Psalm 16 Text

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Text Only (Hebrew and English) The text below is divided according to the psalm's poetic lines. For additional information, see our Poetic Structure layer.

Hebrew Verse English
מִכְתָּ֥ם לְדָוִ֑ד 1a A miktam. By David.
שָֽׁמְרֵ֥נִי אֵ֝֗ל כִּֽי־חָסִ֥יתִי בָֽךְ׃ 1b Protect me, God, because I have taken refuge in you.
אָמַ֣רְתִּ לַֽ֭יהוָה אֲדֹנָ֣י אָ֑תָּה 2a I have said to YHWH, "You are my Lord,
ט֝וֹבָתִ֗י בַּל־עָלֶֽיךָ׃ 2b my good; there is no one above you."
לִ֭קְדוֹשִׁים אֲשֶׁר־בָּאָ֣רֶץ הֵ֑מָּה 3a They are on the side of the holy ones who are in the earth,
וְ֝אַדִּירֵ֗י כָּל־חֶפְצִי־בָֽם׃ 3b the "all-my-pleasure-is-in-them" mighty ones.
יִרְבּ֥וּ עַצְּבוֹתָם֮ אַחֵ֪ר מָ֫הָ֥רוּ 4a Their idols increase; they have acquired another.
בַּל־אַסִּ֣יךְ נִסְכֵּיהֶ֣ם מִדָּ֑ם 4b I will not pour out their drink offerings of blood,
וּֽבַל־אֶשָּׂ֥א אֶת־שְׁ֝מוֹתָ֗ם עַל־שְׂפָתָֽי׃ 4c and I will not utter their names with my lips.
יְֽהוָ֗ה מְנָת־חֶלְקִ֥י וְכוֹסִ֑י 5a YHWH is the portion I possess and my cup.
אַ֝תָּ֗ה תּוֹמִ֥יךְ גּוֹרָלִֽי׃ 5b You are holding my lot.
חֲבָלִ֣ים נָֽפְלוּ־לִ֭י בַּנְּעִמִ֑ים 6a Property lines have fallen for me in the most delightful places.
אַף־נַ֝חֲלָ֗תִ שָֽׁפְרָ֥ה עָלָֽי׃ 6b Yes, my inheritance is beautiful to me.
אֲבָרֵ֗ךְ אֶת־יְ֭הוָה אֲשֶׁ֣ר יְעָצָ֑נִי 7a I will bless YHWH, who has advised me.
אַף־לֵ֝יל֗וֹת יִסְּר֥וּנִי כִלְיוֹתָֽי׃ 7b Yes, throughout the night, my kidneys instructed me.
שִׁוִּ֬יתִי יְהוָ֣ה לְנֶגְדִּ֣י תָמִ֑יד 8a I have placed YHWH before me always;
כִּ֥י מִֽ֝ימִינִ֗י בַּל־אֶמּֽוֹט׃ 8b because he is at my right side, I will not be shaken.
לָכֵ֤ן ׀ שָׂמַ֣ח לִ֭בִּי וַיָּ֣גֶל כְּבֵדִ֑י 9a Therefore, my heart rejoices, and my liver is glad.
אַף־בְּ֝שָׂרִ֗י יִשְׁכֹּ֥ן לָבֶֽטַח׃ 9b What's more, my body will dwell securely.
כִּ֤י ׀ לֹא־תַעֲזֹ֣ב נַפְשִׁ֣י לִשְׁא֑וֹל 10a For you will not abandon my life to Sheol;
לֹֽא־תִתֵּ֥ן חֲ֝סִידְךָ֗ לִרְא֥וֹת שָֽׁחַת׃ 10b you will not let your loyal one experience decay.
תּֽוֹדִיעֵנִי֮ אֹ֤רַח חַ֫יִּ֥ים 11a You will show me the way to life
שֹׂ֣בַע שְׂ֭מָחוֹת אֶת־פָּנֶ֑יךָ 11b – fullness of joy in your presence,
נְעִמ֖וֹת בִּימִינְךָ֣ נֶֽצַח׃ 11c delights in your right hand – forever.

