Psalm 49:17
New International Version
for they will take nothing with them when they die, their splendor will not descend with them.

New Living Translation
For when they die, they take nothing with them. Their wealth will not follow them into the grave.

English Standard Version
For when he dies he will carry nothing away; his glory will not go down after him.

Berean Standard Bible
For when he dies, he will carry nothing away; his abundance will not follow him down.

King James Bible
For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him.

New King James Version
For when he dies he shall carry nothing away; His glory shall not descend after him.

New American Standard Bible
For when he dies, he will take nothing with him; His wealth will not descend after him.

NASB 1995
For when he dies he will carry nothing away; His glory will not descend after him.

NASB 1977
For when he dies he will carry nothing away; His glory will not descend after him.

Legacy Standard Bible
For when he dies he will not take any of it; His glory will not descend after him.

Amplified Bible
For when he dies he will carry nothing away; His glory will not descend after him.

Christian Standard Bible
For when he dies, he will take nothing at all; his wealth will not follow him down.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
For when he dies, he will take nothing at all; his wealth will not follow him down.

American Standard Version
For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away; His glory shall not descend after him.

Contemporary English Version
Soon they will die and all their wealth will be left behind.

English Revised Version
For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away; his glory shall not descend after him.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
He will not take anything with him when he dies. His greatness cannot follow him.

Good News Translation
he cannot take it with him when he dies; his wealth will not go with him to the grave.

International Standard Version
When he dies, he will not be able to take it all with him — his possessions will not follow him to the grave,

Majority Standard Bible
For when he dies, he will carry nothing away; his abundance will not follow him down.

NET Bible
For he will take nothing with him when he dies; his wealth will not follow him down into the grave.

New Heart English Bible
For when he dies he shall carry nothing away. His glory shall not descend after him.

Webster's Bible Translation
For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him.

World English Bible
for when he dies he will carry nothing away. His glory won’t descend after him.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
For at his death he receives nothing, "" His glory does not go down after him.

Young's Literal Translation
For at his death he receiveth nothing, His honour goeth not down after him.

Smith's Literal Translation
For not in his dying shall he take anything: his honor shall not go down after him.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
For when he shall die he shall take nothing away; nor shall his glory descend with him.

Catholic Public Domain Version
For when he dies, he will take nothing away, and his glory will not descend with him.

New American Bible
At his death he will not take along anything, his glory will not go down after him.

New Revised Standard Version
For when they die they will carry nothing away; their wealth will not go down after them.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
For when he dies he shall carry nothing away; neither shall his glory descend after him.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Because he will not take anything in his death, neither does his glory descend after him.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away; His wealth shall not descend after him.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
For he shall take nothing when he dies; neither shall his glory descend with him.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Evanescence of Wealth
16Do not be amazed when a man grows rich, when the splendor of his house increases. 17For when he dies, he will carry nothing away; his abundance will not follow him down. 18Though in his lifetime he blesses his soul—and men praise you when you prosper—…

Cross References
1 Timothy 6:7
For we brought nothing into the world, so we cannot carry anything out of it.

Ecclesiastes 5:15
As a man came from his mother’s womb, so he will depart again, naked as he arrived. He takes nothing for his labor to carry in his hands.

Job 1:21
saying: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.”

Luke 12:20-21
But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be required of you. Then who will own what you have accumulated?’ / This is how it will be for anyone who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich toward God.”

Matthew 6:19-21
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. / But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. / For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Proverbs 11:4
Riches are worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness brings deliverance from death.

Ecclesiastes 2:18-19
I hated all for which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who comes after me. / And who knows whether that man will be wise or foolish? Yet he will take over all the labor at which I have worked skillfully under the sun. This too is futile.

James 1:10-11
But the one who is rich should exult in his low position, because he will pass away like a flower of the field. / For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its flower falls and its beauty is lost. So too, the rich man will fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

1 Peter 1:24
For, “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall,

Luke 16:22-23
One day the beggar died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. And the rich man also died and was buried. / In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham from afar, with Lazarus by his side.

Proverbs 27:24
for riches are not forever, nor does a crown endure to every generation.

