What Does Psalms 49:4 Mean?

(4) **I will incline mine ear.**—The psalmist first *listens, *that he may himself catch the inspiration which is to reach others through his song. It was an obvious metaphor in a nation to whom God’s voice was audible, as it was to Wordsworth, for whom nature had an audible voice: “The stars of midnight shall be dear To her; and she shall *lend her ear* In many a secret place, Where rivulets dance their wayward round, And beauty, born of murmuring sound, Shall pass into her face.” **Parable.**—Heb. *māshal, *root idea, *similitude. *It is the term used of Balaam’s prophecies, and of the eloquent speeches of Job. Hence here *proverb-song *(Ewald), since the psalmist intends his composition for musical accompaniment. **Dark saying.**—Either from a root meaning to *tie, *and so “a knotty point;” or to *sharpen, *and so a *sharp, incisive *saying. The LXX. and Vulgate have “problem,” “proposition.” To open the riddle is not to *solve *it, but to *propound *it, as we say to “open a discourse.” (Comp. St. Paul’s phrase, “opening and alleging.”) The full phrase is probably found in Proverbs 31:26, “She openeth her mouth with wisdom.’”