Structure Overlay Below, the text has been overlaid with our summary structural analysis. For details on the structure, see the Structure At-a-Glance here.

SpeakerStructure Hebrew Verse English Addressee
superscription
 מִכְתָּ֥ם לְדָוִ֑ד 1a A miktam. By David.
confidence
David
Protect me, God, because I have taken refuge in you
 שָֽׁמְרֵ֥נִי אֵ֝֗ל כִּֽי־חָסִ֥יתִי בָֽךְ׃ 1b Protect me, God, because I have taken refuge in you.
YHWH
I Take Refuge
 אָמַ֣רְתִּ לַֽ֭יהוָה אֲדֹנָ֣י אָ֑תָּה 2a I have said to YHWH, "You are my Lord,
ט֝וֹבָתִ֗י בַּל־עָלֶֽיךָ׃ 2b my good; there is no one above you."
לִ֭קְדוֹשִׁים אֲשֶׁר־בָּאָ֣רֶץ הֵ֑מָּה 3a They are on the side of the holy ones who are in the earth,
contempt
וְ֝אַדִּירֵ֗י כָּל־חֶפְצִי־בָֽם׃ 3b the "all-my-pleasure-is-in-them" mighty ones.
יִרְבּ֥וּ עַצְּבוֹתָם֮ אַחֵ֪ר מָ֫הָ֥רוּ 4a Their idols increase; they have acquired another.
בַּל־אַסִּ֣יךְ נִסְכֵּיהֶ֣ם מִדָּ֑ם 4b I will not pour out their drink offerings of blood,
וּֽבַל־אֶשָּׂ֥א אֶת־שְׁ֝מוֹתָ֗ם עַל־שְׂפָתָֽי׃ 4c and I will not utter their names with my lips.
יְֽהוָ֗ה מְנָת־חֶלְקִ֥י וְכוֹסִ֑י 5a YHWH is the portion I possess and my cup.
confidence, joy, delight
אַ֝תָּ֗ה תּוֹמִ֥יךְ גּוֹרָלִֽי׃ 5b You are holding my lot.
חֲבָלִ֣ים נָֽפְלוּ־לִ֭י בַּנְּעִמִ֑ים 6a Property lines have fallen for me in the most delightful places.
אַף־נַ֝חֲלָ֗תִ שָֽׁפְרָ֥ה עָלָֽי׃ 6b Yes, my inheritance is beautiful to me.
God Protects
 אֲבָרֵ֗ךְ אֶת־יְ֭הוָה אֲשֶׁ֣ר יְעָצָ֑נִי 7a I will bless YHWH, who has advised me.
אַף־לֵ֝יל֗וֹת יִסְּר֥וּנִי כִלְיוֹתָֽי׃ 7b Yes, throughout the night, my kidneys instructed me.
שִׁוִּ֬יתִי יְהוָ֣ה לְנֶגְדִּ֣י תָמִ֑יד 8a I have placed YHWH before me always;
כִּ֥י מִֽ֝ימִינִ֗י בַּל־אֶמּֽוֹט׃ 8b because he is at my right side, I will not be shaken.
לָכֵ֤ן ׀ שָׂמַ֣ח לִ֭בִּי וַיָּ֣גֶל כְּבֵדִ֑י 9a Therefore, my heart rejoices, and my liver is glad.
אַף־בְּ֝שָׂרִ֗י יִשְׁכֹּ֥ן לָבֶֽטַח׃ 9b What's more, my body will dwell securely.
כִּ֤י ׀ לֹא־תַעֲזֹ֣ב נַפְשִׁ֣י לִשְׁא֑וֹל 10a For you will not abandon my life to Sheol;
לֹֽא־תִתֵּ֥ן חֲ֝סִידְךָ֗ לִרְא֥וֹת שָֽׁחַת׃ 10b you will not let your loyal one experience decay.
תּֽוֹדִיעֵנִי֮ אֹ֤רַח חַ֫יִּ֥ים 11a You will show me the way to life
שֹׂ֣בַע שְׂ֭מָחוֹת אֶת־פָּנֶ֑יךָ 11b – fullness of joy in your presence,
נְעִמ֖וֹת בִּימִינְךָ֣ נֶֽצַח׃ 11c delights in your right hand – forever.

