They that trust, etc.... As much as to say, let them fear that trust in their strength or riches: for they have great reason to fear: seeing no brother or other man, how much a friend soever, can by any price or labour rescue them from death.
48:8. No brother can redeem, nor shall man redeem: he shall not give to God his ransom,
48:9. Nor the price of the redemption of his soul: and shall labour for ever,
And shall labour for ever, etc.... This seems to be a continuation of the foregoing sentence: as much as to say no man can by any price or ransom prolong his life, that so he may still continue to labour here, and live to the end of the world. Others understand it of the eternal sorrows, and dying life of hell, which is the dreadful consequence of dying in sin.
48:10. And shall still live unto the end.
48:11. He shall not see destruction, when he shall see the wise dying: the senseless and the fool shall perish together: And they shall leave their riches to strangers:
He shall not see destruction, etc.... Or, shall he not see destruction? As much as to say, however thoughtless he may be of his death, he must not expect to escape; when even the wise and the good are not exempt from dying.
48:12. And their sepulchres shall be their houses for ever. Their dwelling places to all generations: they have called their lands by their names.
They have called, etc.... That is, they have left their names on their graves, which alone remain of their lands.
48:13. And man when he was in honour did not understand; he is compared to senseless beasts, and is become like to them.