Psalm 49:7 states “Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life”. This verse is sometimes used to argue that Jesus could not have redeemed us on the cross, since the verse says no man can ransom another. However, a close examination of the context and meaning of this verse shows that it does not preclude Jesus’ redemptive work on the cross.
The context of Psalm 49 is a meditation on the equality of all people before God. The psalmist observes that no man, regardless of wealth or status, can ransom his own life from death and the grave (Psalm 49:6-9). The point is that death comes to all, both the wise and the foolish, the rich and the poor. No amount of money can buy immortality or escape from death. In that sense, “no man can ransom another” – no person has the power or resources to save another person from death.
However, this is not saying that one person cannot sacrificially pay the penalty for another person’s wrongdoing. That is what Jesus accomplished on the cross. Jesus’ death was a substitutionary atonement for sinners who deserved death because of their rebellion against God (Romans 6:23). Jesus paid the penalty of death that we deserved because of our sin. So Psalm 49:7 does not rule out one person sacrificially dying for the sake of others – it only says that no man can save another person from physical death and the grave, which is ultimately the destiny of all mortal human beings.
Furthermore, Jesus was not just another human being – he was the God-man, fully divine as well as fully human (John 1:1, 14). So the limitation that “no man” can ransom another does not apply to Jesus, who was more than just a man. As the divine Son of God, Jesus had the power to lay down his life and take it up again (John 10:17-18). His life was not taken from him against his will, as is the case with all other human beings. He willingly gave up his life on the cross for our salvation (John 10:11).
Psalm 49:7 applies to human beings who do not have the power over life and death. But Jesus Christ, as the eternal Son of God made flesh, had authority over his own life. That is why he was able to ransom and redeem sinners through his sacrificial death, even though the psalmist rightly observes that no mere man has that power.
There are also other passages in Scripture that teach that Jesus’ death was a ransom and redemption for many:
“Even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28)
“She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21)
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.” (Ephesians 1:7)
“Knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.” (1 Peter 1:18-19)
In summary, Psalm 49:7 does not contradict the biblical teaching that Jesus’ death ransomed sinners and accomplished redemption. The verse is simply teaching that human beings on their own lack the power to escape death. This general truth does not rule out the exception – that Jesus Christ, as the divine Son of God made flesh, sacrificially gave his life to redeem those who were perishing.
The meaning of “ransom” and “redeem” in the Bible
To better understand how Jesus’ death can be considered a ransom and redemption for sinners, it is helpful to understand the meaning of those words in Scripture:
Ransom – This refers to a price of release or liberation procured by the payment of a ransom. Jesus’ death served as the ransom price that releases sinners from the penalty of death they owe for their sins (Mark 10:45).
Redeem – To redeem means to buy back or repurchase someone or something that had been lost or forfeited. Jesus redeemed sinners who were enslaved and lost in sin by paying the price of His blood to purchase them back for God (1 Peter 1:18-19).
These words clearly indicate a payment made on behalf of another. That is what Jesus accomplished on the cross – he paid the price of His own life to secure the release and redemption of those who were perishing in their sins. Yes, Psalm 49:7 says no man can provide the ransom price for another person’s life. But Jesus is the God-man who willingly sacrificed himself to save those who could not save themselves. That is the beautiful message of the gospel.
Jesus as the divine Kinsman-Redeemer
One aspect of redemption in the Bible that sheds light on this issue is the concept of the “kinsman-redeemer.” This refers to the person who had the right to buy back property that had been lost and redeem relatives who had fallen into slavery or debt (Leviticus 25:25; Ruth 2:20). The kinsman-redeemer had to be a blood relative who was able and willing to pay the redemption price.
For humans, Psalm 49:7 is true – no one can step in and redeem another person’s life from death’s grip. But Jesus is the divine Kinsman-Redeemer who redeems all those who belong to him by faith. As Hebrews 2:14-15 declares, “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.” Jesus had to become human and partake of flesh and blood so that he could redeem those who were enslaved to the fear of death.
As the eternal Son of God, Jesus has always been completely sufficient to provide redemption. But in becoming human, he was able to serve as the Kinsman-Redeemer of all who would trust in him. This allows Jesus to fulfill the role of Redeemer in a way that upholds the truth of Psalm 49:7 for humans, while still providing the ransom price for sin that we could never pay ourselves.
Objections considered
Some additional objections that are sometimes raised in regard to this issue need to be considered:
1. Psalm 49:15 says the ransom price for a life is too high for any man to pay.
This verse does emphasize the enormity of the price needed to redeem a human life. But for Jesus, the incarnate Son of God, the price was not too high. He alone could pay the costly ransom price through His sacrifice on the cross. The emphasis in this psalm is on the inability of humans to save themselves. Jesus as the divine Redeemer is uniquely sufficient to pay the price we could not.
2. Paying a ransom implies saving people from Satan, not God.
It is true that Scripture presents redemption as delivering sinners from captivity to Satan, sin and death (Colossians 1:13-14). However, it also teaches that the penalty of sin is death and condemnation under God’s righteous wrath (Romans 6:23). Jesus’ death propitiated or appeased God’s wrath against sin (Romans 3:25). The ransom price was ultimately paid to God to redeem sinners from His judgment.
3. A ransom or payment implies the redemption was not free but “necessary.”
This objection fails to recognize that the ransom price being paid by Jesus makes redemption possible as a free gift to us. Scripture is clear there is no way for humans to pay the ransom price (Psalm 49:7-8). Jesus alone could pay it on our behalf as an undeserved gift (Ephesians 2:8-9). So while the ransom was costly for Christ, it is offered freely to all who believe in him.
So in summary, none of these objections overturn the consistent biblical teaching that Jesus’ death paid the ransom price for sinners and accomplished the work of redemption on their behalf through His sacrificial death on the cross.
The redemptive work of Jesus in Scripture
The rest of the New Testament makes it abundantly clear that Jesus’ death did indeed provide redemption and ransom for sinners. Here is a sampling of verses that teach this truth:
“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45)
“She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21)
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.” (Ephesians 1:7)
“He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Colossians 1:13-14)
“For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all.” (1 Timothy 2:5-6)
The testimony of the New Testament is clear – Jesus accomplished the work of paying the ransom price for sinners through His sacrificial death on the cross. This beautifully fulfills God’s plan of redemption in fulfillment of the Old Testament concepts and types pointing forward to it.
Conclusion
While Psalm 49:7 teaches the limitations of human beings to ransom each other from physical death, it does not rule out Jesus’ ability as the divine Son of God and Kinsman-Redeemer to give His life as a ransom for many. Jesus alone was able to pay the costly ransom price to redeem people from slavery to sin. The rest of Scripture confirms and highlights this central truth of Christ’s redeeming work on the cross. When interpreted in its full biblical context, Psalm 49:7 does not contradict or undermine the doctrine of redemption that is at the heart of the gospel.