Expanded paraphrase The expanded paraphrase seeks to capture the implicit information within the text and make it explicit for readers today. It is based on the CBC translation and uses italic text to provide the most salient background information, presuppositions, entailments, and inferences.

Text (Hebrew) Verse Expanded Paraphrase
מִכְתָּ֥ם לְדָוִ֑ד שָֽׁמְרֵ֥נִי אֵ֝֗ל כִּֽי־חָסִ֥יתִי בָֽךְ׃ 1 A miktam. By David. YHWH, you alone are my God, and I am your servant. Show loyalty to me, because I have been loyal to you. Protect me from harm, God, because I have taken refuge in you.
*אָמַ֣רְתִּ* לַֽ֭יהוָה אֲדֹנָ֣י אָ֑תָּה ט֝וֹבָתִ֗י בַּל־עָלֶֽיךָ׃ 2 I have taken refuge in you by entrusting myself completely to your care. I have said to YHWH, "You are my Lord, and I submit to your authority. You are my benefactor; I recognize you as the source of all my good; for me, there is no one above you; I have no higher Lord and no greater good."
לִ֭קְדוֹשִׁים אֲשֶׁר־בָּאָ֣רֶץ הֵ֑מָּה וְ֝אַדִּירֵ֗י כָּל־חֶפְצִי־בָֽם׃ 3 By contrast, other people take refuge in other gods. They are not devoted to you like I am. Instead, when they are on the side of underworld deities, the so-called holy ones who are buried in the earth, the ones of whom people say,"all-my-pleasure-is-in-them", the so-called mighty ones. When people are in danger and want to get advice from the divine realm, they consult these underworld deities (cf. 1 Sam 28).
יִרְבּ֥וּ עַצְּבוֹתָם֮ אַחֵ֪ר מָ֫הָ֥רוּ בַּל־אַסִּ֣יךְ נִסְכֵּיהֶ֣ם מִדָּ֑ם וּֽבַל־אֶשָּׂ֥א אֶת־שְׁ֝מוֹתָ֗ם עַל־שְׂפָתָֽי׃ 4 Their idols, by which they serve their gods, increase; they have acquired yet another god, in the same way that a man acquires a bride. I will not participate in the worship of these gods. I will not try to summon them from the earth by pouring out their drink offerings made of blood, and I will not try to summon them by uttering their names with my lips as part of a ritual incantation.
יְֽהוָ֗ה מְנָת־חֶלְקִ֥י וְכוֹסִ֑י אַ֝תָּ֗ה תּוֹמִ֥יךְ גּוֹרָלִֽי׃ 5 Instead, I am devoted to YHWH alone. YHWH, you assigned lands to the nations and divided up the human race. You established the boundaries of the peoples according to the number in your heavenly court (Deut 32:8). And, in so doing, you took Israel for yourself; you made us your portion. You are our God, and we are your people. And so, YHWH is the portion I possess and my cup which has been given me to drink, a symbol of my portion in life. You, YHWH, are holding my lot; you have determined my fate—where I live and, therefore, which god I serve.
חֲבָלִ֣ים נָֽפְלוּ־לִ֭י בַּנְּעִמִ֑ים אַף־*נַ֝חֲלָ֗תִ* שָֽׁפְרָ֥ה עָלָֽי׃ 6 I cannot be happier about the portion that has been allotted to me! Property lines have fallen for me in the most delightful places. Yes, my inheritance —a place among the people of Israel, who have YHWH as their god— is beautiful to me. Other Israelites reject their inheritance and commit spiritual adultery with other gods (cf. vv. 3–4). But I rejoice in my lot and take refuge in you, YHWH, by gladly entrusting myself to your care.
אֲבָרֵ֗ךְ אֶת־יְ֭הוָה אֲשֶׁ֣ר יְעָצָ֑נִי אַף־לֵ֝יל֗וֹת יִסְּר֥וּנִי כִלְיוֹתָֽי׃ 7 YHWH has granted by request for protection (v. 1)! I was in a dangerous situation, and I did not know what to do. So, I sought YHWH's advice, and he answered me! He showed me the way to life and kept me safe! I will gratefully bless YHWH, who has advised me. Yes, he spoke to me throughout the night. As I prayerfully reflected on my situation, he made it clear what I should do; as I deliberated throughout the night, my kidneys, the seat of my conscience, instructed me.
שִׁוִּ֬יתִי יְהוָ֣ה לְנֶגְדִּ֣י תָמִ֑יד כִּ֥י מִֽ֝ימִינִ֗י בַּל־אֶמּֽוֹט׃ 8 I have placed YHWH before me as my trusted adviser; I will always seek his counsel. Because he is at my right side, where he will always advise me and protect me, I will not be affected by difficult circumstances and shaken from my position of stability.
לָכֵ֤ן ׀ שָׂמַ֣ח לִ֭בִּי וַיָּ֣גֶל *כְּבֵדִ֑י* אַף־בְּ֝שָׂרִ֗י יִשְׁכֹּ֥ן לָבֶֽטַח׃ 9 Therefore, convinced of YHWH's constant protection, my heart rejoices, and my liver, the seat of my emotions, is glad. What's more, not only will my internal, emotional self experience a state of well-being, but my body too will dwell securely.
כִּ֤י ׀ לֹא־תַעֲזֹ֣ב נַפְשִׁ֣י לִשְׁא֑וֹל לֹֽא־תִתֵּ֥ן חֲ֝סִידְךָ֗ לִרְא֥וֹת שָֽׁחַת׃ 10 For you will preserve my life forever! You will not abandon my life to the power of Sheol, the underworld; you will not let me, your loyal one, experience decay and rot in the grave.
תּֽוֹדִיעֵנִי֮ אֹ֤רַח חַ֫יִּ֥ים שֹׂ֣בַע שְׂ֭מָחוֹת אֶת־פָּנֶ֑יךָ נְעִמ֖וֹת בִּימִינְךָ֣ נֶֽצַח׃ 11 Instead, you will preserve my life. You will continue to advise me and show me the way to life – you will make me experience fullness of joy in your presence, delights in your right hand – and you will do so forever.

