Lectionary Calendar
Sunday, September 21st, 2025
the Week of Proper 20 / Ordinary 25
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Read the Bible

Contemporary English Version

Psalms 49:19

But we each will go down to our ancestors, never again to see the light of day.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Death;   The Topic Concordance - Trust;   Wealth;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Ambition;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Korah;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Wealth;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Generation;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - English Versions;   Eschatology;   Generation;   Greek Versions of Ot;   Korah, Korahites;   Psalms;   Sin;   Wealth;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Light;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - God;   Korah;   Psalms the book of;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Generation;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Age;   Light;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
he will go to the generation of his fathers;they will never see the light.
Hebrew Names Version
He shall go to the generation of his fathers. They shall never see the light.
King James Version
He shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see light.
English Standard Version
his soul will go to the generation of his fathers, who will never again see light.
New Century Version
they will go to where their ancestors are. They will never see light again.
New English Translation
But he will join his ancestors; they will never again see the light of day.
Amplified Bible
He shall go to the generation of his fathers; They shall never again see the light.
New American Standard Bible
He will go to the generation of his fathers; They will never see the light.
World English Bible
He shall go to the generation of his fathers. They shall never see the light.
Geneva Bible (1587)
He shal enter into the generation of his fathers, and they shall not liue for euer.
Legacy Standard Bible
But his soul shall go to the generation of his fathers;They will eternally not see light.
Berean Standard Bible
he will join the generation of his fathers, who will never see the light of day.
Complete Jewish Bible
True, while he lived, he thought himself happy — people praise you when you do well for yourself —
Darby Translation
It shall go to the generation of his fathers: they shall never see light.
Easy-to-Read Version
But the time will come for him to die and go to his ancestors. And he will never again see the light of day.
George Lamsa Translation
His end shall be as his fathers was before him; they shall never see light.
Good News Translation
he will join all his ancestors in death, where the darkness lasts forever.
Lexham English Bible
it will go to the generation of his fathers. Never will they see light.
Literal Translation
He shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall not see light forever.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But whe he foloweth his fathers generacion, he shal neuer se light eny more.
American Standard Version
He shall go to the generation of his fathers; They shall never see the light.
Bible in Basic English
He will go to the generation of his fathers; he will not see the light again.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Though while he lived he blessed his soul: 'Men will praise thee, when thou shalt do well to thyself';
King James Version (1611)
Hee shall goe to the generation of his fathers, they shall neuer see light.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
But he shal folowe the generations of his fathers: and shall neuer see lyght.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Yet he shall go in to the generation of his fathers; he shall never see light.
English Revised Version
He shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see the light.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
He schal entre til in to the generaciouns of hise fadris; and til in to with outen ende he schal not se liyt.
Update Bible Version
He shall go to the generation of his fathers; They shall never see the light.
Webster's Bible Translation
He shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see light.
New King James Version
He shall go to the generation of his fathers; They shall never see light.
New Living Translation
But they will die like all before them and never again see the light of day.
New Life Bible
he will go and join the family of his fathers. They will never see the light.
New Revised Standard
they will go to the company of their ancestors, who will never again see the light.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
He shall enter as far as the circle of his fathers, Nevermore, shall they see the light.
Douay-Rheims Bible
(48-20) He shall g in to the generations of his fathers: and he shall never see light.
Revised Standard Version
he will go to the generation of his fathers, who will never more see the light.
Young's Literal Translation
It cometh to the generation of his fathers, For ever they see not the light.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
He shall go to the generation of his fathers; They will never see the light.

Contextual Overview

15 But God will rescue me from the power of death. 16 Don't let it bother you when others get rich and live in luxury. 17 Soon they will die and all of their wealth will be left behind. 18 We humans are praised when we do well, and all of us are glad to be alive. 19 But we each will go down to our ancestors, never again to see the light of day. 20 Our human glory disappears, and, like animals, we die.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

He: Heb. The soul, Ecclesiastes 3:21, Ecclesiastes 12:7, Luke 12:20, Luke 16:22, Luke 16:23

to the generation: Genesis 15:15, 1 Kings 16:6

never: Psalms 56:13, Job 33:30, Matthew 8:12, Matthew 22:13, Jude 1:13

Reciprocal: Job 33:28 - see Ecclesiastes 3:18 - concerning Luke 6:25 - mourn John 3:36 - see John 8:12 - shall have 1 Peter 3:10 - see

Cross-References

Genesis 30:11
"I'm really lucky," Leah said, and she named the boy Gad.
Genesis 46:16
Jacob and Zilpah, the servant woman Laban had given his daughter Leah, had a total of sixteen children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Their son Gad took his sons Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli. Their son Asher took his sons Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah, who took his sons, Heber and Malchiel. Serah, the daughter of Asher, also went.
Genesis 49:1
Jacob called his sons together and said: My sons, I am Jacob, your father Israel.
Genesis 49:11
You will tie your donkey to a choice grapevine and wash your clothes in wine from those grapes.
Genesis 49:18
Our Lord , I am waiting for you to save us.
Genesis 49:20
Asher, you will eat food fancy enough for a king.
Genesis 49:21
Naphtali, you are a wild deer with lovely fawns.
Genesis 49:22
Joseph, you are a fruitful vine growing near a stream and climbing a wall.
Joshua 13:8
Moses had already given land east of the Jordan River to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh.
1 Chronicles 5:26
So God sent King Tiglath Pileser of Assyria to attack these Israelite tribes. The king led them away as prisoners to Assyria, and from then on, he forced them to live in Halah, Habor, Hara, and near the Gozan River.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

He shall go to the generation of his fathers,.... Be gathered to them at death; or "to the dwelling place of his fathers" m; either the grave, or hell, or both; the habitation of his wicked ancestors: unless the words be rendered, as they are by some, though "he shall come to the age of his fathers" n; live as long as they have done; yet he must die at last, and leave all behind, as they have done;

they shall never see light; neither he nor his fathers; they shall never see light of the sun any more, nor return to the light of the living, but shall lie in the dark and silent grave until the resurrection; or rather, they shall never enjoy eternal light, glory, and happiness. The ultimate state of glory is sometimes expressed by "light"; John 8:12; this the people of God, such who are made light in the Lord, and are the children of the day, shall see; but wicked men shall not; they will be cast into outer darkness, where are weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth.

m עד-דור "ad habitationem", Gejerus. n "Usque ad aetatem", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

He shall go to the generation of his fathers - To be gathered to one’s own people, or to his fathers, is a common expression in the Old Testament in speaking of death. See Genesis 25:8, Genesis 25:17; Genesis 35:29; Genesis 49:29, Genesis 49:33, Numbers 20:24, Numbers 20:26; Numbers 27:13; Numbers 31:2; Deuteronomy 32:50; Judges 2:10. It means that they were united again with those who had gone before them, in the regions of the dead. Death had indeed separated them, but by death they were again united.

They shall never see light - He and the “generation” to which he has gone to be united, would no more see the light of this world; no more walk among the living: Job 33:30. Compare the notes at Isaiah 38:11; notes at Psalms 27:13. The meaning is, that the rich sinner will die as others have done before him, leaving all his earthly possessions, and will no more be permitted to revisit the world where his forsaken possessions are, and will not even be permitted to “look” on what before had been to him such a source of self-confidence, self-gratulation, and pride.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Psalms 49:19. They shall never see light. — Rise again they shall; but they shall never see the light of glory, for there is prepared for them the blackness of darkness for ever.


 
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