Psalm 49:7
New International Version
No one can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for them—

New Living Translation
Yet they cannot redeem themselves from death by paying a ransom to God.

English Standard Version
Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life,

Berean Standard Bible
No man can possibly redeem his brother or pay his ransom to God.

King James Bible
None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him:

New King James Version
None of them can by any means redeem his brother, Nor give to God a ransom for him—

New American Standard Bible
No one can by any means redeem another Or give God a ransom for him—

NASB 1995
No man can by any means redeem his brother Or give to God a ransom for him—

NASB 1977
No man can by any means redeem his brother, Or give to God a ransom for him—

Legacy Standard Bible
Truly, no man can redeem his brother; He cannot give to God a ransom for him—

Amplified Bible
None of them can by any means redeem [either himself or] his brother, Nor give to God a ransom for him—

Christian Standard Bible
Yet these cannot redeem a person or pay his ransom to God —

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Yet these cannot redeem a person or pay his ransom to God—

American Standard Version
None of them can by any means redeem his brother, Nor give to God a ransom for him;

Contemporary English Version
You cannot buy back your life or pay off God!

English Revised Version
None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
No one can ever buy back another person or pay God a ransom for his life.

Good News Translation
We can never redeem ourselves; we cannot pay God the price for our lives,

International Standard Version
No man can redeem the life of another, nor can he give to God a sufficient payment for him—

Majority Standard Bible
No man can possibly redeem his brother or pay his ransom to God.

NET Bible
Certainly a man cannot rescue his brother; he cannot pay God an adequate ransom price

New Heart English Bible
Truly these cannot redeem a person, nor give to God a ransom for him.

Webster's Bible Translation
None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him:

World English Bible
none of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give God a ransom for him.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
A brother ransoms no one at all, "" He does not give to God his atonement.

Young's Literal Translation
A brother doth no one at all ransom, He doth not give to God his atonement.

Smith's Literal Translation
A man redeeming shall not redeem the brother, he shall not give to God his ransom:
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
No brother can redeem, nor shall man redeem: he shall not give to God his ransom,

Catholic Public Domain Version
no brother redeems, nor will man buy back. He will not give to God his appeasement,

New American Bible
No man can ransom even a brother, or pay to God his own ransom.

New Revised Standard Version
Truly, no ransom avails for one’s life, there is no price one can give to God for it.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
A brother cannot save a brother, nor can a man give to God a ransom for himself;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
A brother does not save, and a man does not give God his redemption.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
No man can by any means redeem his brother, Nor give to God a ransom for him--

Brenton Septuagint Translation
A brother does not redeem, shall a man redeem? he shall not give to God a ransom for himself,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Evanescence of Wealth
6They trust in their wealth and boast in their great riches. 7No man can possibly redeem his brother or pay his ransom to God. 8For the redemption of his soul is costly, and never can payment suffice,…

Cross References
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?

Mark 8:36-37
What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? / Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?

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.”

1 Peter 1:18-19
For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life you inherited from your forefathers, / but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot.

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

Job 36:18-19
Be careful that no one lures you with riches; do not let a large bribe lead you astray. / Can your wealth or all your mighty effort keep you from distress?

Ecclesiastes 5:10
He who loves money is never satisfied by money, and he who loves wealth is never satisfied by income. This too is futile.

Ezekiel 7:19
They will throw their silver into the streets, and their gold will seem unclean. Their silver and gold cannot save them in the day of the wrath of the LORD. They cannot satisfy their appetites or fill their stomachs with wealth, for it became the stumbling block that brought their iniquity.

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.

Luke 16:9
I tell you, use worldly wealth to make friends for yourselves so that when it is gone, they will welcome you into eternal dwellings.

1 Timothy 6:7-10
For we brought nothing into the world, so we cannot carry anything out of it. / But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. / Those who want to be rich, however, fall into temptation and become ensnared by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. ...

James 5:1-3
Come now, you who are rich, weep and wail over the misery to come upon you. / Your riches have rotted and moths have eaten your clothes. / Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and consume your flesh like fire. You have hoarded treasure in the last days.

