Unless otherwise stated, all citations are taken from the New International Version (NIV).
This is “a psalm of confident resting in God”[1] or a “song of trust and confession of faith.”[2] It shows David’s confidence and gratitude for having God in his life. The NT authors cite this passage to refer to Jesus’ resurrection (Acts 2:25-28; 13:35).
(16:1) Keep me safe, my God, for in you I take refuge.
David didn’t take refuge in a temple or fortress. Instead, because God is omnipresent, “the shadow of God’s protection extends over one no matter where the road of life leads.”[3] The safest place to be is in the center of God’s will.
(16:2) I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.”
“You are my Lord.” David accepts God’s righteous leadership over his life.
“Apart from you I have no good thing.” Close your eyes and picture the best day you’ve ever had in your entire life. Even on that day, was your relationship with God still your greatest joy and delight? David doesn’t idolize pleasures or possessions in life. Instead, he chooses to value God as his greatest treasure.
(16:3) I say of the holy people who are in the land, “They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.”
Are these “holy people” or “false gods”? The term translated “holy people” (qedošim) can refer to pagan gods—not OT saints. This explains the reference to “running after other gods” in verse 4. Thus, some commentators[4] understand this to refer to pagan deities or perhaps polytheistic converts, rather than OT saints (see Altar[5] and Wilson[6]).
However, we disagree. The root word simply means “holy” or “set apart.” This would fit with God’s holy people. Furthermore, it is quite bizarre that David would refer to these deities as possessing “all my delight.” Jacobson and Tanner state the obvious contextual observation when they write, “The phrase all my delight is in them is difficult to reconcile with the notion of heavenly beings who rebel against God’s will.”[7] A little context goes a long way!
“In whom is all my delight.” Because God himself is glorious, David finds his people glorious too. People are a great gift from God.
(16:4) Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more. I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods or take up their names on my lips.
Pursuing idolatry is not only morally wrong (because these “deities” or demons are not the summum bonum), but it is also damaging to the worshipper. Worshipping demons will cause us to “suffer.”
“Pour out libations of blood to such gods.” The reference to pouring out blood might refer to human sacrifices (Ps. 106:36-38; Isa. 57:5-6) or general guilt offerings (Isa. 1:15). Wilson[8] holds that it refers to the abhorrent practice of drinking the blood of idols (contra Deut. 12:16, 24; 15:23).
“Or take up their names on my lips.” David won’t even utter their names.
(16:5) LORD, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure.
God himself is the ultimate reward. God is the only One who will never be taken away from us. He will never depreciate or lose value. He will never fail us. This is what makes life “secure.” Everything else in life pales by comparison.
(16:6) The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.
Instead of the idols that take our blood (v.4), Yahweh gives to David. To communicate this, David uses the language of the conquest of Canaan. VanGemeren writes, “Using the language reminiscent of the conquest of Canaan (‘portion,’ ‘lot,’ ‘boundary lines,’ ‘inheritance’), the psalmist reflects on all that the Lord has done.”[9]
“Pleasant places… Delightful inheritance.” God’s provision brings happiness into David’s life. Yet, this is only due to the fact that David was grateful for what God had given him. No amount of blessing can change an ungrateful heart. Are you able to say that you’re happy with what God has given you? Are you thankful?
What makes this inheritance so great?
(16:7) I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me.
God’s work in David’s heart is so deep that God’s “counsel” and the “instruction” of David’s heart are synonymous. Surely, this is what made David a man after God’s own heart.
(16:8) I keep my eyes always on the LORD. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
What is the key to avoiding “being shaken”? The secret is straightforward: “I keep my eyes always on the LORD.” Keep your mindset on him—not self, sin, or circumstances.
(16:9-10) Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, 10 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay.
This meditation on God gives him emotional and physical security. Since he isn’t striving for idols, he feels relaxed. God provides for him in life (vv.5-6) and in death (vv.9-10). This led Peter and Paul to see a fulfillment in Jesus, whose body didn’t decay but was resurrected (Acts 2:29ff; 13:34-47).
(Ps. 16:10) Does this passage predict the resurrection of the Messiah? Both Peter (Acts 2:25-28) and Paul (Acts 13:35) understand this passage to predict Jesus. The term “faithful one” (NIV) or “Holy One” (NASB) seems to be a messianic reference from David. For one, Peter’s argument is that David did decay after death. Therefore, this psalm couldn’t be about himself. It must’ve referred to one of his descendants. Moreover, the term “Holy One” (ḥāsîd) occurs in other messianic contexts (Ps. 89:19-20), which is a messianic psalm (Ps. 89:3-4; 33-35; cf. Ps. 132:11-12). Because ANE culture was so bound up with the life of their descendants, David could have been speaking about his own resurrection in terms of his descendent—Jesus. That is, “Jesus (the ultimate Holy One) will be raised, and I will be raised as a consequence.”
(16:11) You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
If God provides great joy and satisfaction in life, what will that joy look like in the afterlife? David—under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit—predicts that it will result in “eternal pleasures.”
“You will fill me with joy.” We don’t have 90% joy, but “fullness of joy.”
“In your presence.” The gifts cannot be separated from the Giver. The joy will come from seeing God himself.
The psalm has come full circle. Kidner comments, “The refugee of verse 1 finds himself an heir, and his inheritance beyond all imagining and all exploring.”[10]
Paraphrase of Psalm 16
“I will keep you safe as you seek safety in Me. A relationship with Me is the greatest treasure you could ever have. But not just Me. Also delight in My people. Don’t run after idols who will cause you to suffer. I am the One who will give you security and delight. If you keep your eyes on Me, you won’t be shaken or insecure. Even in death, you have nothing to fear. When you see me, I will fill you with joy and eternal pleasures in Heaven.”
[1] Gerald H. Wilson, Psalms, vol. 1, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2002), 305.
[2] Rolf A. Jacobson and Beth Tanner, “Book One of the Psalter: Psalms 1–41,” in The Book of Psalms, ed. E. J. Young, R. K. Harrison, and Robert L. Hubbard Jr., The New International Commentary on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2014), 176.
[3] Rolf A. Jacobson and Beth Tanner, “Book One of the Psalter: Psalms 1–41,” in The Book of Psalms, ed. E. J. Young, R. K. Harrison, and Robert L. Hubbard Jr., The New International Commentary on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2014), 178.
[4] Dahood, Craigie, Alter, and Wilson hold this view. Jacobson and Tanner reject this view.
[5] Robert Alter, The Book of Psalms (New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2009), 45.
[6] Gerald H. Wilson, Psalms, vol. 1, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2002), 308-309.
[7] Rolf A. Jacobson and Beth Tanner, “Book One of the Psalter: Psalms 1–41,” in The Book of Psalms, ed. E. J. Young, R. K. Harrison, and Robert L. Hubbard Jr., The New International Commentary on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2014), 179.
[8] Gerald H. Wilson, Psalms, vol. 1, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2002), 309.
[9] Willem A. VanGemeren, “Psalms,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 5 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1991), 156.
[10] Derek Kidner, Psalms 1-72: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 15, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1973), 103.