The Text and Meaning of Ps 49:12

Introduction

The MT of Ps 49:12 reads as follows:

קִרְבָּ֤ם בָּתֵּ֨ימוֹ ׀ לְֽעוֹלָ֗ם

מִ֭שְׁכְּנֹתָם לְדֹ֣ר וָדֹ֑ר

קָֽרְא֥וּ בִ֝שְׁמוֹתָ֗ם עֲלֵ֣י אֲדָמֽוֹת

This verse deals with the posthumous fate of the psalmist's opponents, that is the foolish rich, and is variously represented among modern translations. For example:

• Their inward thought is that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names. (KJ21)
• Their grave becomes their permanent residence, their eternal dwelling place. They name their lands after themselves,... (NET)
• Their graves are their homes for ever, their dwelling places to all generations, though they named lands their own. (RSV)
• Their grave is their eternal home, the dwelling-place for all generations of those once famous on earth. (JPS1985)

These translations and secondary literature on v. 12 indicate that among some of the difficulties with it is the interpretation of v. 12a and 12c.

1. In v. 12a, the MT has קִרְבָּם which a number of modern translations read as "their inner thought", that is, the rich think that their houses will stand for ever (e.g., KJ21; ASV; NASB; KJV; ERV; JPS 1917; LUTH1545; HOF; TOB; S21; BULG; RUSV; UKR; etc.). Other translations, however, represent v. 12a as "Their graves are their homes for ever, their dwelling places to all generations..." (e.g., RSV; NEB; REB; NRSV; NIV; ELT; RL; etc.).
2. Additionally, the meaning of קָרְאוּ בִשְׁמוֹתָם עֲלֵי אֲדָמוֹת in v. 12c is not straightforward, raising questions regarding a practice(s) that the rich here are envisaged as engaging in, i.e., either laying a claim of ownership to their immovable property (i.e., their land) or invoking the names of their deceased ancestors.

Argument Maps

The Text and Meaning of v. 12a

Reading v. 12a with the MT's קִרְבָּם

In v. 12a, the MT has קִרְבָּם which is followed by a number of modern translations rendering it as "their inner thought," i.e., "Their inner thought is that their houses are forever and their dwelling places to all generations..." (NASB; cf. KJ21; ASV; KJV; ERV; JPS 1917; LUTH1545; HOF; TOB; S21; BULG; RUSV; UKR; etc.).

===
model:
    removeTagsFromText: true
    shortcodes:
      ":C:": {unicode: "🄲"}
      ":G:": {unicode: "🄶"}
      ":A:": {unicode: "🄰"}
      ":I:": {unicode: "🄸"}    
      ":L:": {unicode: "🄻"}
      ":D:": {unicode: "🄳"}    
      ":M:": {unicode: "🄼"}   
selection:
    excludeDisconnected: false
dot:
    graphVizSettings: 
        rankdir: LR
        concentrate: true
        ranksep: 0.2
        nodesep: 0.2
===
[קִרְבָּם]: The reading קִרְבָּם is the earlier reading: "Their inner thought..." (NASB).#dispreferred  
 + <Context>: The reading קִרְבָּם makes sense contextually, i.e., the foolish rich imagine that "their houses are forever and their dwelling places to all generations..." (NASB).#dispreferred 
 + <More difficult reading>: As the more difficult reading, the MT should be preferred.#dispreferred 
  - <Scribal error>: Given the graphic similarity between קרבם and קברם, the change is probably the result of an unintentional scribal error rather than the result of a scribe trying to smooth out a difficult text. Thus, the fact that קברם is the more difficult reading (i.e., it does not fit the context as well as the alternative reading) means that it is probably the result of a scribal error.
 + <Witnesses>: Along with the MT, some ancient witnesses support the reading קִרְבָּם. #dispreferred  
  + [MT]: קִרְבָּ֤ם #dispreferred
  + [Aquila]: ἐν μέσωι αὐτῶν... #dispreferred
  + [Symmachus]: τὰ ἐντὸς... #dispreferred

Emending the MT's קִרְבָּם to קִבְרָם (preferred)

Many translations, however, follow the LXX (οἱ τάφοι αὐτῶν) and emend the MT to קִבְרָם. Hence, they render v. 12a as "Their graves are their homes for ever, their dwelling places to all generations..." (RSV; cf. NEB; REB; NRSV; NIV; ELT; RL).