Ecclesiastes 6:2
God gives a man riches, wealth, and honor, so that he lacks nothing his heart desires; but God does not allow him to enjoy them. Instead, a stranger will enjoy them. This is futile and a grievous affliction.

1 Corinthians 7:31
and those who use the things of this world, as if not dependent on them. For this world in its present form is passing away.

Matthew 16:26
What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?

Job 27:16-19
Though he heaps up silver like dust and piles up a wardrobe like clay, / what he lays up, the righteous will wear, and his silver will be divided by the innocent. / The house he built is like a moth’s cocoon, like a hut set up by a watchman. ...


Treasury of Scripture

For when he dies he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him.

he shall

Job 1:21
And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.

Job 27:19
The rich man shall lie down, but he shall not be gathered: he openeth his eyes, and he is not.

Ecclesiastes 5:15
As he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.

his

Isaiah 5:14
Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.

Isaiah 10:3
And what will ye do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which shall come from far? to whom will ye flee for help? and where will ye leave your glory?

1 Corinthians 15:43
It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:

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Psalm 49
1. An earnest persuasion to build the faith of resurrection
16. Worldly prosperity is not to be admired














For when he dies
This phrase introduces the inevitable reality of death, a universal truth that transcends time and culture. In the Hebrew text, the word for "dies" is "mûth," which signifies the cessation of life. This word is used throughout the Old Testament to denote the end of earthly existence, reminding us of the mortality that all humans face. The Bible consistently teaches that life is fleeting, as seen in James 4:14, which describes life as a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. This phrase calls believers to reflect on the brevity of life and the importance of living with an eternal perspective.

he will carry nothing away
This part of the verse emphasizes the futility of material wealth in the face of death. The Hebrew word "lāqaḥ" means "to take" or "to carry," underscoring the idea that earthly possessions cannot be taken into the afterlife. This echoes the sentiment found in 1 Timothy 6:7, "For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it." The Bible consistently warns against placing trust in riches, as they are temporary and cannot secure eternal life. This phrase encourages believers to focus on spiritual treasures that have everlasting value.

his abundance will not follow him down
Here, the word "abundance" is translated from the Hebrew "kāḇôd," which can mean wealth, honor, or glory. The psalmist is highlighting that no matter how much one accumulates in terms of wealth or status, it holds no value after death. The phrase "will not follow him down" uses the imagery of descent, possibly referring to Sheol, the abode of the dead in Hebrew thought. This serves as a sobering reminder that earthly achievements and possessions are left behind, reinforcing the teaching of Jesus in Matthew 6:19-20, where He instructs to store up treasures in heaven rather than on earth. This phrase challenges believers to evaluate what they truly value and invest in what is eternal.

Verse 17. - For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away. Nothing in the way of earthly possessions - nothing but the qualities which he has imprinted on his soul, and made part and parcel of himself. The heathen nations, foolishly, were accustomed to bury clothes, and arms, and vessels, and stores of gold with the departed, as though they could take these with them into the other world (see the author's 'Herodotus,' vol. 3. pp. 59-62, end notes 9, 1, 2). The writer of the psalm, and those whom he addressed, were equally aware of the foolishness of such customs. His glory shall not descend after him. Whatever "glory" his wealth has secured to him in this life shall be left behind. He shall be imprisoned in Sheol, with death to shepherd him (ver. 14), and with no hope of returning to the "light" (ver. 19).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
For
כִּ֤י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

when he dies,
בְ֭מוֹתוֹ (ḇə·mō·w·ṯōw)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 4194: Death, the dead, their place, state, pestilence, ruin

he will carry
יִקַּ֣ח (yiq·qaḥ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3947: To take

nothing away;
לֹ֣א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

his abundance
כְּבוֹדֽוֹ׃ (kə·ḇō·w·ḏōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3519: Weight, splendor, copiousness

will not
לֹא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

follow
אַחֲרָ֣יו (’a·ḥă·rāw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 310: The hind or following part

him down.
יֵרֵ֖ד (yê·rêḏ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3381: To come or go down, descend


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OT Poetry: Psalm 49:17 For when he dies he shall carry (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 49:16
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