Down to Earth But Heavenly Minded

What does Psalms Chapter 16 mean?

David draws a strong contrast between those who honor God, versus those who dishonor God. The ones who acknowledge their need for the Lord, as David does, see God as their security. He is the ultimate source of good in their lives. This leads those who love God to love God’s people. Godly people also resist associating themselves with idolatry and evil. Those who reject the one true God can expect an increasing pile of sorrows (Psalm 16:1–4).

In an Old Testament context, a “portion” was symbolic of what people today may call “fate,” or “destiny,” except it was not considered as random or impersonal as those modern words might suggest. All things were seen as subject to God’s will; that which a person experienced in life was the “portion” assigned by God. Israel’s tribes were each destined to inherit a certain part of the Promised Land, other than the Levites, whose “portion” was their priesthood under God. These inheritances were each a “portion” of Canaan. David celebrates that God’s grace has resulted in his relationship with the Lord. This, along with God’s influence over David’s conscience, gives him confidence (Psalm 16:5–8).

Even in the face of death, David is willing to trust God and celebrate His goodness. As much as David trusts God to see him through earthly dangers, he knows his ultimate security is in eternity. David rejects the idea that he will be “abandoned” in death or merely allowed to rot away. This statement is referenced several times in the New Testament as evangelists refer to the resurrection of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:25–28; 13:35). Looking forward to eternity adds to the believer’s courage and confidence in all things (Psalm 16:9–11).

Chapter Context
This psalm belongs with those expressing David’s confidence in the Lord. Despite opposition, David knew God was guiding and protecting him. The psalm exudes joy as David places his trust in the Lord. Perhaps David wrote these words after the Lord gave His covenant to David (2 Samuel 7:1–17) and guaranteed David would have an everlasting throne. A phrase in verse 10 is often cited in the New Testament when discussing the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Verse by Verse

Verse 1. Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.

David asks the Lord to keep him safe. His life was marked with combat and other dangers (1 Samuel 19:8; Psalm 144:1); he deeply understood what it meant to trust God for protection. As part of that, David recognized that ultimate security only comes from God. A “refuge” is a shelter, meant to protect against some threat or disaster. In the ancient world, that might have included a reinforced tower or a cave in a high mountain. A refuge kept the threat—such as an enemy—at bay.

Early in life, David learned to trust in the Lord for safety. His battle with the giant Goliath demonstrates this. He met Goliath with only a staff, a shepherd’s pouch, a sling, and five smooth stones. When Goliath mocked him, David responded, “This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head” (1 Samuel 17:46). He also declared, “The battle is the LORD‘s” (1 Samuel 17:47). We can learn from past victories that the Lord is our refuge and worthy of our trust. Romans 8:37 points out that even earthly defeat is only temporary: “We are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”

Context Summary
Psalm 16:1–4 rejoices in the Lord’s protection. David asks God to keep him secure, and he tells the Lord he has nothing good apart from Him. David delights in the fellowship he enjoys with other believers. In contrast, he is determined not to associate with idolaters. David is certain that those who worship false gods will encounter an increasing number of sorrows.

Verse 2. I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;I have no good apart from you.”

This records part of David’s prayer. He confesses that God is his Lord. He has a personal relationship with the Lord. His faith is anchored in God. He also states that the Lord is his sole good. In comparison to God, nothing in David’s life was good, and apart from God, nothing was comparatively good in David. James assures us, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change” (James 1:17). The believer can acknowledge what David acknowledges in Psalm 23:6: “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.”

Whoever thinks he is good apart from a personal relationship with the Lord is mistaken. Romans 3:12 states, “All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” It is possible to appear good in the sight of humans, but it is impossible to appear good in the eyes of the Lord without a personal relationship with Him.

Verse 3. As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones,in whom is all my delight.

David has fellowship with the Lord; therefore, he has fellowship with the Lord’s people, “the saints in the land.” The word “saints” identifies those who are set apart unto the Lord. These are not a special class of extra-righteous people, but all who are saved by grace through faith. David calls the saints “excellent ones.” This designation portrays the Lord’s people as noble or glorious. The New Testament calls believers in Christ “saints” (Ephesians 1:1).

