Psalms — Chapter 16

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1A Miktam of David. Preserve me, O God, for in You I take refuge.

2I said to the LORD, “You are my Lord; apart from You I have no good thing.”

3As for the saints in the land, they are the excellence in whom all my delight resides.

4Sorrows will multiply to those who chase other gods. I will not pour out their libations of blood, or speak their names with my lips.

5The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; You have made my lot secure.

6The lines of my boundary have fallen in pleasant places; surely my inheritance is delightful.

7I will bless the LORD who counsels me; even at night my conscience instructs me.

8I have set the LORD always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

9Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will dwell securely.

10For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol, nor will You let Your Holy One see decay.

11You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand.

1Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust.

2O my soul, thou hast said unto the LORD, Thou art my Lord: my goodness extendeth not to thee;

3But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight.

4Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god: their drink offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names into my lips.

5The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot.

6The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.

7I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.

8I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

9Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.

10For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

11Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

1Preserve me, O God; for in thee do I take refuge.

2[O my soul], thou hast said unto Jehovah, Thou art my Lord: I have no good beyond thee.

3As for the saints that are in the earth, They are the excellent in whom is all my delight.

4Their sorrows shall be multiplied that give gifts for another [god]: Their drink-offerings of blood will I not offer, Nor take their names upon my lips.

5Jehovah is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: Thou maintainest my lot.

6The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; Yea, I have a goodly heritage.

7I will bless Jehovah, who hath given me counsel; Yea, my heart instructeth me in the night seasons.

8I have set Jehovah always before me: Because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

9Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth; My flesh also shall dwell in safety.

10For thou wilt not leave my soul to Sheol; Neither wilt thou suffer thy holy one to see corruption.

11Thou wilt show me the path of life: In thy presence is fulness of joy; In thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. Psalm 17 A Prayer of David.

1A prayer of David. Protect me, O God, for I have taken shelter in you.

2I say to the Lord, “You are the Lord, my only source of well-being.”

3As for God’s chosen people who are in the land, and the leading officials I admired so much—

4their troubles multiply; they desire other gods. I will not pour out drink offerings of blood to their gods, nor will I make vows in the name of their gods.

5Lord, you give me stability and prosperity; you make my future secure.

6It is as if I have been given fertile fields or received a beautiful tract of land.

7I will praise the Lord who guides me; yes, during the night I reflect and learn.

8I constantly trust in the Lord; because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

9So my heart rejoices and I am happy; my life is safe.

10You will not abandon me to Sheol; you will not allow your faithful follower to see the Pit.

11You lead me in the path of life. I experience absolute joy in your presence; you always give me sheer delight.

1Preserve me, God, for in you do I take refuge.

2My soul, you have said to Yahweh, “You are my Lord. Apart from you I have no good thing.”

3As for the saints who are in the earth, they are the excellent ones in whom is all my delight.

4Their sorrows shall be multiplied who give gifts to another god. Their drink offerings of blood I will not offer, nor take their names on my lips.

5Yahweh assigned my portion and my cup. You made my lot secure.

6The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places. Yes, I have a good inheritance.

7I will bless Yahweh, who has given me counsel. Yes, my heart instructs me in the night seasons.

8I have set Yahweh always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

9Therefore my heart is glad, and my tongue rejoices. My body shall also dwell in safety.

10For you will not leave my soul in Sheol, neither will you allow your holy one to see corruption.

11You will show me the path of life. In your presence is fullness of joy. In your right hand there are pleasures forever more.

Summary
Authorship & Background
Commentary
Videos
Articles
Reflection

Summary

A psalm of trust with strong messianic overtones, later quoted regarding Christ's resurrection (Acts 2:25-28). David seeks refuge in God, declaring that apart from him he has no good thing, and delights in the faithful people of the land rather than in other gods (vv. 1-4). He describes the LORD as his chosen portion and cup, with his life's boundaries falling in pleasant, secure places (vv. 5-6). Because God counsels him and remains at his right hand, David's heart is glad and his body rests secure, confident that God will not abandon him to death or let his faithful one see decay (vv. 7-10). The psalm ends celebrating the path of life found in God's presence, with fullness of joy and eternal pleasures (v. 11).

