Big Idea: The unity of our life in God involves both the journey and the destination.

Understanding the Text

In literary form, Psalm 16 is an individual psalm of trust.1 Nowhere in the psalm does God speak, nor do we hear other voices in the psalm—no enemies, no oppressed cries, no accusers. The psalmist is alone with God, and the intimacy of his relationship permeates the poem.

Psalm 16 represents a plateau in progression from the dismissive fool of Psalm 14, who says there is no God, to the searching suppliant of Psalm 15, who asks about requirements for entry into the Lord’s house, to the joyful worshiper of Psalm 16, who knows there is no life apart from God.

The historical allusions in this psalm, discussed below, are of notable value. David was aware of Israel’s past, as a king should be, and echoed Israel’s sacred writings. His references to Yahweh as his “portion,” “lot,” and “cup” (16:5) call to mind the Levites, whose portion was the Lord rather than a landed inheritance (Num. 18:20; Deut. 10:9; 18:1).

In Peter’s Pentecost sermon he quotes Psalm 16:8–11 from the Septuagint (Acts 2:22–33; Ps. 15:8–11 LXX), saying that David prophesied Christ’s resurrection. The fact that Paul also quotes from Psalm 16 (Acts 13:35–37) would suggest that this was a key apostolic Old Testament witness to the resurrection of Jesus.[2] Some commentators believe that the apostles, having experienced the glorious resurrection of Christ, placed their template of the resurrection of Christ on the psalm, and thus the New Testament application. The apostles, however, and Jesus himself, looked at the Old Testament as the source of the prophetic word. They believed the template was the Old Testament, not the New Testament events, and in the presence of the events, the prophetic voice of the psalm could finally be clearly heard.

Outline/Structure

For the most part Psalm16 is a prayer from beginning to end, with reflective moments woven into the direct words of the prayer:

1. Prayer (16:1)

2. Report of prayer (16:2)

3. Reflection (16:3–4)

4. Prayer (16:5)

5. Reflection (16:6)

6. Intent to praise (implied prayer) (16:7)

7. Reflection (16:8)

8. Concluding prayer of faith (16:9–11)

Historical and Cultural Background

Perowne proposes that David wrote this psalm when Saul had driven him out into the Wilderness of Ziph, where David said to Saul: “They have driven me today from my share in the Lord’s inheritance and have said, ‘Go, serve other gods’” (1 Sam. 26:19).3David draws upon the language of the conquest and settlement of Canaan to affirm his strong trust in the Lord: “portion,” “lot,” “boundary lines,” and “inheritance” (Ps. 16:5–6).

Interpretive Insights

Title  A miktam. Occurring here for the first time in the Psalter, this term also occurs in the headings of Psalms 56–60. Here and in Psalm 60 it is literally “a miktam for/to David,” while in Psalms 56–59 the order is “for/to David a miktam.” Rashi leans toward the idea of a literary style,[4] and Delitzsch moves in a similar direction, noting that the miktam has two literary features: (1) memorable expressions are sometimes introduced by the verbs “he spoke,” “and he said,” and “I said”; (2) and sometimes these expressions are used as a refrain (Pss. 56:4, 11; 57:5, 11; 59:9b–10a, 17).[5]

16:1  in you I take refuge. The metaphor of refuge seems to suggest the tradition of finding asylum in the sanctuary,6but it may also suggest a spiritual disposition.

16:2  I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord.” Sometimes, as here and many other places, the generic term “lord, master” (’adonay = Lord, lowercase in English translations) occurs in place of the tetragrammaton (YHWH = Lord, small caps in English translations). Here it is parallel to the shortened generic ’el (“God,” 16:1; rather than ’elohim). Both designate the all-powerful God of the Old Testament.

apart from you I have no good thing. The Hebrew preposition behind “apart from” is “over” or “upon” (‘al). While the NIV emends the text to read “apart from you . . . no” (bal bil‘adeyka), A. A. Anderson suggests “my welfare surely (rests) upon you (alone).”[7] “Good” occurs in contrast to the sorrows of verse 4 and is equivalent to “my portion and my cup” (16:5) and “delightful inheritance” (16:6).[8] A similar sentiment occurs in Psalm 73:25: “Whom have I in heaven but you?” The whole of the psalmist’s “good” includes the experience of walking in the path of life until David is satiated with the joys of being in God’s presence.

