flesh is like the flower of the grass. The grass withers, the flower falls. Is everything lost then? By no means. But the word of the Lord endures forever. Why does the grass delight you? Behold, the grass has perished. Do you want not to perish? Hold on to the Word. So too in this psalm. For the poor, humble Christian might be looking at a rich and powerful pagan, looking at the flower of the grass, and perhaps choosing him as a patron rather than God. The psalm addresses him: Do not trust in princes, in the sons of men in whom there is no salvation. He immediately responds: "Does he say this about one who has salvation? Behold, he is healthy. Today I see him vigorous. I myself am constantly sick with misery." Why do you look at things that please and delight you? There is no salvation. His spirit will depart, and he will return to his earth. Behold all his salvation, a vapor appearing for a moment. His spirit will depart, and he will return to his earth. Let a few years pass. Let the river move, as usually happens, running through various tombs of the dead. Distinguish the bones of the rich man from the bones of the poor man. Upon his spirit departing, he returns to his earth. He said nothing of his spirit for the best because when he lived, he thought nothing spiritually. He will return to his earth, according to the flesh, surely, according to the body, where he flourished, where he was carried away, where he deceived you, in the felicity of whose flesh he misled you. His spirit will depart, and he will return to his earth; on that day all their thoughts will perish. Those thoughts which were earthly: "Behold, I do this, behold, I accomplish, behold, I reach, behold, I buy that, behold, I acquire that, behold, I reach such and such honor," on that day all his thoughts will perish. But if, because the word of the Lord endures forever, you hold to the Word to give you eternal life, not only will your thought not perish then, but it will come then. When his perishes, yours will come. For he thought about temporal and earthly things, adding wealth to wealth, augmenting monetary resources, striving for honors, swelling with power. Therefore, because he thought such things, on that day all his thoughts will perish. But you, if you thought, because you have become a Christian, not about temporal felicity, but eternal rest when your body returns to its earth, then your soul finds its rest.”

“"[His spirit] shall leave]" - That [spirit] which dwells in his heart. "He shall return to his earth" - For the bones are, in their structure, of earth, and they are the foundations of the body. The meaning of the word "עשתונותיו" is "his thoughts", like [it says in Yonah 1:6]: "Perhaps God will think (יתעשת) [of us and we will not be lost]." [this being] like saying "God will think, will think of me."”

“תצא רוחו. "His breath goes forth": And how can a person have salvation if he does not have control over his spirit to preserve it? For his spirit may depart suddenly, and he returns to his earth. Whatever he plans to do, he will not be able to accomplish, for once his sustaining spirit departs, on the day of his death, his thoughts perish.”

“His breath goeth forth,.... That is, the breath of a son of man, of any and everyone of the princes; it goes forth continually, and is drawn in again as long as a man lives; but at death it goes forth, and returns no more till the resurrection: the breath which the Lord breathed into man, and which is in his nostrils while he lives, and is very precarious. And when it is taken away, he dies, and he returneth to his earth; from whence he was taken, and of which he was made; upon which he lived, where he dwelt, and in which he took delight and pleasure, minding earth and earthly things, and which is now all he has; who, though he may have had many large estates and possessions, nay, have ruled over many kingdoms and countries, yet his property of earth is now no more than the length and breadth of a grave; he returns to earth as soon as he dies, becoming a lump of clay; and particularly when he is interred in it, and when by corruption and worms he is turned into it; in that very day his thoughts perish; in the day, hour, and moment he dies: not that the soul ceases, or ceases to think at death; it is immortal, and dies not; and, as it exists in a separate state after death, it retains all its powers and faculties, and, among the rest, its power of thinking; which it is capable of exercising, and does, as appears from the case of the souls under the altar, Rev 6:9. But the meaning is, that at death all the purposes and designs of men are at an end; all their projects and schemes, which they had formed, and were pursuing, now come to nothing; whether to do good to others, or to aggrandize themselves and families; and therefore such mortal creatures are not to be depended upon, since all their promises may fail; nay, even their good designs may be frustrated; see Job 17:12.”

“Forth. From the body, which shall be consigned to the earth from which it was taken, Ecclesiastes xii. 7. — And he. Man, (Calmet) or each of the princes, (Haydock) with respect to the body. (Worthington) — It does not refer to the spirit, which in Hebrew is feminine. (Calmet) — It is the want of faith, which causes people to confide in great ones, rather than in Providence. (St. Augustine) — Thoughts. Projects of ambition, &c. (Calmet)”