Why shall I fear in the evil day? the iniquity of my heel shall encompass me.

“Even if he seems to be one of the very powerful people in this life, even if he is surrounded with a great number of possessions, these words teach him to descend from such a notion and to humble himself under the mighty hand of God. … Not even the soul is complete in itself for salvation.… Every human soul has bowed down under the evil yoke of slavery imposed by the common enemy of all and, being deprived of the very freedom that it received from the Creator, has been led captive through sin. Every captive has need of ransoms for his freedom. Now, neither a brother can ransom his brother, nor can anyone ransom himself, because he who is ransoming must be much better than he who has been overcome and is now a slave. But, actually, no one has the power with respect to God to make atonement for a sinner, since he himself is liable for sin. "All have sinned and have need of the glory of God. They are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" our Lord.”

“It strikes many people, in fact, as extremely strange and intriguing to say there is nothing to fear in the troubles of life. What, therefore, should I fear, he asks, in the evil day? One thing only, the risk of the lawlessness of my way and my life surrounding me.… Those who fear it will never fear anything else; instead, they will mock the goods of this life and scorn its troubles, that fear alone making their mind tremble. Nothing, you see, nothing else is fearsome for the person possessed of this fear, not even death, the very acme of fearsome things apart from this alone.… The person afraid only of that, and of nothing else, will be like an angel; there is, in fact, nothing else to be afraid of, if one fears that, as one should fear it—just as the one not fearing it is exposed to many fearsome things.”

“And what has he said? "And wherefore shall I fear in the evil day? The iniquity of my heel shall compass me" [Psalm 49:5]. He begins something obscurely. Therefore he ought the rather to fear if the iniquity of his heel shall compass him. Nay, for let not man fear, he says, who has not power to escape. For example, he who fears death, what shall he do to escape death? Let him tell me how he is to escape what Adam owes, he who is born of Adam. But let him consider that he is born of Adam, and has followed Christ, and ought to pay what Adam owes, and obtain what Christ has promised. Therefore, he who fears death can no wise escape: but he who fears the damnation which the ungodly shall hear, "Go ye into everlasting fire," [Matthew 25:41] has an escape. Let him not fear then. For why should he fear? Will the iniquity of his heel compass him? If then he avoid "the iniquity of his heel," and walk in the ways of God, he shall not come to the evil day: the evil day, the last day, shall not be evil to him....Now while they live, let them take heed to themselves, let them put away iniquity from their heel: let them walk in that way, let them walk in the way of which He says Himself, "I am the way, the truth, and the life:" [John 14:6] and let them not fear in the evil day, for He gives them safety who became "The Way." Therefore let them avoid the iniquity of their heel. With the heel a man slips. Let your Love observe. What was said by God to the Serpent? "She shall mark your head, and you shall mark her heel." The devil marks your heel, in order that when you slip he may overthrow you. He marks your heel, do thou mark his head. What is his head? The beginning of an evil suggestion. When he begins to suggest evil thoughts, then you thrust him away before pleasure arises, and consent follows; and so shall you avoid his head, and he shall not grasp your heel. But wherefore said He this to Eve? Because through the flesh man does slip. Our flesh is an Eve within us. "He that loves his wife," he says, "loves himself." What means "himself"? He continues, and says, "For no man ever yet has hated his own flesh." [Ephesians 5:28-29] Because then the devil would make us slip through the flesh, just as he made that man Adam to slip, through Eve; Eve is bidden to mark the head of the devil, because the devil marks her heel. "If then the iniquity of our heel shall compass us, why fear we in the evil day," since being converted to Christ we are able not to do iniquity; and there will be nothing to compass us, and we shall joy and not sorrow in the last day?”

“Above, the Psalmist invited the nations to joy and thanksgiving for the benefits given to the people of God; but here he admonishes them to trust in God. And concerning this he does two things. First, he arouses attention. Second, he pursues his proposal. The title is not new. Now according to the title, a man is rendered attentive in two ways. In one way, someone is said to be rendered attentive on the part of the hearers; in another way, on the part of the things to be said, when one promises that he will say great things: Proverbs 8: "Hear me, for I am about to speak of great things." And it is in this way that he speaks here. First, then, he renders them attentive on the part of those to whom he was speaking. Second, on the part of the things to be said, at the words "my mouth." He says, therefore, that the things he is about to say pertain to every difference of men and to all. And he touches on four differences among men. One arises from the diversity of peoples, since the people of the Jews was one thing, and that of the Gentiles another. Another arises on the part of places. Another on the part of origin, for some were noble and distinguished, some not. Another on the part of fortune, since some were rich, some not. He sets down the first when he says, "Hear this, all ye nations," not only of the Jews, because this pertains to all to hear, and this is necessary: Proverbs 1: "a wise man hearing," etc. He sets down the second when he says, "give ear, all ye that inhabit the world," that is, whatever part of the world, and he says "give ear" because it is necessary both to hear and to perceive: Matthew 13: "he that hath ears to hear, let him hear," that is, let him attend. Jerome has "the inhabitants of the west." As though it were a kind of prophecy, because the faith of Christ flourishes especially among the people of the west, since in the northern regions there are still many pagans, and in the eastern regions there are many schismatics and unbelievers. Or, "hear this, all ye nations" refers