David
Psalm 16
Michtam of David.
Scripture (KJV)
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.
Summary
Psalm 16 is a golden psalm of trust and joy in God as the believer’s supreme portion. David begins with a simple plea: "Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust." He then tells his own soul that the LORD is his Lord, acknowledging that his goodness extends not to God but to the saints on earth—the excellent ones in whom he delights. He rejects idolatry utterly: those who chase other gods multiply sorrows, and he will not even name them on his lips.
The heart of the psalm is verse 5: "The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot." God Himself is David’s inheritance, his cup, his heritage. The lines have fallen in pleasant places. Because David sets the LORD always before him, his heart is glad, his glory rejoices, and his flesh rests in hope. Verses 10–11 are quoted in the New Testament as prophecies of Christ’s resurrection (Acts 2:25–28, 13:35)—the Holy One would not see corruption. The psalm closes with the breathtaking promise: "In thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." The major themes are trust, inheritance, joy, resurrection hope, and God’s presence. Practically, the psalm teaches that when God is our portion, every other inheritance is secondary and every hope is secure. The great lesson is that the path of life leads to God’s presence, where joy is full and pleasures never end.
Key Themes
A Prayer from Psalm 16
Preserve me, O God, for in You I put my trust. You are my Lord; my goodness extends to Your saints, the excellent in whom I delight. I will not run after other gods or take their names on my lips. You are the portion of my inheritance and of my cup; You maintain my lot. The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; I have a goodly heritage. Bless the LORD, who gives me counsel and instructs my heart in the night. I set You always before me; because You are at my right hand, I shall not be moved. My heart is glad, my glory rejoices, and my flesh rests in hope. You will not leave my soul in hell, but will show me the path of life. In Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Reflection Questions
- 1What does it mean for God to be my "portion" and my "cup"?
- 2How does setting the LORD "always before me" change my daily life?
- 3How do verses 10–11 point beyond David to the resurrection of Christ?
- 4What would it look like to live in the confidence of "fullness of joy" in God’s presence?
Related Psalms
Psalm 17
“Hear the right, O Lord, attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips.”
A plea for vindication and a vision of God’s face in righteousness.
Read morePsalm 11
“In the Lord put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain?”
Confidence in God despite counsel to flee; the Lord’s throne endures.
Read morePsalm 15
“Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?”
The marks of those fit to dwell with God: integrity, truth, and justice.
Read morePsalm 73
“Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.”
A struggle with the prosperity of the wicked resolved in God’s presence.
Read morePsalm 27
“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”
Courage from seeking God’s presence and waiting patiently on Him.
Read moreRelated Articles
Support BookofPsalms.org
If you find BookofPsalms.org helpful and would like to support the website, you may make a voluntary contribution through PayPal. Your support helps pay for the operation, hosting, maintenance, development, content, security, and continued improvement of BookofPsalms.org.
Independent Website & Contribution Disclosure
BookofPsalms.org is an independently operated, privately owned website. BookofPsalms.org is not affiliated with, sponsored by, endorsed by, or operated by any church, denomination, ministry, religious organization, charity, or nonprofit organization.
All funds contributed through BookofPsalms.org are received by the privately owned company that operates the website. Funds may be used by the company to support website hosting, maintenance, development, content creation, administration, advertising, technology, and other business and operating expenses.
Contributions are voluntary and are NOT tax-deductible charitable donations. BookofPsalms.org does not represent contributions as charitable donations or contributions to a nonprofit, church, ministry, or tax-exempt religious organization.
Receive weekly Psalms and prayers
A gentle Psalm, an original prayer, and a short reflection—delivered once a week.
We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe anytime.