Psalms 49:20

Wealthy people do not understand; ¹  they are like animals ²  that perish. ³ 

A man who has riches without understanding is like the beasts that perish.

Man in his pomp, yet without understanding, Is like the beasts that perish.

People who boast of their wealth don’t understand that they will die like the animals.

We aren't immortal. We don't last long. Like our dogs, we age and weaken. And die.

Man, like the animals, does not go on for ever; he comes to an end like the beasts.

Mortals cannot abide in their pomp; they are like the animals that perish.

A man who is in honor, yet does not understand, Is like the beasts that perish.

Wealthy people do not understand; ¹  they are like animals ²  that perish. ³ 

¹ tn Heb “mankind in honor does not understand.” The Hebrew term יְקָר (yÿqar, “honor”) probably refers here to the wealth mentioned in the preceding context. The imperfect verbal form draws attention to what is characteristically true. Some emend יָבִין (yavin, “understands”) to יָלִין (yalin, “remains”), but this is an unnecessary accommodation to the wording of v. 12.

² tn Or “cattle.”

³ tn The Hebrew verb is derived from דָּמָה (damah, “cease, destroy”; BDB 198 s.v.). Another option is to derive the verb from דָּמָה (damah, “be silent”; see HALOT 225 s.v. II דמה, which sees two homonymic roots [I דָּמַה, “be silent,” and II דָּמַה, “destroy”] rather than a single root) and translate, “they are like dumb beasts.” This makes particularly good sense here, where the preceding line focuses on mankind’s lack of understanding.