===
model:
    removeTagsFromText: true
    shortcodes:
      ":C:": {unicode: "🄲"}
      ":G:": {unicode: "🄶"}
      ":A:": {unicode: "🄰"}
      ":I:": {unicode: "🄸"}    
      ":L:": {unicode: "🄻"}
      ":D:": {unicode: "🄳"}    
      ":M:": {unicode: "🄼"}   
selection:
    excludeDisconnected: false
dot:
    graphVizSettings: 
        rankdir: LR
        concentrate: true
        ranksep: 0.2
        nodesep: 0.2
===
[קִבְרָם]: The earlier reading is קִבְרָם: "their graves..." (BHS; Barthélemy 2005, 292-95 :M:; e.g., RSV; NEB; REB; NRSV; NIV; ELT; RL).
 + <Context>: The emended קברם/"their grave(s)" makes the most sense contextually, i.e., although the foolish rich accumulate wealth and make plans for this life, it is their grave(s) that will be their houses forever and their dwelling places to all generations.
  + <Internal Evidence>: Inner-biblical evidence shows that graves were thought of as the deceased's final and "eternal" houses and dwelling places.
   + [Qoh 12:5]: "...because man is going to his eternal home (בית עולמו), and the mourners go about the streets".
   + [Isa 22:16]: "...that you have cut out here a tomb (קבר) for yourself, you who cut out a tomb (קברו) on the height and carve a dwelling (משכן) for yourself in the rock?" 
  + <External Evidence>: Extra-biblical sources (Phoenician and Aramaic inscriptions; Palmyrene burial inscriptions) refer to graves as houses (Tromp 1969, 78 :M:; Spronk 1986, 33 :M:; Crenshaw 1986, 9 :A:; Seow 1999, 224–226 :A:). 
   + [The Deir 'Alla inscriptions]: Line 6 of Combination II of the Deir 'Alla inscriptions uses byt 'lmn. 
 - <Easier reading>: The reading קִבְרָם ("their graves") is the easier reading, and so it is easy to see how a scribe might have changed קרבם to קברם.#dispreferred 
  <_ <Scribal error>: Given the graphic similarity between קרבם and קברם, the change is probably the result of an unintentional scribal error rather than the result of a scribe trying to smooth out a difficult text. Thus, the fact that קברם is the easier reading (i.e., it makes the most sense contextually) means that it is likely the earlier reading.
 + <Ancient Witnesses>: Ancient witnesses support the reading "their graves."
  + [Targum]: "They shall remain in their graves (קבורתהון) for ever and not rise from their dwellings to all generations” (Stec 2004, 102).
  + [LXX]: "And their graves (καὶ οἱ τάφοι αὐτῶν) are their homes forever, their coverts to generation and generation" (NETS).
  + [Peshitta]: "Their graves (ܩܒܪ̈ܝܗܘܢ) are their houses forever, their dwelling places throughout generations" (Taylor 2020, 189).

The Meaning and Function of קָרְאוּ בִשְׁמוֹתָם עֲלֵי אֲדָמוֹת (v. 12c)

Land Possession (preferred)

The phrase קָרְאוּ בִשְׁמוֹתָם עֲלֵי אֲדָמוֹת in v. 12c should be understood as the rich people laying a claim of ownership to their immovable property (i.e., their land).

