Psalms 16:1

1 Of the meek and simple, the psalm of David. Lord, keep thou me, for I have hoped in thee; (To the humble and the innocent, the song of David. Lord, keep thou me safe, for I put my trust in thee;)

Psalms 16:1 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 16:1

Preserve me, O God
Prayer is proper to Christ as man; he offered up many prayers and supplications to Cost, even his Father, and his God, and as the strong and mighty God, as the word F9 here used is commonly rendered by interpreters; with whom, all things are possible, and who is able to save; see ( Hebrews 5:7 ) ( Luke 6:12 ) ( Matthew 26:39 Matthew 26:42 Matthew 26:44 ) ( John 17:1 ) ; and this petition for preservation was suitable to him and his case, and was heard and answered by God; he was very remarkably preserved in his infancy from the rage and fury of Herod; and very wonderfully was his body preserved and supported in the wilderness under a fast of forty days and forty nights together, and from being torn to pieces by the wild beasts among which he was, and from the temptations of Satan, with which he was there assaulted; and throughout the whole of his ministry he was preserved from being hindered in the execution of his office, either by the flatteries, or menaces, or false charges of his enemies; and though his life was often attempted they could not take it away before his time: and whereas Christ is in this psalm represented as in the view of death and the grave, this petition may be of the same kind with those in ( John 12:27 ) ( Matthew 26:39 Matthew 26:42 ) ; and put up with the same submission to the will of God; and at least may intend divine help and support in his sufferings and death, preservation from corruption in the grave, and the resurrection of him from the dead; and it may also include his concern for the preservation of his church, his other self, and the members of it, his apostles, disciples, and all that did or should believe in his name, for whom he prayed after this manner a little before his death; see ( Luke 22:31 Luke 22:32 ) ( John 17:11 John 17:15 John 17:20 John 17:24 ) ;

for in thee do I put my trust:
or "have hoped" F11; the graces of faith and hope were implanted in the heart of Christ, as man, who had the gifts and graces of the Spirit without measure bestowed on him, and these very early appeared in him, and showed themselves in a very lively exercise, ( Psalms 22:7 ) ( Luke 2:49 ) ; and were in a very eminent manner exercised by him a little before his death, in the view of it, and when he was under his sufferings, and hung upon the cross, ( Isaiah 1:6-9 ) ( Matthew 27:46 ) ( Psalms 16:9 Psalms 16:10 ) ( 22:8 ) ; and this his trust and confidence in God alone, and not in any other, is used as a reason or argument for his preservation and safety.


FOOTNOTES:

F9 (la) "Deus fortis seu potens", Muis; "Deus omnipotens", Cocceius, Michaelis.
F11 (Kb ytyox) "speravi in te", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus.

Psalms 16:1 In-Context

1 Of the meek and simple, the psalm of David. Lord, keep thou me, for I have hoped in thee; (To the humble and the innocent, the song of David. Lord, keep thou me safe, for I put my trust in thee;)
2 I said to the Lord, Thou art my God; for thou hast no need of my goods. (I said to the Lord, Thou art my God; and every good thing that I have, cometh from thee.)
3 To the saints that be in the land of him; he made wonderful all my wills in them. (To the wonderful saints of him who be in the land; in whom be all my delight.)
4 The sicknesses of them be multiplied; afterward they hasted. I shall not gather together the conventicles, either little covents/or small covents, of them of bloods; and I shall not be mindful of their names by my lips. (May the sicknesses of those who hasten after other gods, be multiplied. I shall not offer their blood offerings; and I shall not remember, or speak, their names with my lips.)
5 The Lord is [the] part of mine heritage, and of my passion; thou art, that shall restore mine heritage to me. (The Lord is the portion of my inheritance, and of my cup; thou art he, who shall restore my inheritance to me.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.