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Tuesday, July 8th, 2025
the Week of Proper 9 / Ordinary 14
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Read the Bible

New Century Version

Psalms 49:16

Don't be afraid of rich people because their houses are more beautiful.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Envy;   Rich, the;   Worldliness;   The Topic Concordance - Trust;   Wealth;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Ambition;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Korah;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Wealth;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Jehoiakim;   Partridge;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Fear;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - English Versions;   Eschatology;   Glory;   Greek Versions of Ot;   Korah, Korahites;   Psalms;   Sin;   Wealth;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - God;   Korah;   Psalms the book of;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Glory;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Death, Views and Customs Concerning;   Demonology;   Immortality of the Soul;   Sheol;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Do not be afraid when a person gets rich,when the wealth of his house increases.
Hebrew Names Version
Don't be afraid when a man is made rich, When the glory of his house is increased.
King James Version
Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased;
English Standard Version
Be not afraid when a man becomes rich, when the glory of his house increases.
New English Translation
Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich and his wealth multiplies!
Amplified Bible
Be not afraid when [an ungodly] man becomes rich, When the wealth and glory of his house are increased;
New American Standard Bible
Do not be afraid when a person becomes rich, When the splendor of his house is increased;
World English Bible
Don't be afraid when a man is made rich, When the glory of his house is increased.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Be not thou afrayd when one is made rich, and when the glory of his house is increased.
Legacy Standard Bible
Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich,When the glory of his house increases;
Berean Standard Bible
Do not be amazed when a man grows rich, when the splendor of his house increases.
Contemporary English Version
Don't let it bother you when others get rich and live in luxury.
Complete Jewish Bible
But God will redeem me from Sh'ol's control, because he will receive me. (Selah)
Darby Translation
Be not afraid when a man becometh rich, when the glory of his house is increased:
Easy-to-Read Version
Don't be afraid of people just because they are rich. Don't be afraid of people just because they have big, fancy houses.
George Lamsa Translation
Be not afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased;
Good News Translation
Don't be upset when someone becomes rich, when his wealth grows even greater;
Lexham English Bible
Do not fear when a man becomes rich, when the wealth of his house increases,
Literal Translation
Do not be afraid when one becomes rich, when the glory of his house increases;
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Sela. O be not thou afrayed, whan one is made riche, & the glory of his house increased.
American Standard Version
Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, When the glory of his house is increased:
Bible in Basic English
Have no fear when wealth comes to a man, and the glory of his house is increased;
JPS Old Testament (1917)
But God will redeem my soul from the power of the nether-world; for He shall receive me. Selah
King James Version (1611)
Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Be not thou afrayde though one be made riche: or yf the glorie of his house be encreased.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Fear not when a man is enriched, and when the glory of his house is increased.
English Revised Version
Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased:
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Drede thou not, whanne a man is maad riche; and the glorie of his hows is multiplied.
Update Bible Version
Don't be afraid when one is made rich, When the glory of his house is increased.
Webster's Bible Translation
Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased;
New King James Version
Do not be afraid when one becomes rich, When the glory of his house is increased;
New Living Translation
So don't be dismayed when the wicked grow rich and their homes become ever more splendid.
New Life Bible
Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich and when his house grows in greatness.
New Revised Standard
Do not be afraid when some become rich, when the wealth of their houses increases.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Do not fear, When a man becometh rich, When the glory of his house increaseth;
Douay-Rheims Bible
(48-17) Be not thou afraid, when a man shall be made rick, and when the glory of his house shall be increased.
Revised Standard Version
Be not afraid when one becomes rich, when the glory of his house increases.
Young's Literal Translation
Fear not, when one maketh wealth, When the honour of his house is abundant,
THE MESSAGE
So don't be impressed with those who get rich and pile up fame and fortune. They can't take it with them; fame and fortune all get left behind. Just when they think they've arrived and folks praise them because they've made good, They enter the family burial plot where they'll never see sunshine again.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich, When the glory of his house is increased;