16:3  of the holy people who are in the land . . . “They are the noble ones.” These very difficult verses are generally viewed in one of two ways. The first approach views verse 3 as an affirmation of the loyal devotion of the psalmist expressed in verses 1 and 2. The NIV adopts this approach, adding “I say” in verse 3, assuming that the “I say” that begins verse 2 still applies to verse 3. That means that the “holy ones” of verse 3 (NIV: “holy people,” qedoshim) would be the faithful Israelite believers (“saints”), thus reaffirming the suppliant’s devotion. The translation of verse 3 then, looking back to verses 1 and 2 (the conjunctive approach), would be as follows: “Concerning the saints who are in the land, that is [Hebrew conjunction waw], the noble ones in whom is all my delight” (author’s trans.). The NIV, ESV, and ASV, for example, espouse this hermeneutic.

Other interpreters look at verse 3 as a reference to idolatry. This approach is based largely on two considerations. First, verse 4 clearly deals with idolatrous practices, since “libations of blood” are not practiced in Israelite worship. Second, in Ugaritic literature the word qedoshim (NIV: “holy people”) often means “gods” and is used as a synonym of the word for gods (’elim). Therefore, these interpreters disjoin verse 3 from verses 1 and 2 (disjunctive approach) and insist that verse 3 is facing on toward verse 4 and the idolatrous practices alluded to there. The “holy ones” (NIV: “holy people”) would then be idols, and “the noble ones” (or “mighty ones”) would be their devotees. This understanding would require a translation similar to the JPS: “As to the holy and the mighty ones that are in the land, my whole desire concerning them is that those who espouse another [god] may have many sorrows!” Thus verses 3 and 4 distance the worshiper from idolatry, which is affirmed in v. 4b–c. Then in verse 5 the psalmist appeals again to the exclusive worship of Yahweh that he has espoused in verse 2, acknowledging that the Lord alone is his “portion” and “cup.” Based on the language of the text, either interpretation is possible, but an overdependence on the Ugaritic language makes this interpreter a bit uncomfortable, and therefore I would prefer the former hermeneutic.9

16:4  Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more. The suffering here likely refers to the sorrows of human existence, perhaps a metaphorical allusion to the “sorrows” or “pains” of childbirth pronounced as a curse upon Eve (Gen. 3:16, from the same Hebrew root; also Ps. 147:3 [NIV: “wounds”] and Job 9:28 [NIV: “sufferings”]). These became the symbol of creation’s “pains” that anticipate and herald the coming of redemption (Rom. 8:22–23). A literal translation would be, “Their sorrows will increase; they run after another [“god” is implied].”

libations of blood . . . their names. The major sacrifices were sometimes accompanied by libations, but never blood libations. These are either libations associated with bloody sacrifices (the blood was “poured out”) or libations made by individuals who had blood on their hands.[10] In view of my preference for the first interpretation above (see the comments on 16:3), I would then choose the first option. Also, “their names” refers to the names of the gods.

16:5  you alone are my portion and my cup . . . my lot. “Portion” reflects the appointment of the Levites for service in the tabernacle, which also denied them landed property, because the Lord was their “portion” (Num. 18:20; Deut. 10:9; 18:1). The word “cup” is metonymy for the food and drink that sustain individuals, and the word “lot” perhaps is an allusion to the practice of casting lots that determined the tribal claims (Josh. 14:2).

16:6  The boundary lines . . . in pleasant places; . . . a delightful inheritance. The “boundary lines” refer to the survey of the land to mark off tribal inheritances (Josh. 17:5; NIV: “tracts”) and is used metaphorically to describe the fellowship with God that the psalmist enjoys (see also Mic. 2:5). The term for “pleasant places” is parallel to “a delightful inheritance” in the second half of the verse. The Hebrew word for “pleasant places” is from the same root as the “pleasures” David enjoys in the Lord’s presence (16:11). The overtones of 1 Samuel 26:19 may be heard in the phrase “delightful inheritance,” where David complains that Saul has driven him away from his rightful “inheritance” (see “Historical and Cultural Background”). Here the word is metaphorical for the covenant relationship that David and Israel enjoy. The word translated as “delightful” has the basic sense of “rub” in order to make smooth, and thereby shiny and beautiful.11