to the wicked, while "ye that inhabit the world" refers to the good who have dominion over the earth. He sets down the third when he says, "both earth-born" (terrigenae), that is, the ignoble, "and the sons of men" (filii hominum), that is, the noble. Jerome has "both the sons of Adam and the sons of each man" (singulorum), because some have nothing distinguished from their parents. Mystically, sinners are called "earth-born," because they cleave to the earth through affection; hence they are compared to the serpent: Isaiah 65: "to the serpent" (that is, to earthly things) "the dust is his bread." The sons of men are called good, who bear the image of God and of Christ, who is the Son of Man. He sets down the fourth when he says, "rich and poor together" (simul in unum dives et pauper); as if to say: let all of you hear these teachings, because they are useful to all. And what are they? Matthew 5: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven": Ecclesiasticus 31: "Blessed is the rich man that is found without blemish," etc. Yet someone may be rich in act but not in affection, and this man can be a saint, as Abraham and Louis, king of France. Another is rich both in act and in affection, and this man is not a saint. Of this it is said Matthew 19: "it is easier for a camel to enter," etc., because just as it is against nature for a camel to enter through the eye of a needle, so it is against divine justice for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And such men are the "earth-born"; but the former are the "sons of men." "My mouth." Here he renders them attentive by the promise of what is to be said. Whoever teaches, either teaches things or teaches words. When we preach faith and morals, we teach things; when we expound Scripture, we teach words. First, therefore, he speaks of the first teaching; second, of the second, at the words "I will incline." Now the knowledge of things is necessary for two purposes: namely, for the knowledge of truth, and for the use of action. Therefore all knowledge of truth which is necessary for us concerning other things must be referred to the knowledge of the truth of divine things. Hence Augustine says: "he who examines these things without referring them to the eternal is idle." And therefore all knowledge of truth pertains to wisdom; and therefore he says, "my mouth shall speak wisdom": 1 Corinthians 2: "we speak wisdom among the perfect." But that which is necessary as regards the use of action pertains to prudence, by which the direction of human affairs is had; and therefore he says, "and the meditation of my heart," namely, shall speak, "understanding" (prudentia): Proverbs 10: "wisdom is prudence to a man," because wisdom, when compared to human and material things, is prudence. "I will incline." Here he deals with the second teaching, namely of obscure words; and concerning these two things are necessary. First, that he strive to understand them. Second, that he strive to expound them to others. As to the first he says, "I will incline my ear to a parable." A parable is a certain saying, when it has an obscure likeness; as if to say: I will apply study to understand the sayings of others: Proverbs 1: "he will understand a parable and its interpretation, the words of the wise and their riddles." Or, "I will incline my ear to a parable" which God speaks, because he speaks enigmatically; as if to say: I will incline my understanding to the voice of the Lord, who speaks in parables. "I will open my proposition upon the psaltery." "Proposition" (propositio) is said in two ways. In one way, it is that which one chooses above other things, and it is that which one desires the most; and this he "opens upon the psaltery," that is, in my action, because this is the best way of disclosing one's proposal — for if you propose to enter into eternal life, you do not manifest your proposal unless you have good action. Or "proposition" is an obscure saying, or one proposed for the sake of a trial; thus Samson, Judges 14, proposed a riddle (problema), whence he says: "if you had not ploughed with my heifer" — and it is in this sense that "proposition" is taken here. And therefore Jerome says that it is an obscure saying. The Hebrews have "my divination," which is the same thing. "Why shall I fear." Having proposed the proem of the psalm in which he aroused the attention of the peoples, he now proceeds to his principal purpose, which is to lead men not to fear present evils, lest they trust in present goods, but that their fear and their confidence be in God alone; and concerning this he does two things. First, he shows what is to be feared. Second, he shows what they ought not to fear, at the words "thou shalt not fear." Concerning the first he does two things. First, he sets forth his intention. Second, he proves his proposal, at the words "who trust." Concerning the first he does two things. First, he proposes the question. Second, he sets down the conclusion. The question is: "Why shall I fear in the evil day?" Here it must first be seen what this "evil day" is, since all days are from God. But they are called evil on account of the evils which occur in them: Ephesians 5: "redeeming the time, because the days are evil." A day, then, can be called evil in which some danger occurs; and especially one in which the danger of eternal damnation is imminent, and this is the day of judgment: Zephaniah 1: "the voice of the day of the Lord is bitter: the mighty man shall be in tribulation there." Therefore, "why shall I fear in the evil day?" — that is, what will make me fear on that day? And he answers: "the iniquity of my heel shall surround me." For nothing is to be feared except sin, because no adversity will do harm if no iniquity holds dominion: Proverbs 28: "the wicked man fleeth when no man pursueth": Ecclesiasticus 34: "he that feareth God shall not tremble"; and therefore he says, "the iniquity of my heel." By "heel" three things can be understood. First, because it is the extreme part of the body. And so "the iniquity of my heel" is the iniquity which perseveres to the end of life; and it is in this way that "heel" is taken: Genesis 3: "she" (namely, the woman) "shall crush thy head," namely, the higher reason; but she shall crush the serpent's head, "and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel," that is, thou shalt lie in wait for her until the end of life. Again, by "heel" can be understood the weakness of