The verse isn't just warning against trusting powerful people; it's specifically calling out their frailty as human beings. This isn't about their potential malice, but their inherent limitations as "sons of man" – mortals whose breath and plans can vanish in an instant.
Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God,
English Standard Version (ESV)
This psalm opens with a call to praise God, but the psalmist immediately warns against the common human tendency to place trust in powerful people. It's a caution against relying on earthly rulers and "sons of man," highlighting their inherent limitations and mortality. This warning serves as a crucial foundation for the psalm's central theme: that true and lasting help is found only in God, who is eternal and unchanging.
Ever felt let down by someone in charge? This verse explains why placing ultimate hope in human leaders is a recipe for disappointment.
Mortal Limitations
The psalm warns us directly: 'Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man.' Why? Because these 'princes' and 'sons of man' are fundamentally limited.
The phrase 'son of man' sounds like it could refer to anyone. But in Scripture, it carries a profound meaning, especially when contrasted with God's steadfastness.
More Than Just Human
The phrase 'son of man' is a common way to refer to humanity in the Old Testament. It emphasizes our created nature, our mortality, and our dependence.
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Understand the original words
nadib · Hebrew Noun
A person of noble status, a leader, or a ruler. The term emphasizes the limitations and mortality of human authority compared to divine sovereignty.
ben adam · Hebrew Noun phrase
The standard Hebrew expression for a human being, emphasizing mortality, frailty, and earthliness, especially in contrast to the eternal and sovereign God.
teshuah · Hebrew Noun
Deliverance, victory, or rescue. In a biblical context, it refers primarily to God's act of saving His people from their enemies, sin, or death, acknowledging that true rescue cannot come from human effort.
ruach · Hebrew Noun
The vital spirit or breath of life given by God. When it departs, biological life ceases, signaling the dependence of all living creatures on God's sustaining power.
esher · Hebrew Adjective/Noun
State of being empowered, favored, or made happy by God. It describes a condition of spiritual well-being and favor that originates from a right relationship with the Creator.
ezer · Hebrew Noun
Divine aid or assistance. It denotes the reliance of the believer upon God's intervention, power, and sufficiency in times of weakness or need.
seber · Hebrew Noun
A confident, expectant trust in God. It is not mere wishful thinking, but a firm reliance on God's character and His faithfulness to His promises.
This psalm warns against misplaced trust during a time when the people of Judah were navigating the complexities of rebuilding their nation after exile, often tempted by foreign alliances or the promises of human leaders.
Late 8th century BC
Assyrian Hegemony and Alliances
Israel and Judah often found themselves caught between powerful empires like Assyria, leading to complex political maneuvering and debated alliances with foreign powers.
605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon begins deporting Judean elites and artisans, marking the start of the Babylonian exile and a period of great uncertainty.
c. 550 BC
Rise of the Persian Empire
Cyrus the Great founds the Persian Empire, which would eventually conquer Babylon and significantly alter the political landscape for exiled peoples.
538 BC
Cyrus's Edict of Return
Cyrus allows exiled Judeans to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple. However, the process was slow, and the restored community faced many challenges.
c. 400 BC— this verse
Post-Exilic Challenges
The Judean community, though back in their land, struggled with rebuilding their society, facing internal divisions and external pressures from surrounding peoples and ruling empires.
This passage echoes Psalm 146:3 by stating that 'cursed is the man who trusts in mankind and makes flesh his arm,' directly warning against placing hope in human strength and might.
Psalm 118:8This verse immediately preceding Psalm 146:3 reiterates the same core message: 'It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man,' highlighting the folly of relying on human leaders.
Isaiah 2:22This passage offers a similar warning by saying, 'stop regarding man in whose nostrils is breath, for of what account is he?', emphasizing the ephemeral nature of human life and therefore our limited capacity to trust.
Luke 12:48Jesus speaks of the 'wicked servant' who will be punished for believing he can delay his duty, implying that trusting in flawed human judgment or power, rather than divine will, leads to ruin.
ellicottPsalms 146:3: "Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help."
(3, 4) Princes— The thought of Psalm 118:8-9 is here elaborated, with distinct allusion to Genesis 2:7 ; Genesis 3:19 (Comp. 1 Maccabees 2:63 .) The verse, no doubt, was in Shakespeare’s mind when he made Wolsey say: “Oh, how wretched Is that poor man that hangs on princes’ favours!” as it was quoted by Strafford when the news reached him that Charles I. had given the royal assent to the bill of atta…
clarkePsalms 146:3: "Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help."
Put not your trust in princes - This may refer, as has been stated above, to Cyrus, who had revoked his edict for the rebuilding of Jerusalem. Perhaps they had begun to suppose that they were about to owe their deliverance to the Persian king. God permitted this change in the disposition of the king, to teach them the vanity of confidence in men, and the necessity of trusting in himself.
The verse isn't just warning against trusting powerful people; it's specifically calling out their frailty as human beings. This isn't about their potential malice, but their inherent limitations as "sons of man" – mortals whose breath and plans can vanish in an instant.
This psalm opens with a call to praise God, but the psalmist immediately warns against the common human tendency to place trust in powerful people. It's a caution against relying on earthly rulers and "sons of man," highlighting their inherent limitations and mortality. This warning serves as a crucial foundation for the psalm's central theme: that true and lasting help is found only in God, who is eternal and unchanging.
This psalm opens with a call to praise God, but the psalmist immediately warns against the common human tendency to place trust in powerful people. It's a caution against relying on earthly rulers and "sons of man," highlighting their inherent limitations and mortality. This warning serves as a crucial foundation for the psalm's central theme: that true and lasting help is found only in God, who is eternal and unchanging.
"Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose…" — The verse isn't just warning against trusting powerful people; it's specifically calling out their frailty as human beings. This isn't about their potential malice, but their inherent limitations a…
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Last reviewed October 2026