16:8  I will not be shaken. This verb is a connecting link for Psalms 15 (15:5), 16 (16:8), and 17 (17:5; NIV: “stumbled”). Its root meaning is “to move, stumble, totter,” and by negation suggests stability and security (see the comments on Ps. 15:5).12

16:9  my tongue. The Hebrew has “my glory,” and the Septuagint has “my tongue.” Calvin accepts the Septuagint reading in deference to the use of the same word, “my glory” (kebodi), in Genesis 49:6 (NIV: “me”), which seems to carry the sense of speech (in the assembly).13

16:10  not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay. “Realm of the dead” is she’ol in Hebrew, the state of death.[14] Whatever circumstances David has faced, they threatened death, and he is now assured that he will not die, or if he does, the Lord will not abandon him. “Your faithful one” is translated as “Holy One” (capitalized) in the KJV and NASB, suggesting a prophetic reference to Jesus Christ, as Peter (Acts 2:25–28) and Paul (Acts 13:35–37) understood it (see “The Text in Context”). The historical meaning, however, is David himself.

The Hebrew word for “decay” is “corruption” (shahat).[15] This suggests the decay of the body and probably means that God will not allow the psalmist to experience premature death. In comparison, the Septuagint has “decay” (diaphthora) and in that sense means the decomposition of the body. As a reference to the resurrection of Jesus, the Septuagint is an easier reference, which only “made it marginally easier to interpret the psalm as referring to the actual destruction of the human body in the grave.”[16]

16:11  path of life . . . joy in your presence. The phrase “path of life” belongs also to the language of wisdom (Prov. 2:19 [pl.]; 5:6; cf. 10:17; see also Matt. 7:14). It is life from God, with God, and in God (Deut. 30:15), who is life itself,[17] and it climaxes in the presence of God. “Your presence” is literally, “your face.” In the Old Testament seeing God’s face was so awesome that it carried the penalty of death (Exod. 33:20). Yet that continued to be the spiritual aspiration of the great worthies of faith, to see God’s face and live. Historically speaking, this is a reference to worship in the temple (Ps. 11:7), and in the history of redemption it is symbolic of the ultimate state when believers will see God’s face (Rev. 22:4).

eternal pleasures at your right hand. The term “right hand” is a metaphor of privilege and authority (see Gen. 48:12–20; Pss. 109:31; 110:5; 121:5). Perowne, among others, understands this text to reveal a hope, even promise, of eternal life.18

Theological Insights

If the progression of Psalms 14–16 in the canonical order reflects the mind of the editor of Book 1—and I think it does—the worshiper of Psalm 16 is already in God’s presence in the temple or tabernacle, having passed through the gate of the Lord’s house in Psalm 15. Leaving behind the worries and cares of the world that have troubled him, he comes to this plateau of faith and prays, “You satisfy [pres. ptc.] me with joy in your presence” (16:11b, author’s trans.).

Whatever the psalmist’s circumstances, he implies that some danger is lurking in his world: “Keep me safe, my God” (16:1); and in the concluding prayer he testifies to an answer to his supplication, since he is assured that God will not abandon him to the grave (16:10–11). Hardly has he offered his petition before he lays out the major premise of his faith, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing” (16:2). Metaphorically, Yahweh is the psalmist’s “good,” his “portion,” “cup,” and “lot” (16:5), meaning that what worldly possessions are to some, Yahweh is that and more to him. The journey from the world’s foolishness (Ps. 14) along the road of righteousness (Ps. 15) into the presence of God (Ps. 16) has left the world’s attractions farther and farther behind, until David can say, “Apart from you I have no good thing.”

David acknowledges that the Lord is his “delightful inheritance” (16:6). Contained in the word “inheritance” (nahalah) is a sense of the past, a sense of belonging, of a permanent home. David has found that in the Lord, and it corresponds to the “pleasant places.” It is in the light of the “pleasant places” and “delightful inheritance” that we are to understand the psalmist’s joy of being in the Lord’s presence (16:9, 11).

