What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death?
&c.] Every living man must die; as sure as a man lives, so sure he shall die: be he strong and mighty, as the word signifies, or weak and sickly; be he high or low, rich or poor, prince or peasant, righteous or wicked; persons of all ranks, states, and conditions, age or sex, must die; for all have sinned; and it is the appointment of God that they should die, and very few are the exceptions; as Enoch and Elijah, and those that will be found alive at Christ's coming:
shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave;
either from going down into it, or coming under the power of it; so the Targum,
``what man is he that shall live, and shall not see the angel of death (( Hebrews 2:14 ) ) shall he deliver his soul from his hand, that he should not go down to the house of his grave?''or deliver himself from the power of it, when in it; that is, raise himself from the dead: none ever did this, or ever can: Christ indeed undertook, and has promised, to redeem his people from the power of the grave, upon which they have believed they should be delivered; see ( Hosea 13:14 ) ( Psalms 49:15 ) , but if Christ rose not himself, which was the thing now in question, how could it be? the case stands thus; every man must die; no man can raise himself from the dead; if Christ rise not, everyone must continue under the power of the grave; for then there could be no resurrection.
Selah. (See Gill on Psalms 3:2).