Psalms 16:1 (ASV)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

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

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

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

Study Lenses

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

The next verse adds "O my soul thou hast said unto...", so "preserve" and "thee" should be read forward into that movement. In Psalms context, the local focus is worship, trust, the LORD's kingship, and covenant mercy.

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