the flesh, because when a man fails, the heel slips. And thus "the iniquity of the heel," that is, sin proceeding from the weakness of the flesh, "shall surround me." Third, the unjust persecution which someone stirs up against another, according to that word of John 13: "he that eateth my bread shall lift up his heel against me." And thus "the iniquity of the heel," that is, unjust persecution, is turned back against the persecutor: Proverbs 5: "his own iniquities catch the wicked man." "Who trust in their own strength." Here the reason is set down why it is to be feared — namely, on account of sin. And there is a twofold reason why sin is to be feared. First, on account of the impossibility of escaping the punishment of sin: Job 11: "their refuge shall perish from them, and their hope the abomination of the soul." The other reason is on account of the evils which threaten the wicked. First, therefore, he sets down the impossibility of escaping punishment. Second, he shows the evils threatening the wicked, at the words "he shall not see." Someone escapes punishments, first, through outward help; second, through his own diligence; third, on account of a defect in the subject, as when he dies. And he shows that he can escape by none of these ways. First, on account of help; second, that he cannot escape by any remedy furnished by himself; third, that he cannot escape through a defect in the subject. He who wishes to be freed through help is sometimes freed by the power of his own army: John 18: "if my kingdom were of this world, my servants," etc. Sometimes through riches: Proverbs 6: "he shall give all the substance of his house, and shall deliver himself." Sometimes through friends. And he shows that none of these can free him from the punishment of sin. And although according to the Gloss it is read otherwise, yet according to the Hebrews it is read that God frees those who trust in him. "A brother doth not redeem" — as if to say: a brother does not redeem those who trust in him. And therefore he first shows that one is not helped from the punishment of sin by the help of friends, because the power of friends is slight. And therefore one ought not to trust in the bodily strength of friends. Hence he says, "who trust in their own strength," namely, of their friends, or in their own particular strength: because, "there is a way which seemeth to a man right, but the ends thereof lead to death," Proverbs 14. Likewise, those who trust in the strength of their riches are not freed by all these things from the punishment of sin, because Proverbs 11: "they that trust in their riches shall fall." For one ought not to trust in bodily or spiritual riches, but a man should seek his salvation as best he can: Jeremiah 9: "let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, and let not the strong man glory in his strength, and let not the rich man glory in his riches." Nor can a person joined to him, however closely, redeem him — that is, free him from sin or from punishment: Ezekiel 14: "if there be in the midst of it three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, they by their own justice shall deliver their own souls." But since a brother cannot redeem, however near he be to him, shall man redeem? No, because man cannot snatch anyone out of the hand of God, but God alone shall redeem them. And "man" — namely, Christ: man, so that the price, that is, death, might have a place in him; and God, so that he might have the power of redeeming. Or otherwise: "brother," that is, Christ, who is our true brother: Psalm 21: "I will declare thy name to my brethren": Song of Songs 8: "who shall give thee to me for my brother," etc. If this one does not redeem, who else shall redeem? As if to say, no one. "He shall not give to God his ransom." Here he shows that they do not escape punishment on account of anything they do while they are in sin, because sinners need a twofold remedy on account of the twofold evil they incur, namely, the offense against God and the guilt of punishment. And so they need to appease God, which they themselves cannot do, because since they do not please God and are enemies of God, he does not accept their gifts; hence he says, "he shall not give to God his ransom," because outward things do not please God unless there be inward grace, which a mere man cannot give. Likewise, they need to be absolved from punishment, and this too man cannot do; hence he says, "nor the price of the redemption of his soul" — namely, a mere man can give — and therefore he cannot free from punishment: Psalm 88: "who is the man that shall live and not see death, that shall deliver his soul from the hand of hell?" But Christ, who is God and man, gave the appeasement for us: Romans 5: "when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God," etc. Likewise, he alone is the price of redemption: 1 Peter 1: "you were redeemed from your vain conversation," etc. Or, "he shall not give," that is, he shall not trouble to give appeasement and the price of the redemption of his soul — namely, he who trusts in riches. And according to this the other reading can be continued, which says, "a brother" — namely Christ — "doth not redeem," because they do not care to appease God through penance, since Christ does not help those who are unwilling to help themselves. "And he shall labor." Here he shows that he will not escape through a defect in himself, because he is punished forever; hence he says, "he shall labor forever," that is, he shall be punished with everlasting torment: Matthew 25: "these shall go into everlasting punishment," because they were unwilling to labor here: Psalm 72: "they are not in the labor of men." And because, as far as it was in them, they sinned unto eternity, since they preferred sin to the law of God; and therefore they do not fear punishment, but would always wish to commit sin. "And he shall still live unto the end," that is, his life shall not fail amid his punishments: Job 20: "he shall pay for all that he has done, and yet he shall not be consumed." "He shall not see." Above the Psalmist showed that sin is to be feared because there is no remedy for escaping punishment; but here he deals with the evils which threaten them on account of their own lack of foresight; and concerning this he does three things. First, he recalls their lack of foresight regarding future evils. Second, he recalls the evils that threaten them, at the words "they shall leave to