===
model:
    removeTagsFromText: true
    shortcodes:
      ":C:": {unicode: "🄲"}
      ":G:": {unicode: "🄶"}
      ":A:": {unicode: "🄰"}
      ":I:": {unicode: "🄸"}    
      ":L:": {unicode: "🄻"}
      ":D:": {unicode: "🄳"}    
      ":M:": {unicode: "🄼"}   
selection:
    excludeDisconnected: false
dot:
    graphVizSettings: 
        rankdir: LR
        concentrate: true
        ranksep: 0.2
        nodesep: 0.2
===
[Land Possession]: The phrase קָרְאוּ בִשְׁמוֹתָם עֲלֵי אֲדָמוֹת in v. 12c should be understood as a claim of property ownership.
 + <Accumulation of Wealth>: In Ps 49, the foolish rich are depicted as constantly accumulating wealth, and claiming "lands" as theirs would fit their mode of life. Thus, "claiming lands” fits the context of Ps 49 better than “calling on deceased ancestors.”
  + [Ps 49:7]: "...those who trust in their wealth and boast of the abundance of their riches?" (ESV).
  + [Ps 49:17]: "Be not afraid when a man becomes rich, when the glory of his house increases" (ESV).
 + <The Plural of "Lands">: The fact that the word "lands" in v. 12c is plural (אֲדָמוֹת) coheres well with the general tendency of the rich to accumulate wealth in Ps 49, or it can represent the superior quality of the land claimed by these individuals, which again coheres well with the psalmist's discourse.  
 + <Trust in Wealth>: In Ps 49, the foolish rich trust in their wealth (which would have included land holdings), and not in other individuals (dead or alive).
 + <קרא בשם and Land Ownership>: Naming territories with one's name is attested in the Hebrew Bible. 
  + [Num 32:41, 42]: "Jair the son of Manasseh went and took its towns (חותיהם), and called them Havvoth-jair (ויקרא אתהן חות יאיר)" (Num 32:41 NASB); "Nobah went and took Kenath and its villages, and called it Nobah after his own name (ויקרא לה נבח בשמו)" (Num 32:42 NASB; cf. Deut 3:14; Jdg 18:29; 1 Chron 6:50).
   <_<The "Naming" Idiom>: Although similar, Num 32:41, 42, Deut 3:14, Jdg 18:29, and 1 Chr 6:50 are not identical to the formulation in Ps 49:12.#dispreferred  

Calling on Deceased Ancestors

The phrase קָרְאוּ בִשְׁמוֹתָם עֲלֵי אֲדָמוֹת in v. 12c could refer to the practice of invoking the name(s) of deceased ancestors. Thus, M. Smith argues that the rich in v. 12 "maintain the ancestral cult with their burials, their 'eternal homes' (Ps 49:12a-b)" and "wrongly comfort themselves by indulging in the custom of summoning their deceased ancestors (Ps 49:12c)."

