Psalms 16 (ASV)

Chapter Text

16:1 Preserve me, O God; for in thee do I take refuge.

16:2 [O my soul], thou hast said unto Jehovah, Thou art my Lord: I have no good beyond thee.

16:3 As for the saints that are in the earth, They are the excellent in whom is all my delight.

16:4 Their sorrows shall be multiplied that give gifts for another [god]: Their drink-offerings of blood will I not offer, Nor take their names upon my lips.

16:5 Jehovah is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: Thou maintainest my lot.

16:6 The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; Yea, I have a goodly heritage.

16:7 I will bless Jehovah, who hath given me counsel; Yea, my heart instructeth me in the night seasons.

16:8 I have set Jehovah always before me: Because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

16:9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth; My flesh also shall dwell in safety.

16:10 For thou wilt not leave my soul to Sheol; Neither wilt thou suffer thy holy one to see corruption.

16:11 Thou wilt show me the path of life: In thy presence is fulness of joy; In thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. Psalm 17 A Prayer of David.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "light", "preserve", "thee", "take", "refuge", "soul", "thou", and "hast". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "light" and "preserve", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The local ASV text gives this verse as the immediate unit, so "light" and "preserve" carries the first interpretive weight. In The LORD as Shepherd, the local focus is trust, covenant mercy, guidance, and worship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "light" and "preserve" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.