strangers." Third, he sets down the hope in God by which he hopes to be freed from these evils, at the word "but yet." Concerning the first he does two things. First, he shows their lack of foresight. Second, the cause of their ignorance, at the words "when he shall see." He says, then, that such a man, upon whom so many evils are imminent, "shall not see," that is, shall not consider his ruin, that is, his own damnation. For it belongs to the just to remember the last things, Ecclesiasticus 7. But of these it is said, Deuteronomy 32: "a nation without prudence and without counsel." And why do the unjust not foresee for themselves? The reason is given, Ecclesiastes 9: "this is the worst among all things that are done under the sun, that the same things happen to all." And therefore they do not consider what may befall them in the future. And therefore, "when he shall see even wise men dying" — but seeing bodily death, they do not consider their glory: Wisdom 4: "they shall see the end of the wise man, and shall not understand what God hath designed for him." There is a difference between the "foolish" (insipiens) and the "senseless" (stultus). The foolish man is one who has human knowledge and does not consider eternal things; the senseless man is one who does not even consider present things. Or, the foolish man is one who does not attend to present evils but to future ones; the senseless man is one who attends to them and does not avoid them; hence he says, "the foolish and the senseless shall perish together." According to Jerome, there is a twofold cause of the contempt of the unjust: the length of life, and the fact that they see the wise and the foolish die together. "And they shall leave." Here he sets down the evils that befall sinners. And first he sets down the evils that occur in the present. Second, he sets down the evils that will occur in the future, at the words "like sheep." Concerning the first he does two things. First, he sets down the evils that occur in the present as regards external goods. Second, as regards internal goods, at the words "when man was in honor." And first he shows what the wicked man loses through death. He says that he loses his riches; hence he says, "they shall leave their riches to strangers": Jeremiah 17: "he hath made riches, and not by right; in the midst of his days he shall leave them." And he says "their own" (suas), as though possessed by themselves, or because he did not use them for the benefit of others: Philippians 2: "all seek the things that are their own." And he says "to strangers," because often strangers — that is, those unrelated by blood — receive their riches: Psalm 38: "he layeth up treasures, and knoweth not for whom he shall gather them." And even if he sometimes leaves his riches to his own children, they are nevertheless strangers, as is said, Luke 10: "he that showed mercy to him was a neighbor." And it happens that children and grandchildren do nothing good for the dead; but two things remain to them of the things of this world: a tomb and the fame of men. The second, at the word "tabernacles" (habitations). As to the first he says: they had houses and vineyards and chariots and many precious things. But what shall they have in death? In place of a palace they shall have a tomb, and this "forever," that is, they shall dwell in tombs until the day of judgment. Or, because they build elaborate tombs, they believe they will dwell in them forever; but they are deceived, because even tombs shall be destroyed. Hence, although according to their own opinion those tombs are their houses forever, yet it is not so. Jerome, however, has it otherwise: "their inward parts are their houses forever," because man has a twofold house: an exterior one, and this does not remain forever; and an interior one, namely his conscience, and this does remain: Isaiah 38: "set thy house in order." Whether good or evil, it always remains. "Tabernacles." Here he shows that fame, or the memory of a man, does not remain after death. The memorable things of men are strong buildings; therefore he says, "their houses" (tabernacles) "shall endure from generation to generation" — as if to say, they are built as though they were to endure to the end; but they are deceived, because they are destroyed: Job 21: "where is the house of the prince, and where are the tabernacles of the wicked?" Mark 13: "seest thou these great buildings? There shall not be left," etc. And he says "tabernacles" (tents), because they do not remain long in them. "They have called their lands by their names" — as if to say: this is the purpose of this building, that they might be named after their lands: Genesis 11: "come, let us build a city and a tower, and let us make ourselves renowned," etc. Ecclesiasticus 40: "the building of a city establisheth a name"; hence they call cities after their own names; and he says "their own" (suis), because someone's name does not extend very far beyond his own land. And therefore it is foolish that a man should celebrate his name in the earth. Or, "they shall call upon their names" — that is, of the dead — "in their lands," by carrying food to the tombs. "And man." Above, the Psalmist set forth the evils that threaten the wicked as regards the loss of external things; but here he sets down the evils that threaten them from the corruption of internal goods; and concerning this he does two things. First, he sets forth the evil of internal corruption. Second, he shows what follows from this evil, at the words "this way of theirs." Now it must be known that man is composed of a rational and a sensitive nature. According to his rational nature, man has a likeness to God and the angels: Genesis 1: "let us make man to our image and likeness": Psalm 8: "thou hast made him a little less than the angels." But according to his sensitive nature he has communication with beasts. First, therefore, he sets down the honor of man as regards his having a likeness with the angels; hence he says, "when man was in honor." According to the Philosopher, honor is something more excellent than praise, because praise is ordered to something else, whereas honor is through itself and in itself. And he says "was" (esset), namely, like unto God. And from the fact that man has this, he sets forth three things beforehand: for he sets forth first that man does not consider this, namely, that he is like unto God. Second, that he declines into ignorance and bestial