===
model:
    removeTagsFromText: true
    shortcodes:
      ":C:": {unicode: "🄲"}
      ":G:": {unicode: "🄶"}
      ":A:": {unicode: "🄰"}
      ":I:": {unicode: "🄸"}    
      ":L:": {unicode: "🄻"}
      ":D:": {unicode: "🄳"}    
      ":M:": {unicode: "🄼"}   
selection:
    excludeDisconnected: false
dot:
    graphVizSettings: 
        rankdir: LR
        concentrate: true
        ranksep: 0.2
        nodesep: 0.2
===
[Invocation of the Dead]: The phrase קָרְאוּ בִשְׁמוֹתָם עֲלֵי אֲדָמוֹת in v. 12c should be understood as a practice of invoking the deceased ancestors (Malamat 1989, 105-106 :M:; Smith 1993, 105-107 :A:). #dispreferred 
 + <Veneration of the Dead>: In biblical and extrabiblical sources, the practice of invoking the dead ancestors is represented with language similar to Ps 49:12c.#dispreferred 
  + [Ps 16:4]: Ps 16:4: "Their drink offerings of blood I will not offer, Nor take up their names on my lips (ובל אשא את שמותם על שפתי)" (Pope 1981, 457 :A:; Spronk 1986, 249, 334-38 :M:; Lewis 1989, 166 :M:; Smith 1993, 107 :A:). #dispreferred 
  + [Ugaritic]: Invoking the royal dead in Ugarit is communicated with qr' (KTU 1.161; Smith 1993, 107 :A:). #dispreferred 
  + [Akkadian]: In Akkadian, the invocation of the dead is done with šuma zakārū (KAI 214:16, 24; cf. 2 Sam 18:18; Smith 1993, 107 :A:). #dispreferred 
  <_ <Land Holding and Ancestor Veneration>: In ancient Israel and ANE, land holding and ancestor veneration were intricately linked (Stavrakopoulou 2010 :M:).  
   + [Exod 20:12]: The stipulation "to honor your father and mother", where honor represents filial reverence to parents in life and death (cf. 2 Sam 10:3; 2 Chr 32:33; Sir 38:17; etc.; Olyan 2005, 604 :A:), makes "tenancy and tenure of the sacred soil contingent upon proper behavior toward one’s progenitors" (i.e., "that you may long endure on the land") (Brichto 1973, 30-32 :A:; cf. 2 Sam 14:16, Lewis 1991, 597-612 :A:; Stavrakopoulou 2010 :M:).
   + [Inheritance and Posthumous Care in ANE]: In an Old Babylonian text, before his death a man leaves his estate to his daughter saying, "as long as I am alive she shall provide me with food, when I die she shall perform the funeral rites (kispa takassap)" (MDP 23 285:14-16; Greenfield 2001, 914 :A:; Veenhof 1998, 119-160 :A:).
 + <קרא  בשם and Naming/Invocation>: קרא  בשם can mean "to name X" or "to invoke the name of X." #dispreferred 
  + [Exod 31:2]: "See, I have called by name Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah" (cf. Exod 35:30).#dispreferred 
  + [Gen 12:8]: "... and he called upon the name of the Lord" (cf. Gen 26:25; Exod 34:5; 1 Kgs 18:24; Ps 116:4, 13, 17; etc.).#dispreferred 
 + <Ps 49:20>: If the phrase קָרְאוּ בִשְׁמוֹתָם עֲלֵי אֲדָמוֹת in v. 12c represents the practice of ancestor worship, then v. 20 could be a reference to the ancestors/דּוֹר אֲבוֹתָיו whom the rich persons invoke (cf. NJPS; NRSV; Dahood 1965, 296 :C:;  Smith 1993, 106-107 :A:).#dispreferred
  + [Ps 49:20]: "... they will go to the company of their ancestors, who will never again see the light" (NRSV).#dispreferred 

Conclusion (B)

On balance, emending the MT to קִבְרָם in v. 12a and taking the phrase קָרְאוּ בִשְׁמוֹתָם עֲלֵי אֲדָמוֹת in v. 12c as meaning a claim of property ownership are preferable. The reading of קִבְרָם as "their grave(s)" has good support from a.) ancient witnesses, b.) internal and external biblical evidence, and c.) context. The "property ownership" interpretation of the phrase "calling with names" a.) makes sense contextually, and b.) reflects the usage of similar phrases elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible. In Psalm 49, the overall thrust of the speaker's discourse indicates that his focus is on the foolishness of trust in one's material possessions (which would have included land holdings), not the goodwill of others, including the ancestral dead. Both readings indicate that despite their endowment and concomitant security, the psalmist's rich opponents will meet the fate of all humanity, i.e., death.