The apostle John cites love of fellow believers as a proof of one’s salvation. First John 2:10–11 states: “Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness.” Jesus commanded believers to love one another, and this love mirrors His love. He said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another” (John 13:34). He identified this love as evidence that believers are His disciples (John 13:35). David expresses his love for fellow believers, as well.

Verse 4. The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply;their drink offerings of blood I will not pour outor take their names on my lips.

Contrast between believers and unbelievers is a running theme in Scripture. In the prior verse, David expressed delight in the saints (Psalm 16:3), but here he refuses to participate in false faiths. Although Israel was called to be holy as a nation, not everyone in the land was holy. Many were idolaters. They worshiped “another god” and performed drink offerings to these false deities. David predicts they will experience an increasing number of sorrows.

Although New Testament believers are commanded to demonstrate love for unbelievers (Matthew 5:44; 22:36–40), they must not love their sin (1 Thessalonians 5:22). Second Corinthians distinguishes believers as the temple of the living God (2 Corinthians 6:16). As such, believers must not become “unequally yoked with unbelievers” (2 Corinthians 6:14). The same passage commands believers: “Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them” (2 Corinthians 6:17).

Although Lot was a believer, he chose to form close ties with the wicked Sodomites (Genesis 13:12–13). He moved into Sodom and rose to prominence there, but ultimately lost everything he possessed when God judged Sodom (Genesis 19:15–16). He was fortunate not to join the ultimate end of those whose “sorrows…shall multiply.”

Verse 5. The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;you hold my lot.

David rejoices in his relationship with the Lord. As used in the Old Testament, references to a “portion” implied sharing in something. It also suggested that with which a person was gifted, or allotted, either in life or some other situation (Ecclesiastes 9:9). To say that God is one’s “portion” is to celebrate being part of the family of God (Galatians 4:5; 1 John 3:1). Similar symbolism comes in the concept of a “cup;” this can also refer to something a person has been assigned or allotted, for good or for bad (Matthew 20:22; 26:39).

The Levites were the tribe who received no land in Canaan but were honored with priestly duties. Their “portion” was God: “You shall have no inheritance in their land, neither shall you have any portion among them. I am your portion and your inheritance among the people of Israel” (Numbers 18:20). This idea is part of the reference to “lines” in the following verse (Psalm 16:6). Likewise, David’s most valuable inheritance was his relationship with the Lord. God is all David needs. In Psalm 23:1, David confesses, “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

Psalm 73 reveals how Asaph wondered why the wicked prospered, but he didn’t (Psalm 73:2–3). However, he learned to see matters from the Lord’s perspective and concluded, “Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you [the Lord]” (Psalm 73:25). The believer whose attitude matches that of David and Asaph enjoys true riches and perfect peace (1 Timothy 6:6).

Context Summary
Psalm 16:5–8 expresses David’s elation in God and gives reasons for it. This celebratory tone is set up by the prior passage, which established God as David’s ultimate refuge and source of goodness. The verses in this section form the core of the psalm’s joyful song. David rejoices in his relationship with the Lord, in his inheritance in Israel, and in the Lord’s direction for his life.

Verse 6. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

When Israel conquered Canaan, the Lord assigned each tribe a portion of the land except Levi, whose inheritance was the Lord (Joshua 13—21). Each inherited section of Canaan was carefully allocated and marked. Measuring lines specified the land each tribe, clan, and family owned. Each lot received a landmark that was permanent. Deuteronomy 19:14 prohibited the people from moving the landmarks. This verse commands: “You shall not move your neighbor’s landmark, which the men of old have set, in the inheritance that you will hold in the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess.”

Continuing his celebration from the prior verse (Psalm 16:5), David rejoices that his inheritance had fallen in pleasant places. He views his inheritance as a beautiful gift from the Lord. Believers, too, have a beautiful inheritance as a gift from the Lord. Ephesians 1:11 explains, “In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.”

Verse 7. I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;in the night also my heart instructs me.

In close fellowship with the Lord David received guidance from God. The Lord told him what to do and what to avoid. Even during many nights, the Lord instructed David. In response to that help, David blessed the Lord. To “bless” means to speak well of.

David calls the Lord’s counsel “instruction.” David’s statement here uses the Hebrew word kilyot, which refers to his inner organs—literally, to the kidneys. In Hebrew thinking, this was the center of one’s feelings and emotions, much as “the heart” is used in modern English. It is the innermost part of a person (Psalm 139:13; Proverbs 23:16). That David then speaks about this in the context of guidance from God suggests the idea of the human conscience. When David did wrong, the Lord brought a feeling of correction, and David learned from it.