ignobility. Third, that a bestial act follows. As to the first he says, "he did not understand" — namely, that he was made to the image of God, and that he was fit to possess heavenly things: Wisdom 2: "neither did they hope for the wages of justice, nor did they esteem the honor of holy souls." As to the second he says, "he is compared to beasts of burden." Brute animals act from passion; and this is evident, because a dog, as soon as it becomes angry, barks, and a horse, when it lusts, neighs; but this is not imputed to them, because they lack reason. If, then, a man, as soon as he lusts, follows passion, and, being angry, strikes, he is compared in his acting to senseless beasts of burden: Psalm 31: "be not like the horse and the mule," etc. As to the third he says, "and he is become like to them," for when the nature of brutes is inclined to something, it thus makes use of passion, and habit turns into nature. When, therefore, a man becomes accustomed to living according to passion, it now turns into nature; and therefore, "he is become like to them," through a habit weighed down by evil works: Jeremiah 5: "they are become as amorous horses and stallions"; and therefore the Philosopher says that a wicked man is worse than a wicked beast, because along with malice he has intellect, so that he may devise various evils. "This way of theirs." Here he shows what follows from this evil which they incur, namely, that they have become bestial; for someone might say that no evil follows from this. But it is not so. Rather, something else follows. And first he shows what follows as regards themselves. Second, as regards others. As regards themselves he says, "this way of theirs" — because, namely, it follows the passions — "is a stumbling-block (scandal) to them," because they are inwardly disturbed: Psalm 68: "let their table become a stumbling-block before them." Likewise they are also disturbed outwardly, because they are punished and disgraced. The Philosopher: "the wicked are filled with regret." As regards others it follows that "afterward they shall be well pleased in their mouth." And this is explained in two ways. In one way thus: after they are inwardly scandalized and do evil deeds, they wish that others would follow them. And therefore they strive to please others, in order to draw them into sin: Proverbs 1: "if sinners shall entice thee," etc. In another way, thus he reproaches their pretense: as if to say, after they are already thus disturbed and follow evil deeds, "they shall be well pleased in their mouth," that is, they strive to speak holy and pleasing words: Matthew 23: "woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, who are like to whited sepulchres," etc., down to "and iniquity." The Gloss: "those who feign are worse than those who are openly wicked." But is this indeed true? It seems not. Isaiah 3: "they have proclaimed their sin as Sodom." The Gloss of Jerome: "the second tablet is to sin secretly." It must be said that it is one thing not to publish one's sin, and another to feign innocence; for to publish one's sin is an evil, because it scandalizes others; but to feign innocence, so as to draw others into sin, is a greater evil. And it is of these that he speaks here. Another reading has, "and in his mouth he shall bless God." And it is explained thus: although inwardly they are beasts, yet outwardly with their lips they shall bless God. Isaiah 29: "this people honoreth me with their lips," etc. Or otherwise: they shall bless God for the evils they have done. Jerome has: "after them their own righteousnesses (justitiae) shall run" — as if to say: he did not understand, and he is become like the beasts, and from this they are scandalized, and this happens because they wished to be beasts. Therefore, "after them," that is, in the end, they shall be devoured by beasts, that is, by demons — as if to say: they shall run after the demons into hell. "Like sheep." Here he sets down the evils that shall befall sinners after this life. And whereas he has already spoken of three evils — namely, that they are like beasts, that they despise wisdom, and third, that they trust in strength — against the first he says: because these men are like beasts, it is fitting that they be punished like beasts; hence he says, "like sheep they are laid in hell." Sheep have no help from nature to defend themselves, and therefore they are exposed to slaughter. Psalm 43: "we are esteemed as sheep for the slaughter." Because, then, the wicked in hell are wholly exposed to punishments, they are therefore like sheep. Jeremiah 12: "gather them together like a flock for a victim." Likewise, sheep are shorn, and once shorn are slain: so first they are shorn of the wool of evil, and are deprived or despoiled of their external goods, and afterward are slain in hell, "death shall feed on them": Revelation 21: "their portion is brimstone." Here "he shall feed on them"; and he says "feed" (depascet), because although death inflicts punishment, it does not take everything away entirely, but always keeps something in reserve for punishment. Or, "death," that is, the Devil: Revelation 6: "his name was Death: he shall feed on them," that is, he shall lead them from pasture to pasture, that is, from punishments to punishments. Job 24: "he shall pass from the snow waters to excessive heat." Another reading has, "death shall be their shepherd." And it speaks thus: in this life they are like sheep destined for hell, and the Devil is their shepherd. "And the just shall have dominion." This is contrary to what he said above, that the wise seem to die together with the foolish; here he says that the just shall have dominion over them, namely, over the wicked. Or, "the wise," who are called just, "in the morning," that is, on the day of judgment, when they shall receive judicial power. Malachi 4: "you shall tread down the wicked, when they shall be ashes under the sole of your feet." "And their help." This is what he said, "and in the multitude of his riches," etc. — as if to say: their help, which was from their friends and their riches, "shall grow old," that is, shall perish in hell. Isaiah 10: "to whom will you flee for help?" Job 6: "behold, there is no help for me in myself." "From their glory," that is, according to their glory. Revelation 18: "as much as she hath glorified herself," etc. "But yet God shall redeem my soul" — as if to say: the wicked have this; but I shall be freed from these