The Meaning of Psalms 49:18 Explained

Psalms 49:18

KJV: Though while he lived he blessed his soul: and men will praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself.

YLT: For his soul in his life he blesseth, (And they praise thee when thou dost well for thyself.)

Darby: Though he blessed his soul in his lifetime, and men will praise thee when thou doest well to thyself, --

ASV: Though while he lived he blessed his soul (And men praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself,)

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Though while he lived  he blessed  his soul:  and [men] will praise  thee, when thou doest well  to thyself. 

What does Psalms 49:18 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 49:1-20 - The Folly Of Trusting In Riches
Here is a proclamation worthy of the hearing of all the world. The psalmist is listening to voices unheard by ordinary ears. Be sure to listen to God's voice, and then unfold His dark sayings in music. However dark they may seem in their mystery and awe, they may be uttered in song. See Revelation 15:3-4.
The burden of the psalm is the impotence of wealth. The millionaire cannot prolong the life of his sick child. And even if, like Queen Elizabeth, he cries on his dying bed: "A million of money for a moment of time!" the sand passes unheeding through the hour-glass. He must leave stocks and shares, jewels and gold, at the summons of Death, described in Psalms 49:14 as the shepherd who calls his flock to fold it in Sheol, R.V. How different the lot of the righteous! As eternity dawns, they are redeemed from the power of the grave and pass to the bosom of God. What are the riches and glory of this world compared with the sense of God's presence in the humble and contrite heart! To have that is to have the essence of all! "Whom have I in heaven but thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee," Psalms 73:25. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 49

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

What do the individual words in Psalms 49:18 mean?

Though himself while he lives he blesses for [men] will praise you when you do well for yourself
כִּֽי־ נַ֭פְשׁוֹ בְּחַיָּ֣יו יְבָרֵ֑ךְ וְ֝יוֹדֻ֗ךָ כִּי־ תֵיטִ֥יב לָֽךְ

כִּֽי־  Though 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
נַ֭פְשׁוֹ  himself 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
בְּחַיָּ֣יו  while  he  lives 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
יְבָרֵ֑ךְ  he  blesses 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּרַךְ 
Sense: to bless, kneel.
וְ֝יוֹדֻ֗ךָ  for  [men]  will  praise  you 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive imperfect, third person masculine plural, second person masculine singular
Root: יָדָה 
Sense: to throw, shoot, cast.
תֵיטִ֥יב  you  do  well 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: יָטַב  
Sense: to be good, be pleasing, be well, be glad.
לָֽךְ  for  yourself 
Parse: Preposition, second person feminine singular