Psalm 16

1650 psalter

The Righteous One’s Satisfaction with His Lot
This is a Michtam or golden psalm, of which there are five others. The title has a sense of being precious or pre-eminent. The resurrection is clearly taught in the Old Testament, and this psalm is one of the evidences. Although David penned it, and certainly anticipated his own resurrection, yet there is only one voice in the whole of the psalm, and it must be Christ’s. The reason being, is that both Peter (Acts 2:25-31), and Paul (Acts 13:35-37), used this psalm as prophetic of the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord. 

The harmony of Scripture is amazing, and it gives us the confidence that because Christ lives, we shall live also. He is the first fruit, and therefore there shall be a great harvest. Surely, with Christ, our lines are fallen in pleasant places. 

Pastor Jeff O’ Neil

Psalm 16

¹Lord, keep me; for I trust in thee.
²To GOD thus was my speech,
Thou art my Lord; and unto thee
My goodness doth not reach:

³To saints on earth, to th’excellent,
Where my delight’s all plac’d.
⁴Their sorrows shall be multiplied
To other gods that haste:

Of their drinkofferings of blood
I will no off’ring make;
Yea, neither I their very names
Up in my lips will take.

⁵GOD is of mine inheritance
And cup the portion;
The lot that fallen is to me
Thou dost maintain alone.

⁶Unto me happily the lines
In pleasant places fell;
Yea, the inheritance I got
In beauty doth excel.

⁷I bless the LORD, because he doth
By counsel me conduct;
And in the seasons of the night
My reins do me instruct.

⁸Before me still the LORD I set:
Sith it is so that he
Doth ever stand at my right hand,
I shall not moved be.

⁹Because of this my heart is glad,
And joy shall be exprest
Ev’n by my glory; and my flesh
In confidence shall rest.

¹⁰Because my soul in grave to dwell
Shall not be left by thee;
Nor wilt thou give thine Holy One
Corruption to see.

¹¹Thou wilt me show the path of life:
Of joys there is full store
Before thy face; at thy right hand
Are pleasures evermore.