Psalms — Chapter 16

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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
Map & Geography
Videos
Reflection

Summary

A psalm of trust and Messianic prophecy — David declares God as his portion, the boundary lines have fallen in pleasant places; 'thou wilt not leave my soul in hell' — quoted by Peter at Pentecost as fulfilled in Christ's resurrection.

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. Key themes: worship, lament, praise, trust, kingship, creation, wisdom, Messianic prophecy, and the full range of human emotion brought before God.
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.
Structure:
  • Prayer for Preservation and Declaration of Trust (vv.1-2)
  • Delight in the Saints, Rejection of Idols (vv.3-4)
  • God as Inheritance and Portion (vv.5-6)
  • God as Counselor and Presence (vv.7-8)
  • Resurrection Hope and Eternal Joy (vv.9-11)

Map & Geography

  • No specific geographic locations are referenced in this chapter.

Videos

The Bible Project — Psalms Overview

Reflection

  • 1. God Himself is the inheritance (v.5). Not His gifts, not His blessings, not His services — God HIMSELF. When He is your portion, every other loss becomes survivable. The question is not "What has God given me?" but "Do I have GOD?"
  • 2. Contentment is a choice and a practice (v.6). "The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places" — David chose to see his allotment as beautiful. Contentment is not passive acceptance but active recognition of goodness already present.
  • 3. Keep the LORD always before you (v.8). This is a spiritual discipline — "I have SET the LORD." It is deliberate, continuous, and produces unshakable stability. When God is your focal point, you cannot be disoriented.
  • 4. Physical death is not the end (v.10). The resurrection hope is not merely NT theology — it is rooted in the Psalms. David believed (and the Spirit confirmed through Peter) that death would not have the final word for God's Holy One.
  • 5. Fullness of joy is in PRESENCE, not in presents (v.11). The ultimate pleasure is not heaven's streets of gold but heaven's face-to-face encounter with God. Joy is relational, not material. It is found "in thy presence" — nowhere else provides FULLNESS.