Research

Translations

Ancient

• LXX
  • καὶ οἱ τάφοι αὐτῶν οἰκίαι αὐτῶν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα σκηνώματα αὐτῶν εἰς γενεὰν καὶ γενεάν ἐπεκαλέσαντο τὰ ὀνόματα αὐτῶν ἐπὶ τῶν γαιῶν αὐτῶν.
    • And their graves are their homes forever, their coverts to generation and generation. They named their lands their own. (NETS)
• Aquila
  • ἐν μέσωι αὐτῶν οἰκίαι αὐτῶν εἰς αἰῶνα σκηνώματα αὐτ(ῶν) εἰς γενεὰν καὶ γενεάν ἐκάλεσαν ἐν ὀ̣νόμασιν αὐτ(ῶν) ἐπι χθόνας. (καὶ) ἄν(θρωπ)ος
• Symmachus
  • τὰ ἐντὸς τῶν οἰκῶν αὐτῶν εἰς αἰῶνα τὰς κατασκημώσ(εις) αὐτ(ῶν) εἰς γενεὰν καὶ γενεάν̣̣ ὀνομάσαντες ἐπ’ ὀνόμασιν αὐτ(ῶν) ταῖς γαίαις
• Peshitta
  • ܩܒܪ̈ܝܗܘܢ ܒ̈ܬܝܗܘܢ ܠܥܠܡ܂ ܘܡܥܡܪܗܘܢ ܠܕܪܕܪܝܢ܂ ܘܩܪܝܢ ܫܡ̈ܗܐ ܒܐܪܥܐ܂
    • Their graves are their houses forever, their dwelling places throughout generations, even though they assign names throughout the land....
• Jerome (Iuxta Hebr)
  • interiora sua domus suas in saeculo tabernacula sua in generatione et generatione vocaverunt nominibus suis terras suas
• Targum
  • בבית קבורתהון ישרון לעלם ולא יקומון ממשכניהון לדרי דריא מטול דאיתרברבו/דאיתגאו#1#/ וקנו שום ביש עילוי ארעא׃
    • They shall remain in their graves for ever and not rise from their dwellings to all generations, because they acted proudly and acquired an evil name upon the earth.

Modern

"inner thought" or similar

• Sie bilden sich ein, dass ihre Häuser für die Ewigkeit gebaut sind und alle Generationen überdauern. Aber es hilft ihnen nichts, selbst wenn sie ganze Länder besessen haben. (HFA)
• Sie bilden sich ein, ihre Häuser seien für die Ewigkeit gebaut und ihre Wohnsitze blieben auch in allen künftigen Generationen erhalten. Große Ländereien haben sie erworben und nach sich selbst benannt. (NGÜ)
• Ihr Gedanke ⟨ist⟩, ⟨dass⟩ ihre Häuser in Ewigkeit ⟨stehen⟩, ihre Wohnung von Generation zu Generation; sie hatten Ländereien nach ihren Namen benannt. (ELB)
• Sie meinen, ihre Häuser bestehen auf ewig, / ihre Wohnungen von Geschlecht zu Geschlecht, nannten sie auch Länder nach ihrem Namen. (EÜ)
• Su íntimo pensamiento es que sus casas serán eternas, y sus habitaciones para generación y generación. ¡Dan sus nombres a sus tierras! (RVR95)
• Su íntima aspiración es que sus casas serán eternas, Sus moradas, de generación en generación, Y a sus tierras han puesto sus nombres. (BTX4)
• Ils s'imaginent que leurs maisons subsisteront toujours, et leurs demeures de génération en génération, eux qui avaient donné leurs noms à des terres. (NBS)
• Ils s'imaginent que leurs maisons subsisteront toujours, Et leurs demeures de génération en génération, Eux qui avaient donné leurs noms à des terres. (NVSR)
• Cependant, ils s’imaginent ╵que leurs maisons vont durer ╵jusque dans l’éternité et que leurs demeures ╵seront à l’abri du temps ╵pendant des générations, eux qui voulaient que leurs terres ╵soient appelées de leur nom. (BDS)
• Ils s’imaginent que leurs maisons seront éternelles, que leurs résidences dureront toujours, eux qui avaient donné leur propre nom à leurs terres. (S21)
• В мыслях у них, что домы их вечны, и что жилища их в род и род, и земли свои они называют своими именами. (RUSV)
• Вони думають, ніби доми їхні навіки, місця їхнього замешкання з роду до роду, іменами своїми звуть землі,... (UKR)
• Тайната им мисъл е, че домовете им ще траят вечно, И жилищата им из род в род; Наричат земите си със своите си имена. (BULG)