things. And by what? By the shedding of the blood of Christ. "He shall redeem" from the hand of hell, that is, from the hand of the Devil, under whom men were before the coming of Christ. Hosea 13: "I will redeem them from death." "When he shall receive me," that is, when he shall receive my soul. Hebrews 2: "nowhere doth he take hold of the angels, but of the seed of Abraham." "Fear thou not." Above, the Psalmist showed what a man ought to fear in the world; here he shows what is not to be feared, namely, the prosperity of the wicked. And first he warns us not to fear on account of the prosperity of the wicked; second, he assigns the reason, at the words "for when he shall die." The prosperity of the wicked has two aspects: namely, an abundance of riches, and a sublimity of glory. As to the first he says, "fear thou not when a man shall be made rich." As to the second, "and when the glory of his house shall be increased." And he says "man." Man consists of a twofold nature: namely, animal and rational. And sometimes he is taken for the one, sometimes for the other. Here he is taken for animality; as if to say: if the animal man shall be made rich — for such men are often enriched. Job 21: "why do the wicked live, are they advanced, and strengthened with riches?" Likewise, in the same place, 12: "the tabernacles of robbers abound"; if you see these things, fear thou not. There can be a twofold cause of fear. One, lest they rage against men; the other, lest the good be scandalized on this account, and lose hope, according to that word of Psalm 72: "but my feet were almost moved... And I said: therefore have I in vain justified my heart" — as if to say: since God does so many good things for the wicked, it seems that he does not care for us, according to that word of Malachi 3: "he is vain that serveth God, and what profit is it that we have kept his commandments?" As to the second he says, "and when the glory of his house shall be increased." Ecclesiastes 9: "envy not the glory and the work of the sinner." Psalm 36: "I have seen the wicked," etc. "For when he shall die." Here the reason is assigned why the wicked are not to be feared if they become rich. First, because at some point they will be deprived of all external goods; second, because they will also lack all internal goods. The second is at the words "because his soul." Therefore he says, they are not to be feared, because God reserves greater things for you. But these things which are given to them are transitory. And first he shows that riches pass away, saying, "for when he shall die," namely, the rich man, "he shall take nothing with him" — that is, of all that he had he will be able to keep nothing. Job 27: "when the rich man shall sleep, he shall carry nothing away with him." 1 Timothy, last chapter: "we brought nothing into this world" — no doubt because we shall not be able to carry anything out either. Second, he shows the failure of the glory of the sinful man, "nor shall his glory descend with him"; because then his glory ends with his flesh, and disgrace is reserved for him in hell. Hosea 4: "I will change their glory into shame." Revelation 18: "she hath glorified herself," etc. "For his soul shall be blessed in his lifetime; he shall praise thee when thou shalt do well to him." Here he sets down, first, the failure of internal things pertaining to the body; second, of those pertaining to the soul, at the words "he shall enter in." First, therefore, he shows that after this life the good of the body fails them; second, he shows that the good of virtue, if they had any, comes to an end. He says, therefore, "because his soul." Just as "man" is sometimes taken for the animal nature, sometimes for the rational, so "soul" is taken in two ways. Sometimes for the rational life, as Deuteronomy 6: "thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, with thy whole soul." Sometimes for the animal life. Luke 12: "my soul, thou hast goods," etc. According to this, then, he says that "his soul" — that is, his animal life — "shall be blessed in his lifetime" — as if to say: whatever he has of riches and glory is entirely in this life; and when this life ceases, his glory fails; and therefore he cannot bless his life except while he lives. Likewise, sinners sometimes praise God, or perform works of the kind of good works; but if adversity threatens, their praise, or their good action, ceases. And therefore he turns to God, saying: O God, such a man — namely, the sinner, or someone existing in prosperity — "shall praise thee," that is, shall extol thee, "when thou shalt do well to him," that is, when thou shalt give him the temporal goods which he loves. Proverbs 10: "the blessing of the Lord maketh men rich." Jerome: "they shall praise thee when it goeth well with them" — that is, men praise and serve the rich as long as they have plenty and prosper in their riches; but if fortune should change, they too change, and no longer praise them, but rather speak ill of them. "He shall enter in." Here he sets down the failure of spiritual things. And first he shows the failure; second, he sets down the order by which one arrives at this very failure, at the word "man." And first he sets down the failure of guilt; second, of punishment. As to the first he says, "he shall enter in" — namely, this sinner, so rich, and whom all praise while things go well with him — "he shall enter in," I say, "even unto the generations of his fathers," namely, through imitation, since he performs all the evils that his whole line of descent commits. Matthew 23: "and you fill up the measure of your fathers." Jeremiah 11: "they are returned to the former iniquities of their fathers." Or, "he shall enter in," etc., because his fathers, being wicked, are in hell, and he too shall go there. As to the second he says: "and he shall never see light"; because since here, as it were, in his own everlasting — that is, in his life — he refused to follow the light of reason, therefore "he shall never see light." Job 15: "he believeth not that he may return from darkness to light." Matthew 25: "cast the unprofitable servant into the exterior darkness," etc. And in what order does this happen? Because, although he was endowed with the light of reason, being a man constituted in honor, he refused to be ruled by that light; he was made like unto the senseless beasts of burden, and therefore he acts as beasts of burden do, and must be destined for slaughter.”

