Psalms 49:20 Meaning: Riches Without Understanding
A man who has riches without understanding, is like the animals that perish.
Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.
Man that is in honor, and understandeth not, Is like the beasts that perish.
Man in honour, who understandest not, Hath been like the beasts, they have been cut off!
Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.
Meaning in one sentence
Psalm 49:20 warns that a rich person without understanding is like a beast that perishes. What understanding is missing?
Context
Psalm 49 is a wisdom poem written for troubled believers. They watched the wicked grow wealthy while the righteous suffered, and they wondered if serving God mattered. The psalmist answers with a blunt truth: riches cannot buy redemption from death. The wealthy die just like everyone else. Verse 12 already stated that humans, despite their wealth, are like animals that perish. But verse 20 sharpens the point. It adds the phrase "without understanding" to make clear that the problem is not wealth itself but the absence of something deeper. The psalm closes with this line as a final warning, urging readers to see past outward success.
Key Words
Two words carry the weight of this verse. The first is understanding. The commentaries agree this is not ordinary intelligence or education. It is spiritual discernment: knowing where true value lies, recognizing that life does not end at the grave, and seeing God as the giver of every good thing. A person can be brilliant in business and still lack this understanding. The second word is perish. Animals live entirely for the present. They eat, sleep, and die, and that is all. To perish like them is to have no horizon beyond this world. The verse does not say rich people are animals. It says that when riches come without understanding, the outcome is the same as an animal's. The honour of wealth means nothing if it is not matched by the wisdom that looks toward eternity.
How Christians Read This Verse
Reformed commentators like Calvin read this as a cure for envy: the prosperous have no real reason to be envied, since they lack eternal perspective. Wesleyan commentators such as Clarke stress that the missing understanding is spiritual knowledge of God. Anglican scholars (Cambridge Bible) describe it as discernment between true and false riches. Baptist writers like Gill see it as ignorance of salvation and the work of the Spirit. Across these traditions, the common thread is clear: outward success without inward wisdom is a hollow thing. All agree that the verse calls readers to seek the understanding that money cannot buy.
A common misunderstanding
Some read this verse as saying that all wealthy people are like animals. That misses the mark. In fact, the verse specifically targets those who have riches but lack understanding. The problem is not wealth; Scripture records many wealthy believers, from Abraham to Joseph of Arimathea. The issue is having honour without the wisdom to see what truly matters. The verse is a warning, not a condemnation of every person with money.
Living This Out
This week, watch for the quiet temptation to measure your worth by what you own. When you catch yourself envying someone else’s success or feeling secure because of your bank balance, stop. Ask God for the understanding that sees beyond the numbers. Remind yourself that the goal of life is not to accumulate but to know God. That kind of wisdom keeps you from living like an animal that just eats and sleeps until it dies. It lets you live as someone made for forever.
Main takeaway: Riches without the wisdom to see beyond this life leave us no better than animals that perish.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
This verse says that if we only care about having lots of stuff and don’t care about knowing God, we are like animals that just live and die. But God made us to know Him forever. Remember: knowing God is more important than any toy or money.
For ages 9, 12
You might think that being rich or having the coolest things makes you important. But Psalm 49:20 says that real importance comes from understanding God. If you only care about money and stuff, you end up living no differently than an animal, just eating and sleeping. God wants you to grow in wisdom, to know Him and His ways. That’s what makes you truly human.
Questions People Ask
What does 'understanding' mean in Psalm 49:20?
The understanding the psalmist has in mind is spiritual wisdom: knowing God, recognizing that life is more than possessions, and seeing that our true worth is not in what we own. It is the insight that leads a person to live for eternity, not just for today.
Does Psalm 49:20 say that rich people are animals?
No. The verse says a rich person without understanding is like an animal that perishes. It is a comparison of outcomes, not a statement about their nature. Without wisdom, their death is no different from an animal's, because they lived only for the present. The verse is a warning, not a name.
How is verse 20 different from verse 12?
Verse 12 says that despite his riches, man does not endure and is like the animals that perish. Verse 20 adds the phrase 'without understanding.' This clarifies that the problem is not riches themselves but the lack of wisdom. It answers the question: why does a rich person end up like an animal? Because he lacks understanding.
Can a rich person have understanding?
Yes. The verse condemns riches without understanding, not riches with understanding. Many faithful people in the Bible were wealthy, such as Abraham, Job, and Joseph of Arimathea. The key is to use wealth with wisdom, recognizing that it is a gift from God and not the source of our security.
What is the 'honor' mentioned in some translations of this verse?
Translations like the KJV say 'Man that is in honour.' The word refers to outward status, wealth, and prestige. It is the same idea as 'riches' in other versions. The honor is real, but without understanding it becomes meaningless.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study