"graves"

• Their graves are their homes forever, their dwelling places to all generations, though they called lands by their own names. (ESV)
• Their tombs will remain their houses forever, their dwellings for endless generations, though they had named lands after themselves. (NIV)
• Their grave becomes their permanent residence, their eternal dwelling place. They name their lands after themselves, ... (NET)
• The grave will be their home forever and ever, although they once had land of their own. (CEV)
• Their graves are their homes forever; there they stay for all time, though they once had lands of their own. (GNT)
• The grave is their eternal home, where they will stay forever. They may name their estates after themselves,... (NLT)
• Their grave is their eternal home, their dwelling for all time to come; they may give their own names to estates,... (NEB)
• Though they give their names to estates, the grave is their eternal home, their dwelling for all time to come. (REB)
• Their graves are their homes forever, their dwelling places to all generations, though they named lands their own. (NRSV)
• Their grave is their eternal home, the dwelling-place for all generations of those once famous on earth. (JPS 1985)
• Forever no home but their tombs, their dwelling place from age to age, though they gave their name to whole territories,... (NJB)
• Gräber sind ihre Häuser immerdar, ihre Wohnungen für und für, wenn sie auch ihre Namen ausrufen über Länder. (Luther 2017)
• Für immer wird das enge Grab ihre Wohnung, auch wenn sie ganze Länder ihr Eigen nannten. (GNB)
• Gräber sind ihre Behausung auf ewig, ihre Wohnstatt von Generation zu Generation, wenn sie auch Länder nach ihren Namen benannten. (ZÜR)
• Aunque tuvieron tierras a su nombre, sus tumbas serán su hogar eterno, su morada por todas las generaciones. (NVI)
• Aunque dieron su nombre a sus tierras, el sepulcro será su hogar eterno; ¡allí se quedarán para siempre! (DHH)
• Ils pensent posséder leurs champs pour toujours. Mais leur tombe, voilà leur habitation pour toujours, leur maison pour tous les temps. (PDV)
• Même s'ils ont donné leur nom à leurs terres, la tombe est leur habitation pour l'éternité, leur demeure pour tous les temps. (NFC)
• Их могилы пребудут им домом на веки веков, их жилищем из поколения в поколение. Что с того, что они в свою честь называли земли? (NRT)

Secondary Literature

Barthélemy, Dominique. 2005. Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament. vol. 4: Psaumes. Fribourg, Switzerland: Academic Press.

Briggs, Charles Augustus and Emilie Grace Briggs. 1906. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Psalms. vol. 2. ICC. Edinburgh: T&T Clark.

Brichto, Herbert C. 1973. "Kin, Cult, Land and Afterlife -A Biblical Complex." HUCA 44: 1-54.

Clifford, Richard. 2002. Psalm 1-72. Abingdon Old Testament commentaries Nashville, TN: Abington Press.

Craigie, Peter C., and Marvin E. Tate. 1983. 2nd ed. Psalms 1–50. vol. 19. WBC. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Dahood, Mitchell. 1966. Psalms. Vol. 1. Anchor Bible Commentary. New York: Doubleday.

DeClaissé-Walford, Nancy, Rolf A. Jacobson, and Beth LaNeel Tanner. 2014. The Book of Psalms. NICOT. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.

Delitzsch, Franz. 1883. Biblical Commentary on the Psalms. vol. 1. Translated by Eaton David. New York, NY: Funk and Wagnalls.

Dobbs-Allsopp, F. W. 2015. On Biblical Poetry. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Ewald, Heinrich. 1866. Die Dichter des Alten Bundes. Göttingen : Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht.

Fohrer, G. 1993. Psalmen. Berlin: De Gruyter.