“In these verses we have, I. A description of the spirit and way of worldly people, whose portion is in this life, Psa 17:14. It is taken for granted that they have wealth, and a multitude of riches (Psa 49:6), houses and lands of inheritance, which they call their own, Psa 49:11. God often gives abundance of the good things of this world to bad men who live in contempt of him and rebellion against him, by which it appears that they are not the best things in themselves (for then God would give most of them to his best friends), and that they are not the best things for us, for then those would not have so much of them who, being marked for ruin, are to be ripened for it by their prosperity, Pro 1:32. A man may have abundance of the wealth of this world and be made better by it, may thereby have his heart enlarged in love, and thankfulness, and obedience, and may do that good with it which will be fruit abounding to his account; and therefore it is not men's having riches that denominates them worldly, but their setting their hearts upon them as the best things; and so these worldly people are here described. 1. They repose a confidence in their riches: They trust in their wealth (Psa 49:6); they depend upon it as their portion and happiness, and expect that it will secure them from all evil and supply them with all good, and that they need nothing else, no, not God himself. Their gold is their hope (Job 31:24), and so it becomes their God. Thus our Saviour explains the difficulty of the salvation of rich people (Mar 10:24): How hard is it for those that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! See Ti1 6:17. 2. They take a pride in their riches: They boast themselves in the multitude of them, as if they were sure tokens of God's favour and certain proofs of their own ingenuity and industry (my might, and the power of my hand, have gotten me this wealth), as if they made them truly great and happy, and more really excellent than their neighbours. They boast that they have all they would have (Psa 10:3) and can set all the world at defiance (I sit as a queen, and shall be a lady for ever); therefore they call their lands after their own names, hoping thereby to perpetuate their memory; and, if their lands do retain the names by which they called them, it is but a poor honour; but they often change their names when they change their owners. 3. They flatter themselves with an expectation of the perpetuity of their worldly possessions (Psa 49:11): Their inward thought is that their houses shall continue for ever, and with this thought they please themselves. Are not all thoughts inward? Yes; but it intimates, (1.) That this thought is deeply rooted in their minds, is rolled and revolved there, and carefully lodged in the innermost recesses of their hearts. A godly man has thoughts of the world, but they are his outward thoughts; his inward thought is reserved for God and heavenly things: but a worldly man has only some floating foreign thoughts of the things of God, while his fixed thought, his inward thought, is about the world; that lies nearest his heart, and is upon the throne there. (2.) There it is industriously concealed. They cannot, for shame, say that they expect their houses to continue for ever, but inwardly they think so. If they cannot persuade themselves that they shall continue for ever, yet they are so foolish as to think their houses shall, and their dwelling-places; and suppose they should, what good will that do them when they shall be no longer theirs? But they will not; for the world passes away, and the fashion of it. All things are devoured by the teeth of time. II. A demonstration of their folly herein. In general (Psa 49:13), This their way is their folly. Note, The way of worldliness is a very foolish way: those that lay up their treasure on earth, and set their affections on things below, act contrary both to right reason and to their true interest. God himself pronounced him a fool who thought his goods were laid up for many years, and that they would be a portion for his soul, Luk 12:19, Luk 12:20. And yet their posterity approve their sayings, agree with them in the same sentiments, say as t hey say and do as they do, and tread in the steps of their worldliness. Note, The love of the world is a disease that runs in the blood; men have it by kind, till the grace of God cures it. To prove the folly of carnal worldlings he shows, 1. That with all their wealth they cannot save the life of the dearest friend they have in the world, nor purchase a reprieve for him when he is under the arrest of death (Psa 49:7-9): None of them can by any means redeem his brother, his brother worldling, who would give counter-security out of his own estate, if he would but be bail for him: and gladly he would, in hopes that he might do the same kindness for him another time. But their words will not be taken one for another, nor will one man's estate be the ransom of another man's life. God does not value it; it is of no account with him; and the true value of things is as they stand in his books. His justice will not accept it by way of commutation or equivalent. The Lord of our brother's life is the Lord of our estate, and may take both if he please, without either difficulty to himself or wrong to us; and therefore one cannot be ransom for another. We cannot bribe death, that our brother should still live, much less that he should live for ever, in this world, nor bribe the grave, that he should not see corruption; for we must needs die, and return to the dust, and there is no discharge from that war. What folly is it to trust to that, and boast of that, which will not enable us so much as for one hour to respite the execution of the sentence of death upon a parent, a child, or friend that is to us as our own soul! It is certainly true that the redemption of the soul is precious and ceaseth for ever; that is, life, when it is going, cannot be arrested, and when it is gone it cannot be recalled, by any human art, or worldly price. But this looks further, to the eternal redemption which was to be wrought out by the Messiah, whom the Old Testament saints had an eye to as the Redeemer. Everlasting life is a jewel of too great a value to be purchased by the wealth of this world. We are not redeemed with corruptible things, such as silver and gold, Pe1 1:18, Pe1 1:19. The learned Dr. Hammond applies the Psa 49:8 and Psa 49:9 verses expressly to Christ: "The redemption of the soul shall be precious, shall be high-prized, it shall cost very dear; but, being once wrought, it shall cease for ever, it shall never need to be repeated, Heb 9:25, Heb 9:26; Heb 10:12. And he (that is, the Redeemer) shall yet live for ever, and shall not see corruption; he shall rise again before he sees corruption, and then shall live for evermore," Rev 1:18. Christ did that for us which all the riches of the world could not do; well therefore may he be dearer to us than any worldly things. Christ did that for us which a