Psalm 16: the joy of the faithful believer

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Brian Waalla
By Brian Waalla
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Psalm 16 is a prophetic poem by David. It is a psalm of lamentation, mirrored in the prophecies of the Suffering Servant. This psalm was essential and much used by the apostles in the Early Church. Check out the sacred words and the interpretation below.

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Psalm 16: psalm of praise and mourning

Read the sacred words carefully:

” 1 Keep me safe, my God,
for in you I take refuge.

2 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
apart from you I have no good thing.”
3 I say of the holy people who are in the land,
“They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.”
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.

5 Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup;
you make my lot secure.
6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.
7 I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me.
8 I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
9 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.
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.”

Psalm 16

Interpretation of Psalm 16

Verses 1 and 2

In these early verses, David uses the analogy of the bird that seeks shelter under the maternal wings to express its absolute trust in God. And it shows that the trust he has in God is the most important thing he has.

Verses 3 and 4

Here, David points out that the faithful on earth who follow God will not be forgotten by divine justice. As for those who follow other “gods”, they suffered on earth and at the last judgment.

Verses 5 and 6

In this passage from Psalm 6, the psalmist highlights the importance of God in his life, remembering that his future depends entirely on the Lord. He remembers how beautiful and great is the inheritance that God intended and for this reason, he rejoices and thanks.

Verses 7 and 8

Here the Psalmist shows the importance of not only praising the Lord, but also blessing him and showing those around him how important it is for God to always stand before Him. He guarantees that by having God by his side, he will never be shaken.

Verses 9 to 11

He ends with a cheerful and quiet exaltation, of the certainty that God will never abandon him nor allow him to suffer. He reminds us that God gives him eternal joy, and as long as he has His presence, he will have eternal pleasure as long as he lives.

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