Participant Tracking Text Participant Analysis focuses on the characters in the psalm and asks, “Who are the main participants (or characters) in this psalm, and what are they saying or doing? Our full analysis can be found in the Participant Analysis layer.

  Participant Color-Coding

There are 3 participants/characters in Psalm 16:

David
"David" (v. 1)
"your loyal one" (v. 10)
David's body
"my kidneys" (v. 7)
"my heart" (v. 9)
"my liver" (v. 9)
"my body" (v. 9)

YHWH
"YHWH" (vv. 2, 5, 7, 8)
"God" (v. 1)
"my Lord" (v. 2a)
"my good" (v. 2b)
"the portion I possess" (v. 5a)
"my cup" (v. 5a)

Other gods
"the holy ones who are in the earth" (v. 3)
"the 'all-my-pleasure-is-in-them mighty ones" (v. 3)
"another (god)" (v. 4)
Those who worship other gods
"they" (v. 3)

  • David is the king of Israel. As an Israelite living the land that YHWH gave to Israel, David has YHWH as his god (cf. 1 Sam 26:19). Moreover, David is in a special covenant relationship with YHWH (2 Sam 7; Ps 89).
    The psalm also refers to various parts of David's body.
  • YHWH is the god of Israel. When he assigned lands to the nations and divided up the human race, he chose Israel as his own special possession (Deut 32:8–9). YHWH demands total allegiance from his people (cf. Exod 20:1–5; Deut 6:4–5).
  • In contrast to David, other people worship other gods. The initial description of these gods in v. 3 portrays them as underworld deities (see Lexical Semantics and Story Behind), whom people would worship and consult for advice. The identity of the people who worship these gods is unspecified (and even downplayed) in the psalm.


