Psalms 16:4 (DRB)

Passage

That my mouth may not speak the works of men: for the sake of the words of thy lips, I have kept hard ways.

Nearby Context

Psalms 16:2 Let my judgment come forth from thy countenance: let thy eyes behold the things that are equitable.

Psalms 16:3 Thou hast proved my heart, and visited it by night, thou hast tried me by fire: and iniquity hath not been found in me.

Psalms 16:4 That my mouth may not speak the works of men: for the sake of the words of thy lips, I have kept hard ways.

Psalms 16:5 Perfect thou my goings in thy paths: that my footsteps be not moved.

Psalms 16:6 I have cried to thee, for thou, O God, hast heard me: O incline thy ear unto me, and hear my words.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "mouth", "speak", "works", "sake", "words", "lips", "kept", and "hard". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "mouth" and "speak", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 3's "Thou hast proved my heart and visited..." into verse 5's "Perfect thou my goings in thy paths...", so "mouth" and "speak" belong inside that flow. 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 "mouth" and "speak" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.