Greenfield, Jonas C. 2001. “Adi-balṭu: Care for the Elderly and Its Rewards.” Pages 912-919 in Al Kanfei Yonah: Collected Studies of Jonas C. Greenfield on Semitic Philology. ed. Shalom M. Paul, Michael Stone, and Avital Pinnick. Leiden: Brill; Jerusalem: Hebrew University Magnes Press.

Goldingay, John. 2007. Psalms 42–89. vol. 2. BCOT. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.

Goulder, Michael D. 1982. The Psalms of the Sons of Korah. Sheffield: JSOT Press.

Gross, H. 1972. “Self-oder Fremderlösung.” Pages 65–70 in Wort, Lied und Gottesspruch: Beiträge zu Psalmen und Propheten. ed. J. Schreiner. Würzburg: Echter.

Hackett, J. 1980. The Balaam Text from Deir 'Alla. HSM 31. Chico, CA: Scholars Press.

Hengstenberg, Ernst Wilhelm. 1863. Commentary on the Psalms. vol. 2. Edinburgh: T&T Clark.

Hitzig, Ferdinand. 1863-1865. Die Psalmen, 2 vols. Leipzig: C.F. Winter.

Kissane, Edward. 1953. The Book of Psalms. vol. 1, Westminster, MD: The Newman Press.

Koehler, Ludwig, Walter Baumgartner, and Johann J. Stamm. 2001. The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament. 2 vols. Translated and edited under the supervision of Mervyn E. J. Richardson. Leiden: Brill.

Kraus, Hans-Joachim. 1972. Psalmen 1–63. BKT XV/1. Neukirchen-Vluyn: Neukirchener Verlag.

Lewis, Theodore J. 1989. Cults of the Dead in Ancient Israel and Ugarit. HSM. Atlanta, GA: Scholars Press.

Lewis, Theodore J. 1991. "The Ancestral Estate (אֱלהִׁים נַחֲלַת) in 2 Samuel 14:16." Journal of Biblical Literature 110: 597-612.

Malamat, Abraham. 1989. Mari and the Early Israelite Experience. Oxford: Oxford University.

Olyan, Saul. 2005. “Some Neglected Aspects of Israelite Interment Ideology.” Journal of Biblical Literature 124: 601-616.

Raabe, Paul. 1991. "Deliberate Ambiguity in the Psalter." Journal of Biblical Literature 110: 213-227.

Smith, Mark S. 1993. "The Invocation of Deceased Ancestors in Psalm 49:12c." Journal of Biblical Literature 112: 105–107.

Spronk, Klaas. 1986. Beatific Afterlife In Ancient Israel and in the Ancient Near East. Neukirchen-Vluyn: Neukirchener Verlag.

Stavrakopoulou, Francesca. 2010. Land of Our Fathers: The Roles of Ancestor Veneration in Biblical Land Claims. Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies 473. London: T&T Clark.

Sundermeier, Th. 1993. “Erlösung oder Versöhnung: Religionsgeschichtliche Anstöße.” EvT 53: 124-146.

Taylor, Richard A. trans., 2020. The Syriac Peshitta Bible with English Translation: Psalms. ed. by George A. Kiraz and Joseph Bali. The Antioch Bible/ṢṢurath Kthobh. Piscataway, NJ: Gorgias.

Veenhof, Klaas R. 1998. “Old Assyrian and Ancient Anatolian Evidence for the Care of the Elderly.” Pages 119–160 in The Care of the Elderly in the Ancient Near East. ed. Martin Stol and Sven P. Vleeming. Leiden: Brill.

Volz, Paul. 1937. “Psalm 49.” ZAW 55: 235–64.

Weiser, Artur. 1962. The Psalms. OTL. Trans. by Herbert Hartwell. Philadelphia, PA: Westminster Press.

Witte, Markus. 2000. "‘Aber Gott wird meine Seele erlösen.’: Tod und Leben nach Psalm XLIX.” VT 50: 540–60.

References

49:12