Isaiah 52:3
For this is what the LORD says: “You were sold for nothing, and without money you will be redeemed.”

Jeremiah 31:11
For the LORD has ransomed Jacob and redeemed him from the hand that had overpowered him.

Hosea 13:14
I will ransom them from the power of Sheol; I will redeem them from Death. Where, O Death, are your plagues? Where, O Sheol, is your sting? Compassion is hidden from My eyes.


Treasury of Scripture

None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him:

No references for this verse

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














No man
The phrase "No man" underscores the universality of human limitation. In the Hebrew text, the word used is "אִישׁ" (ish), which refers to a person or individual. This highlights the inherent inability of any human being, regardless of status or capability, to achieve what is being discussed. Theologically, this sets the stage for understanding the need for divine intervention, as human efforts are insufficient for redemption.

can possibly redeem
The Hebrew root for "redeem" is "פָּדָה" (padah), which means to ransom or rescue. In ancient Israel, redemption often involved a kinsman-redeemer who would buy back a relative from slavery or debt. This concept is deeply embedded in the cultural and legal practices of the time, reflecting the idea of liberation and restoration. Spiritually, it points to the ultimate redemption that only God can provide, as human means fall short.

his brother
The term "brother" (אָח, ach) in Hebrew can refer to a literal sibling or a fellow member of the community. This emphasizes the close relational ties and the communal responsibility that was prevalent in ancient Israelite society. However, the verse highlights the limitation even within these close bonds, pointing to the fact that spiritual redemption transcends human relationships and requires divine action.

or pay his ransom
The word "ransom" comes from the Hebrew "כֹּפֶר" (kofer), which refers to a price paid for the release of a person. In the historical context, this could involve monetary compensation or other forms of payment to secure freedom. Theologically, this illustrates the concept of atonement, where a price must be paid for sin. The verse indicates that no human can pay this price, pointing to the necessity of a perfect sacrifice.

to God
The phrase "to God" (לֵאלֹהִים, le'Elohim) directs the focus to the divine, highlighting that the ultimate authority and recipient of any ransom is God Himself. This reflects the biblical understanding of God as the sovereign judge and redeemer. It underscores the futility of human efforts to achieve redemption through their own means, emphasizing the need for divine grace and intervention.

(7) None of them can.--Brother is here used in the wide sense of Leviticus 19:17, Genesis 13:11 (where rendered "the one"). The sense is the same whether we make it nominative or accusative. Death is the debt which all owe, and which each must pay for himself. No wealth can buy a man off. God, in whose hand are the issues of life and death, is not to be bribed; nor, as the next verse says, even if the arrangement were possible, would any wealth be sufficient.

Verse 7. - None of them can by any means redeem his brother. The text is suspected. If we read אַך for אָה, with Ewald and Professor Cheyne, the right translation will be, Nevertheless, no man can by any means redeem himself. With all his boasting, the rich man cannot effect his own redemption; nor, however great his wealth, can he give to God a ransom for him; i.e. for himself. "Brother" is not used in the Psalms in the sense of "fellow-man," but only in the literal sense of close blood, relation (Psalm 35:14; Psalm 50:20).

Parallel Commentaries ...


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

man
אָ֗ח (’āḥ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 251: A brother, )

can possibly
פָדֹ֣ה (p̄ā·ḏōh)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 6299: To sever, ransom, gener, to release, preserve

redeem
יִפְדֶּ֣ה (yip̄·deh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6299: To sever, ransom, gener, to release, preserve

his brother
אִ֑ישׁ (’îš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

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

pay
יִתֵּ֖ן (yit·tên)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

his ransom
כָּפְרֽוֹ׃ (kā·p̄ə·rōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3724: A cover, a village, bitumen, the henna plant, a redemption-price

to God.
לֵאלֹהִ֣ים (lê·lō·hîm)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative


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OT Poetry: Psalm 49:7 None of them can by any means (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 49:6
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