Contextual Overview

15 But God will save my life and will take me from the grave. Selah 16 Don't be afraid of rich people because their houses are more beautiful. 17 They don't take anything to the grave; their wealth won't go down with them. 18 Even though they were praised when they were alive— and people may praise you when you succeed— 19 they will go to where their ancestors are. They will never see light again. 20 Rich people with no understanding are just like animals that die.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Be not: Psalms 49:5, Psalms 37:1, Psalms 37:7, Esther 3:1-6, Proverbs 28:12

glory: Genesis 31:1, Esther 5:11, Revelation 21:24, Revelation 21:26

Reciprocal: Job 15:29 - neither shall Job 19:9 - stripped Psalms 4:6 - many Proverbs 4:7 - with Isaiah 10:3 - where Jeremiah 9:23 - wise Matthew 4:8 - and showeth Matthew 19:23 - That Luke 6:24 - woe Luke 16:22 - the rich

Cross-References

Genesis 30:6
Rachel said, "God has judged me innocent. He has listened to my prayer and has given me a son," so she named him Dan.
Genesis 49:1
Then Jacob called his sons to him. He said, "Come here to me, and I will tell you what will happen to you in the future.
Genesis 49:2
"Come together and listen, sons of Jacob. Listen to Israel, your father."
Genesis 49:24
but he aims his bow well. His arms are made strong. He gets his power from the Mighty God of Jacob and his strength from the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel.
Genesis 49:25
Your father's God helps you. God Almighty blesses you. He blesses you with rain from above, with water from springs below, with many babies born to your wives, and many young ones born to your animals.
Genesis 49:26
The blessings of your father are greater than the blessings of the oldest mountains, greater than the good things of the long-lasting hills. May these blessings rest on the head of Joseph, on the forehead of the one who was separated from his brothers.
Genesis 49:27
"Benjamin is like a hungry wolf. In the morning he eats what he has caught, and in the evening he divides what he has taken."
Numbers 10:25
The last ones were the rear guard for all the tribes. These were the divisions from the camp of Dan under their flag, and Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai was the commander.
Deuteronomy 33:22
Moses said this about the people of Dan: "Dan is like a lion's cub, who jumps out of Bashan."
Judges 13:2
There was a man named Manoah from the tribe of Dan, who lived in the city of Zorah. He had a wife, but she could not have children.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Be not thou afraid when one is made rich,.... Who before was poor, or not so rich; but now become so, either by inheritance, or by his own diligence and industry, through the permission of Providence. This is to be understood, not of a good man, from whom oppression is not to be feared; but it may be hoped he will do good with his riches, by relieving the poor, and ministering to the support of the interest of religion, and using what power and authority he may have in defence of it: but it is to be interpreted of a wicked man; of one who neither fears God, nor regards man; who makes an ill use of his riches, power, and authority, to the oppression of the poor, and the persecution of the saints, and who seeks to be feared when he is not loved; see

Proverbs 28:12; but the people of God should not be afraid when this is the case, since God is their strength, their light, and their salvation; and since wicked men can go no further than permitted, and at most can do no more than kill the body; see Psalms 27:1; these words are an apostrophe of the psalmist, either to his own soul, or to the saints, and every particular believer;

when the glory of his house is increased; either the same with riches, so called, Genesis 31:1; because men are apt to glory in them, and for the most part obtain honour and glory from men by them; or children, and an increase of them, and especially when they come to honour; as also the advancement of themselves to high places of honour and trust; as well as additional buildings, large stately edifices, to make them look great, and perpetuate their names.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Be not thou afraid when one is made rich - Do not dread the power derived from wealth; do not fear anything which a man can do merely because he is rich. The original is, “when a “man” becomes rich.” The allusion is not necessarily to a bad man, though that is implied in the whole passage, since there is no reason for fearing a “good” man, whether he is rich or poor. The only thing that seems to have been apprehended in the mind of the psalmist was that power of doing injury to others, or of employing means to injure others, which wealth confers on a bad man. The psalmist here changes the form of the expression, no longer referring to himself, and to his own feelings, as in the former part of the psalm, but making an application of the whole course of thought to others, showing them, as the result of his own reflection and observation, that no man had any real cause for dread and alarm when riches increased in the hands of the wicked. The reasons why this power should not be feared are stated in the following verses.

When the glory of his house is increased - Rich people often lavish much of their wealth on their dwellings; on the dwelling itself; on the furniture; on the grounds and appendages of their habitation. This is evidently referred to here as “the “glory” of their house;” as that which would be adapted to make an impression of the power and rank of its possessor.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Psalms 49:16. Be not thou afraid when one is made rich — Do not be envious; do not grieve: it will do you no harm; it will do him no good. All he gets will be left behind; he can carry nothing with him. Even his glory must stay behind; he shall mingle with the common earth.


 
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