brother, a friend, could not do for us, no, not one of the best estate or interest; and therefore those that love father or brother more than him are not worthy of him. This likewise shows the folly of worldly people, who sell their souls for that which would never buy them. 2. That with all their wealth they cannot secure themselves from the stroke of death. The worldling sees, and it vexes him to see it, that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, Psa 49:10. Therefore he cannot but expect that it will, at length, come to his own turn; he cannot find any encouragement to hope that he himself shall continue for ever, and therefore foolishly comforts himself with this, that, though he shall not, his house shall. Some rich people are wise, they are politicians, but they cannot out-wit death, nor evade his stroke, with all their art and management; others are fools and brutish (Fortuna favet fatuis - Fools are Fortune's favourites); these, though they do no good, yet perhaps do no great hurt in the world: but that shall not excuse them; they shall perish, and be taken away by death, as well as the wise that did mischief with their craft. Or by the wise and the foolish we may understand the godly and the wicked; the godly die, and their death is their deliverance; the wicked perish, and their death is their destruction; but, however, they leave their wealth to others. (1.) They cannot continue with it, nor will it serve to procure them a reprieve. That is a frivolous plea, though once it served a turn (Jer 41:8), Slay us not, for we have treasures in the field. (2.) They cannot carry it away with them, but must leave it behind them. (3.) They cannot foresee who will enjoy it when they have left it; they must leave it to others, but to whom they know not, perhaps to a fool (Ecc 2:19), perhaps to an enemy. 3. That, as their wealth will stand them in no stead in a dying hour, so neither will their honour (Psa 49:12): Man, being in honour, abides not. We will suppose a man advanced to the highest pinnacle of preferment, as great and happy as the world can make him, man in splendour, man at his best estate, surrounded and supported with all the advantages he can desire; yet then he abides not. His honour does not continue; that is a fleeting shadow. He himself does not, he tarries not all night; this world is an inn, in which his stay is so short that he can scarcely be said to get a night's lodging in it; so little rest is there in these things; he has but a baiting time. He is like the beasts that perish; that is, he must as certainly die as the beasts, and his death will be as final a period to his state in this world as theirs is; his dead body likewise will putrefy as theirs does; and (as Dr. Hammond observes) frequently the greatest honours and wealth, unjustly gotten by the parent, descend not to any one of his posterity (as the beasts, when they die, leave nothing behind them to their young ones, but the wide world to feed in), but fall into other hands immediately, for which he never designed to gather them. 4. That their condition on the other side of death will be very miserable. The world they dote upon will not only not save them from death, but will sink them so much the lower into hell (Psa 49:14): Like sheep they are laid in the grave. Their prosperity did but feed them like sheep for the slaughter (Hos 4:16), and then death comes, and shuts them up in the grave like fat sheep in a fold, to be brought forth to the day of wrath, Job 21:30. Multitudes of them, like flocks of sheep dead of some disease, are thrown into the grave, and there death shall feed on them, the second death, the worm that dies not, Job 24:20. Their own guilty consciences, like so many vultures, shall be continually preying upon them, with, Son, remember, Luk 16:25. Death insults and triumphs over them, as it is represented in the fall of the king of Babylon, at which hell from beneath is moved, Isa 14:9, etc. While a saint can ask proud Death, Where is thy sting? Death will ask the proud sinner, Where is thy wealth, thy pomp? and the more he was fattened with prosperity the more sweetly will death feed on him. And in the morning of the resurrection, when all that sleep in the dust shall awake (Dan 12:2), the upright shall have dominion over them, shall not only be advanced to the highest dignity and honour when they are filled with everlasting shame and contempt, elevated to the highest heavens when they are sunk to the lowest hell, but they shall be assessors with Christ in passing judgment upon them, and shall applaud the justice of God in their ruin. When the rich man in hell begged that Lazarus might bring him a drop of water to cool his tongue he owned that that upright man had dominion over him, as the foolish virgins also owned the dominion of the wise, and that they lay much at their mercy, when the begged, Give us of your oil. Let this comfort us in reference to the oppressions which the upright are now often groaning under, and the dominion which the wicked have over them. The day is coming when the tables will be turned (Est 9:1) and the upright will have the dominion. Let us now judge of things as they will appear at that day. But what will become of all the beauty of the wicked? Alas! that shall all be consumed in the grave from their dwelling; all that upon which they valued themselves, and for which others caressed and admired them, was adventitious and borrowed; it was paint and varnish, and they will rise in their own native deformity. The beauty of holiness is that which the grave, that consumes all other beauty, cannot touch, or do any damage to. Their beauty shall consume, the grave (or hell) being a habitation to every one of them; and what beauty can be there where there is nothing but the blackness of darkness for ever?”

“The iniquity of my heel. That is, the iniquity of my steps, or ways: or the iniquity of my pride, with which, as with the heel, I have spurned and kicked at my neighbours: or the iniquity of my heel, that is, the iniquity in which I shall be found in death. The meaning of this verse is, why should I now indulge those passions and sinful affections, or commit now those sins, which will cause me so much fear and anguish in the evil day; when the sorrows of death shall compass me, and the perils of hell shall find me? (Challoner) — The old serpent is constantly laying snares for our heel, Genesis iii. 15. (Haydock) — Original (St. Jerome) and actual sin, (Eusebius) particularly final impenitence, (Rabbins) and the punishment of our transgressions, (Abenezra) are much to be feared, (Haydock) as well as concupiscence. (St. Ambrose) — All that will fill us with alarm in the day of vengeance, will be the having been supplanted, like wrestlers, by our iniquity, (Calmet) of which we have not repented. (Haydock) — Any such injustice must be dreaded, as it will bring on damnation. (Worthington) — Instead of heel, Symmachus has “steps,” including all the unjust actions of life. (Haydock)”