Authorship & Background

Author: Multiple authors — primarily David (73 psalms attributed), plus Asaph (12), Sons of Korah (11), Solomon (2), Moses (1), Heman (1), Ethan (1), and anonymous. The Psalter was compiled over approximately 1000 years and served as Israel's hymnal and prayer book. The book is divided into five 'books' (1-41, 42-72, 73-89, 90-106, 107-150), paralleling the five books of Moses.
Classification: Trust Psalm / Messianic Psalm
Attributed Author: David — "Michtam of David"
Key Themes: God as refuge and portion, satisfaction in God alone, rejection of idolatry, counsel and guidance, resurrection hope, fullness of joy in God's presence
Historical Context: "Michtam" is an uncertain term — possibly "golden psalm" or "inscription/engraved poem." This is one of the most significant Messianic psalms — Peter quotes vv.8-11 in his Pentecost sermon (Acts 2:25-28) to prove Christ's resurrection, and Paul cites it in Acts 13:35. Peter's argument: David died and his body did see corruption; therefore David spoke prophetically about another — the Messiah — whose body would not remain in the grave. The psalm is profoundly personal — David expressing complete satisfaction in God as his inheritance, portion, and source of joy. It contains no complaint, no enemies, no crisis — only deep contentment in God.
Preserve Me, O God (vv.1-2): Preserve me, O God, for in thee do I put my trust. Then a confession that concedes something most religious language avoids, thou art my Lord, my goodness extendeth not to thee. Whatever good the singer has is of no use to God, which removes the transaction from the relationship before the psalm goes any further.
Their Sorrows Shall Be Multiplied (vv.3-4): My goodness extends instead to other people, and the saints that are in the earth are named as the excellent, in whom is all my delight. Against that, the alternative is refused in the plainest terms available, their drink offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names into my lips. Refusing to say the names is the strongest form of dissociation that culture had.
The Lines Are Fallen unto Me in Pleasant Places (vv.5-6): The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup, thou maintainest my lot. The vocabulary is the land allotment of Joshua, where each tribe received a portion measured out by line, except that Levi received no land and was told that the LORD was its inheritance. The singer applies the Levite's arrangement to himself and calls it a good deal, the lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places, yea, I have a goodly heritage.
I Have Set the LORD Always Before Me (vv.7-8): I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel, my reins also instruct me in the night seasons. Then the sentence Peter quotes in Acts 2:25 at Pentecost, I have set the LORD always before me, because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. The posture described is deliberate attention rather than feeling, and the conclusion drawn from it is stability.
Thou Wilt Not Leave My Soul in Hell (vv.9-11): Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth, my flesh also shall rest in hope. Then the verse the New Testament makes most use of in this psalm, for thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Peter quotes it in Acts 2 and Paul in Acts 13, and both argue the same way: David died and was buried, so the verse was not finally about him. And the psalm closes on a phrase about direction, thou wilt shew me the path of life, in thy presence is fulness of joy.

Commentary

  • Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Verse-by-verse commentary on this chapter, written for the everyday reader and freely available online.
  • Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
  • Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.

Videos

Psalm 16 | Pleasures Evermore | Bible Study
Spoken Gospel

Psalm 16 - The Benefits of a Life-Commitment to God
David Guzik

Articles

  • GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of Psalms -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.

Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.

Reflection

  • God Himself as Your Inheritance (v.5) — David says the LORD is his chosen portion — not merely His gifts. Is your satisfaction rooted in what God gives you, or in God Himself?
  • Choosing Contentment (v.6) — David calls his circumstances "pleasant places," actively recognizing God's goodness in his allotted life. Where do you need to practice this kind of deliberate contentment?
  • Keeping God Continually Before You (v.8) — David describes a deliberate discipline of setting the LORD always in view, which keeps him unshaken. What helps you keep God in view day to day?
  • Resurrection Hope Rooted in the Psalms (v.10) — Peter later quotes this verse to preach Christ's resurrection (Acts 2:25-28). How does this hope shape the way you face death and suffering?
  • Fullness of Joy Is Found in God's Presence (v.11) — David locates ultimate joy not in possessions but in nearness to God. Where are you currently looking for joy that only His presence can supply?