The “path of life” (16:11) that the Lord has made known to David is so real that he cannot imagine being abandoned to death. This phrase occurs in wisdom literature (Prov. 5:6; 6:23; 10:17; 15:24) and has the sense of a full life of joy that only those who have achieved wisdom can experience.[19] We should note that it is the “path of life” that leads to joy in the Lord’s presence and “eternal pleasures” at his right hand (16:11). While we look toward the “eternal pleasures,” we cannot afford to miss the joy of the journey. In fact, the “pleasant places” that the psalmist has experienced in this world (16:6) and the “pleasures” at God’s right hand come from the same Hebrew root (see the comments on 16:6). It may not be an overstatement to say that the “pleasant places”—those the psalmist experiences along the way—are an adumbration of the “eternal pleasures” in God’s presence. So we dare not miss them as we travel. One is reminded of the concept of eternal life in John’s Gospel. It is a present reality that comes to eternal maturity in the afterlife.

Teaching the Text

To build our sermon/lesson, we may speak about David’s spiritual modus operandi: “I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken” (16:8 ESV). David’s spiritual journey was characterized by joy: “Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices” (16:9a). And the destination was to celebrate the Lord as his “delightful inheritance” (see “Theological Insights”). Thus the outcome was a life about which he could say: “Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup” (16:5a). It is another way to say: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength” (Deut. 6:5). Calvin draws the conclusion that “none are taught aright in true godliness but those who reckon God alone sufficient for their happiness.”[20] David rose above his world of sexual sin, personal guilt, war, and family strife to a journey of faith that drew him irresistibly toward God. In fact, 1 Samuel tells us that what God was looking for in a king, he found in David, “a man after his own heart” (1 Sam. 13:14).

This psalm draws a contrast between those who “run after other gods” (16:4a) and those who have chosen the Lord as their portion and cup (16:5). We can draw an illustration from Israel’s history, especially seen through the eyes of the prophets. Hosea puts the story in the form of marriage and divorce, and ultimately God’s reconciliation with unfaithful Israel. The outline of that history lies behind the theology of this psalm. Our temptation is to move from monotheistic belief to polytheistic practice, and we must constantly examine how our faith conforms to our practice.

A logical step in our discourse is to draw attention to the joy that the psalmist finds in God’s presence (16:11). The suppliant draws out the correlation between one’s fidelity to God and the joy that one finds in that relationship: the greater one’s faithfulness, the greater one’s joy. Even the “path of life,” that is only speckled with joy, merges into the joy of God’s presence and leads all the way into eternal pleasures at God’s right hand (16:11).

Illustrating the Text

The journey matters as much as the destination.

Personal Testimony: A pastor was leading a group of high school students on a backpacking trip. Being a prudent planner, he had two scoutmasters and an Eagle Scout on the trip to ensure the safety of the students. Wanting to show his value to the team, the pastor went out front to blaze the trail, to show the scouts that he could read the map and stay on the trail. Hiking at a rapid pace, he arrived at the day’s destination long before the scouts. Puffing up with pride, the pastor asked the scouts as they arrived, “What took you so long?” The scouts merely smiled and complimented him. A little later one of the scouts asked the pastor what he thought about the American bald eagles that had been flying overhead. Another scout asked him what he thought about the beautiful redwood trees. Still another asked if he had stopped to see the trout that the fishermen along the river had caught. The pastor had to admit he had not seen any of this. Why? Because he was so focused on the destination that he missed the value of the journey! So often we become so enamored with our goals and destination that we do not pay attention to the journey. As we see in the book of Exodus, the journey matters as much to God as does the destination.

Be fully devoted to the Lord.

Hymn: “Forth in Thy Name,” by Charles Wesley. This hymn is largely based on Psalm 16:2, 8, and 11. Through this hymn Wesley expresses his dedication to Christian discipleship and service. The central theme of the hymn is devotion to God alone in all our work. The first stanza expresses this well:

Forth in thy name, O Lord, I go,

My daily labour to pursue;

Thee, only thee, resolved to know,

In all I think, or speak, or do.

Charles’s brother John shared this commitment to complete dedication; he wrote, “I determined, through His grace, to be all devoted to God, to give Him all my soul, my body, and my substance.”[21] The hymn “Forth in Thy Name” also captures the spirit of Psalm 16 in its final stanza:

For thee delightfully employ

Whate’er thy bounteous grace hath given,

And run my course with even joy,

And closely walk with Thee to heaven.22

This hymn provides an opportunity to challenge listeners to consider what idols (see 16:4) might keep them from being fully devoted to the Lord.