Psalm 16
Psalm 16 is the 16th psalm in the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust."
In the slightly different numbering system used in the Greek Septuagint and Latin Vulgate translations of the Bible, this psalm is Psalm 15. The Latin version begins "Conserva me Domine".
The psalm is attributed to David and described as a Michtam of David. Psalms 56-60 also share this title. Sarah Hoyt describes this term as "obscure". Semitic scholar Paul Haupt suggests that it may mean "restricted by the meter", or "conformed to poetical measure". The psalm forms a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Anglican, Eastern Orthodox Church and Protestant liturgies. It has been set to music, including compositions by Marc-Antoine Charpentier and George Frideric Handel.
Composition
and Emilie Briggs summarized its contents as follows:According to the Briggs, the author of this Psalm drew on Jeremiah 23:6, 33:16; Deuteronomy 33:12; and the Book of Ezra for phrases and concepts, and most likely wrote the Psalm in the Persian period.
Text
The following table shows the Hebrew text of the Psalm with vowels, alongside the Koine Greek text in the Septuagint and the English translation from the King James Version. Note that the meaning can slightly differ between these versions, as the Septuagint and the Masoretic Text come from different textual traditions. In the Septuagint, this psalm is numbered Psalm 15.| # | Hebrew | English | Greek |
| 1 | Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust. | Στηλογραφία τῷ Δαυΐδ. - ΦΥΛΑΞΟΝ με, Κύριε, ὅτι ἐπὶ σοὶ ἤλπισα. | |
| 2 | O my soul, thou hast said unto the LORD, Thou art my Lord: my goodness extendeth not to thee; | εἶπα τῷ Κυρίῳ· Κύριός μου εἶ σύ, ὅτι τῶν ἀγαθῶν μου οὐ χρείαν ἔχεις. | |
| 3 | But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight. | τοῖς ἁγίοις τοῖς ἐν τῇ γῇ αὐτοῦ ἐθαυμάστωσεν ὁ Κύριος, πάντα τὰ θελήματα αὐτοῦ ἐν αὐτοῖς. | |
| 4 | Their 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. | ἐπληθύνθησαν αἱ ἀσθένειαι αὐτῶν, μετὰ ταῦτα ἐτάχυναν· οὐ μὴ συναγάγω τὰς συναγωγὰς αὐτῶν ἐξ αἱμάτων, οὐδ᾿ οὐ μὴ μνησθῶ τῶν ὀνομάτων αὐτῶν διὰ χειλέων μου. | |
| 5 | The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot. | Κύριος μερὶς τῆς κληρονομίας μου καὶ τοῦ ποτηρίου μου· σὺ εἶ ὁ ἀποκαθιστῶν τὴν κληρονομίαν μου ἐμοί. | |
| 6 | The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage. | σχοινία ἐπέπεσέ μοι ἐν τοῖς κρατίστοις· καὶ γὰρ ἡ κληρονομία μου κρατίστη μοί ἐστιν. | |
| 7 | I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons. | εὐλογήσω τὸν Κύριον τὸν συνετίσαντά με· ἔτι δὲ καὶ ἕως νυκτὸς ἐπαίδευσάν με οἱ νεφροί μου. | |
| 8 | I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. | προωρώμην τὸν Κύριον ἐνώπιόν μου διαπαντός, ὅτι ἐκ δεξιῶν μού ἐστιν, ἵνα μὴ σαλευθῶ. | |
| 9 | Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. | διὰ τοῦτο ηὐφράνθη ἡ καρδία μου, καὶ ἠγαλλιάσατο ἡ γλῶσσά μου, ἔτι δὲ καὶ ἡ σάρξ μου κατασκηνώσει ἐπ᾿ ἐλπίδι, | |
| 10 | For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. | ὅτι οὐκ ἐγκαταλείψεις τὴν ψυχήν μου εἰς ᾅδην, οὐδὲ δώσεις τὸν ὅσιόν σου ἰδεῖν διαφθοράν. | |
| 11 | Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. | ἐγνώρισάς μοι ὁδοὺς ζωῆς· πληρώσεις με εὐφροσύνης μετὰ τοῦ προσώπου σου, τερπνότητες ἐν τῇ δεξιᾷ σου εἰς τέλος. |
Uses
New Testament
The following verses of Psalm 16 are referenced in the New Testament:- Verses 8-11 are quoted in Acts
- Verse 10b is quoted in Acts.
Judaism
Verse 3 is found in Pirkei Avot Chapter 6, no. 10.Psalm 16 is one of the ten psalms of the Tikkun HaKlali of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov.