2 O my soul, you have said to the Lord, You are my Lord: I have no good but you.
But I had faith in you, O Lord; I said, You are my God.
Whom have I in heaven but you? and having you I have no desire for anything on earth.
And I will make the third part go through the fire, cleaning them as silver is made clean, and testing them as gold is tested: and they will make their prayer to me and I will give them an answer: I will say, It is my people; and they will say, The Lord is my God.
Is it possible for a man to be of profit to God? No, for a man's wisdom is only of profit to himself. Is it of any interest to the Ruler of all that you are upright? or is it of use to him that your ways are without sin?
<To the chief music-maker on the Gittith. A Psalm. Of David.> O Lord, our Lord, whose glory is higher than the heavens, how noble is your name in all the earth!
When you said, Make search for my face, my heart said to you, For your face will I make my search.
He will say to me, You are my father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation.
O Lord, our God, other lords than you have had rule over us; but in you only is our salvation, and no other name will we take on our lips.
In the same way, when you have done all the things which are given you to do, say, There is no profit in us, for we have only done what we were ordered to do.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Psalms 16
Commentary on Psalms 16 Matthew Henry Commentary
Psalm 16
This psalm has something of David in it, but much more of Christ. It begins with such expressions of devotion as may be applied to Christ; but concludes with such confidence of a resurrection (and so timely a one as to prevent corruption) as must be applied to Christ, to him only, and cannot be understood of David, as both St. Peter and St. Paul have observed, Acts 2:24; 13:36. For David died, and was buried, and saw corruption.
Michtam of David.
Psa 16:1-7
This psalm is entitled Michtam, which some translate a golden psalm, a very precious one, more to be valued by us than gold, yea, than much fine gold, because it speaks so plainly of Christ and his resurrection, who is the true treasure hidden in the field of the Old Testament.
All this may be applied to Christ, who made the Lord his portion and was pleased with that portion, made his Father's glory his highest end and made it his meat and drink to seek that and to do his will, and delighted to prosecute his undertaking, pursuant to his Father's counsel, depending upon him to maintain his lot and to carry him through his undertaking. We may also apply it to ourselves in singing it, renewing our choice of God as ours, with a holy complacency and satisfaction.
Psa 16:8-11
All these verses are quoted by St. Peter in his first sermon, after the pouring out of the Spirit on the day of pentecost (Acts 2:25-28); and he tells us expressly that David in them speaks concerning Christ and particularly of his resurrection. Something we may allow here of the workings of David's own pious and devout affections towards God, depending upon his grace to perfect every thing that concerned him, and looking for the blessed hope, and happy state on the other side death, in the enjoyment of God; but in these holy elevations towards God and heaven he was carried by the spirit of prophecy quite beyond the consideration of himself and his own case, to foretel the glory of the Messiah, in such expressions as were peculiar to that, and could not be understood of himself. The New Testament furnishes us with a key to let us into the mystery of these lines.