Hebrew Verse English
מִכְתָּ֥ם לְדָוִ֑ד 1a A miktam. By David.
שָֽׁמְרֵ֥נִי אֵ֝֗ל כִּֽי־חָסִ֥יתִי בָֽךְ׃ 1b Protect me, God, because I have taken refuge in you.
אָמַ֣רְתִּ לַֽ֭יהוָה אֲדֹנָ֣י אָ֑תָּה 2a I have said to YHWH, "You are my Lord,
ט֝וֹבָתִ֗י בַּל־עָלֶֽיךָ׃ 2b my good; there is no one above you."
לִ֭קְדוֹשִׁים אֲשֶׁר־בָּאָ֣רֶץ הֵ֑מָּה 3a They are on the side of the holy ones who are in the earth,
וְ֝אַדִּירֵ֗י כָּל־חֶפְצִי־בָֽם׃ 3b the "all-my-pleasure-is-in-them" mighty ones.
יִרְבּ֥וּ עַצְּבוֹתָם֮ אַחֵ֪ר מָ֫הָ֥רוּ 4a Their idols increase; they have acquired another.
בַּל־אַסִּ֣יךְ נִסְכֵּיהֶ֣ם מִדָּ֑ם 4b I will not pour out their drink offerings of blood,
וּֽבַל־אֶשָּׂ֥א אֶת־שְׁ֝מוֹתָ֗ם עַל־שְׂפָתָֽי׃ 4c and I will not utter their names with my lips.
יְֽהוָ֗ה מְנָת־חֶלְקִ֥י וְכוֹסִ֑י 5a YHWH is the portion I possess and my cup.
אַ֝תָּ֗ה תּוֹמִ֥יךְ גּוֹרָלִֽי׃ 5b You are holding my lot.
חֲבָלִ֣ים נָֽפְלוּ־לִ֭י בַּנְּעִמִ֑ים 6a Property lines have fallen for me in the most delightful places.
אַף־נַ֝חֲלָ֗תִ שָֽׁפְרָ֥ה עָלָֽי׃ 6b Yes, my inheritance is beautiful to me.
אֲבָרֵ֗ךְ אֶת־יְ֭הוָה אֲשֶׁ֣ר יְעָצָ֑נִי 7a I will bless YHWH, who has advised me.
אַף־לֵ֝יל֗וֹת יִסְּר֥וּנִי כִלְיוֹתָֽי׃ 7b Yes, throughout the night, my kidneys instructed me.
שִׁוִּ֬יתִי יְהוָ֣ה לְנֶגְדִּ֣י תָמִ֑יד 8a I have placed YHWH before me always;
כִּ֥י מִֽ֝ימִינִ֗י בַּל־אֶמּֽוֹט׃ 8b because he is at my right side, I will not be shaken.
לָכֵ֤ן ׀ שָׂמַ֣ח לִ֭בִּי וַיָּ֣גֶל כְּבֵדִ֑י 9a Therefore, my heart rejoices, and my liver is glad.
אַף־בְּ֝שָׂרִ֗י יִשְׁכֹּ֥ן לָבֶֽטַח׃ 9b What's more, my body will dwell securely.
כִּ֤י ׀ לֹא־תַעֲזֹ֣ב נַפְשִׁ֣י לִשְׁא֑וֹל 10a For you will not abandon my life to Sheol;
לֹֽא־תִתֵּ֥ן חֲ֝סִידְךָ֗ לִרְא֥וֹת שָֽׁחַת׃ 10b you will not let your loyal one experience decay.
תּֽוֹדִיעֵנִי֮ אֹ֤רַח חַ֫יִּ֥ים 11a You will show me the way to life
שֹׂ֣בַע שְׂ֭מָחוֹת אֶת־פָּנֶ֑יךָ 11b – fullness of joy in your presence,
נְעִמ֖וֹת בִּימִינְךָ֣ נֶֽצַח׃ 11c delights in your right hand – forever.