The Lord instructs believers today from His written Word. It is given for “training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). However, when a believer acts contrary to Scripture, God teaches him by chastening him. God treats believers as sons by chastening them. The chastening is temporary, and it is designed to yield “the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:7–11).

Verse 8. I have set the Lord always before me;because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

Here, David testifies that he trusts in the Lord to protect and defend him. In ancient writing, the “right hand” represented someone’s ultimate strength and power. In the case of David, the sense that God was at his right hand was a feeling of confidence.

Along the same lines, David has identified the Lord as his guide (Psalm 16:7), now he identifies God as his guard. Having the Lord as a protection kept David confident and unafraid. Nothing would move or shake him. He was secure in all the blessings the Lord had bestowed on him. This goes beyond a shallow assumption that David will survive—as the following passage shows, this is a confidence that God is eternally with David even if he meets death (Psalm 16:9–11).

In John 10:28–29 Jesus promises to safeguard all who trust in Him. He says, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.” David knew that even if he walked through the valley of the shadow of death he did not have to fear because the Lord, his Shepherd, would protect him (Psalm 23:4).

Verse 9. Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;my flesh also dwells secure.

Because the Lord is always at David’s right hand—symbolizing God’s protection and support—he rejoices with everything he is (Mark 12:30). Even the thought of death does not disturb David. He believes the Lord will keep him secure even in the event of death (Psalm 16:10–11). David knows he will live so long as God intends him to (Psalm 39:4), and after that, he will still be guided and protected by the Lord.

Death naturally inspires fear, but Christian believers have reason not to be afraid. For those who put their faith in Christ, death is simply a transfer of the believer from earth to glory, from the presence of sin into the presence of the Savior. In 2 Corinthians 5:6–8, the apostle Paul writes: “So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.” In Philippians 1:21 he testifies: “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

Context Summary
Psalm 16:9–11 is the closing segment of David’s praise. He expresses joy in believing that not even death will separate him from fellowship with the Lord. He will survive death and enjoy unending pleasure in the Lord’s presence. Although these verses have application to David, they are also messianic; they foreshadow Jesus’ resurrection from the grave.

Verse 10. For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,or let your holy one see corruption.

One thousand years before Jesus died on the cross, David predicted Jesus’ resurrection. He prophesied that the Lord would not abandon Jesus’ soul in sheol, the vague Hebrew concept of afterlife. Further, the Lord would not allow Jesus, the “holy one,” to undergo corruption. In his address to the Jews on the Day of Pentecost, the apostle Peter applied the words of this verse to Jesus’ resurrection (Acts 2:22–32). Paul quoted Psalm 16:10 at Antioch (Acts 13:35–37).

Jesus arose in a glorified body, one that was incapable of dying. He was able to eat food and appear in a locked room (Luke 24:28–42). He arose the third day after His crucifixion and was seen by Peter, the Twelve, 500 hundred believers, James, all the apostles, and Paul (1 Corinthians 15:3– 8). Romans 4:24–25 affirms that God “raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.” Because Jesus lives, every believer will live also (John 11:25).

Verse 11. You make known to me the path of life;in your presence there is fullness of joy;at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Closing his psalm, David thanks the Lord for showing him the way of life that leads to heaven. There is nothing drab or boring about heaven. It is a place of fullness of joy and unending delights. The greatest joy comes from being in Jesus’ presence. First Thessalonians 4:17 promises that believers will be with the Lord forever. We will see Him face to face, and we will be like Him (1 John 3:2). Every believer will have a body like His glorified body (Philippians 3:20–21). In heaven we will be free forever from sin, sickness, sadness, and dying. We will enjoy a reunion with our Christian loved ones and friends. We will not be burdened by our present experiences of restricted time and space.

Heaven is an attractive place. Revelation 21—22 describes it as far beyond the glories of any place on earth. It has gates of pearl and streets of gold. Paul, who was caught up to heaven, calls it “paradise” (2 Corinthians 12:2–3). Even when death seems likely (Psalm 16:8–10), those who have put their faith in Christ can look forward with hope and joy.

End of Psalm 16

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