Psalms 16 · The Lantern

Michtam of David. Keep me, O G-d; for I have taken refuge in Thee.

An inscription of a title, to David himself. In place of this the fifth edition put the Hebrew word itself, "MACTHAM David," which Aquila translated as "of the humble and simple David," and Symmachus as "of the humble and unstained David." And Aquila himself again, in the fifty-fifth psalm and in the rest as far as the fifty-ninth, rendered this very thing so as to say "of the…

The psalm is spoken in the person of the Savior but is spoken from the viewpoint of his humanity, as are also many other such statements that we find in the sacred Gospels.… In this psalm also he asks to be protected and is protected by himself: while he asks as a human being, as God he grants the request, his own Father of course being pleased and cooperating.

In the preceding Psalm he enumerated the just deeds that God requires of man; here, however, he shows how he followed justice. The title is this: "The inscription of the title of David himself." And according to the literal sense, it signifies that it was composed specifically about those things which pertain to the person of David.

I have said unto HaShem: 'Thou art my L-rd; I have no good but in Thee';

As for the holy that are in the earth, they are the excellent in whom is all my delight.

To the saints who are in his land, he made all his wishes wonderful in them. In place of which it is written in the Hebrew: "To the saints who are in the land, and to my exalted ones, is all my will in them." These goods of which you have no need, O Father, my saints do need—the saints in whom I have made all my wishes to be wonderful.

"To the saints who are on His earth" [Psalm 16:3]: to the saints who have placed their hope in the land of the living, the citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem, whose spiritual conversation is, by the anchor of hope, fixed in that country, which is rightly called God's earth; although as yet in this earth too they be conversant in the flesh.

"To the saints." Here he shows how he relates to the saints -- as is also read from the person of Christ. And it should be known that the will of the Father is as the will of Christ, and insofar as he is man, it is to fulfill the will of the Father: Ps. 39: "To do your will, O my God, I have desired": 1 Thess. 4: "This is the will of God, your sanctification": Jn.

Let the idols of them be multiplied that make suit unto another; their drink-offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take their names upon my lips.

Their infirmities have been multiplied; afterward they made haste. Whose infirmities have been multiplied? Surely those of the saints who above are recorded as being in the land of the Lord. When they were foolish, unbelieving, straying, and serving various desires and pleasures, passing their lives in greed and envy, their infirmities were being multiplied.

Grace cannot be given to man unless he first acknowledge his blindness, weakness, and malice. And so, there was a time in which blindness prevailed, as in the period before the Law. At a later point, the illuminating Law was given, and yet "their infirmities were multiplied," and there was an opportunity for a greater transgression of the Law.

"I will not." Here he sets forth the manner of conversion. And first he shows to what rite they are converted; second, how perfectly, at "Nor will I be mindful," etc. He says, therefore, "They hastened." But how will they be converted? In the Old Law, those who were converted offered various sacrifices.

O HaShem, the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup, Thou maintainest my lot.

The inheritance is the contemplation of the present and future ages; the inheritance of Christ is the understanding of God.

See, my blessed sister, how much you have achieved; see to what a high peak you have attained, how you have found the grace of many benefits in one and the same Christ. He is, indeed, your true Bridegroom, he is also your brother, he is likewise your friend, he is your inheritance, he is your reward, he is God and the Lord.

"The Lord." Here he assigns the reason for his clinging to God alone, because he alone is his inheritance; as if to say, I cling to him alone because this is my inheritance. First he says that God is his inheritance. Second he commends it, saying that he is content with it, at "For indeed my inheritance," etc.

The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.

If the line is measured, how is it written the Gospel of John: "For God gives the Spirit without measure" and "I will pour out my spirit on you." Perhaps by chance it is called "measure" not in terms of knowledge itself but on account of him who receives it, because its receptivity cannot be greater.

"The lines have fallen to me in glorious places" (ver. 6). The boundaries of my possession have fallen in Thy glory as it were by lot, like as God is the possession of the Priests and Levites. "For Mine inheritance is glorious to Me." "For Mine inheritance is glorious," not to all, but to them that see; in whom because I am, "it is to Me."

"Lines have been stretched out for me in splendid places." The rich measure land with a line. Deut. 32: "Jacob is the line of his inheritance." And therefore "portion" is called, as it were, "the line of a cord," that is, my portion falls to me in the best things, because nothing is better than God himself. Jer.

I will bless HaShem, who hath given me counsel; yea, in the night seasons my reins instruct me.

I will bless the Lord who has given me understanding: moreover even until night my reins have rebuked me. He who speaks below, "My flesh shall rest in hope, for you will not leave my soul in hell, nor will you give your holy one to see corruption," consistently now too says: I will bless the Lord who has given me understanding, moreover even until night my reins have rebuked me…

This brief word belongs to David himself, who through the Holy Spirit unfolds to us the very gift of understanding given to us by the Holy Spirit, and he unfolds it to us with respect to the humble gratitude of the recipient and with respect to the liberal diffusion of the giver.

"I will bless." Above, the Psalmist set forth the reason why he clings to God alone, namely because God is the portion of his inheritance; here he acknowledges benefits. And first he proposes benefits received; second, benefits to be hoped for, at "Moreover, also my flesh." Concerning the first, he does two things.

I have set HaShem always before me; surely He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

I foresaw the Lord in my sight always: for he is at my right hand, that I may not be moved. In place of what we read in Latin, "I foresaw," and what in Greek is written "proōrōmēn," it stands better in the Hebrew SEBETHI, which we may render "I set before myself." So that it means: I set the Lord before me always at my right hand, and I could be overthrown by no fraud of my ene…

By explaining what he did, he passes on to us the unique remedy through which we can avoid sins. For the person who constantly keeps him in his mental line of sight does not turn toward transgressions in any way.

And because the flesh feared the passion, I, in that passion, "set the Lord before me," with eyes raised to heaven, not to the world. Providence is the foreseeing of things to happen in the future; but vision or sight is of things present. But if such loins still assail, one should not fear, because one has the help of God ready.

Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth; my flesh also dwelleth in safety;

"My flesh will rest in hope." The Lord Jesus Christ says these words, whose flesh is the first to rest in hope. Crucified, made the first fruit of the dead and having been taken into heaven after the resurrection, he carried the earthly body with him so that even the heavenly powers were awestruck and terrified seeing the flesh ascending into heaven.

"Wherefore My heart was glad, and My tongue exulted" [Psalm 16:9]. Wherefore both in My thoughts is gladness, and in my words exultation. "Moreover too My flesh shall rest in hope." Moreover too My flesh shall not fail unto destruction, but shall sleep in hope of the resurrection.

"Therefore my heart has been glad." 1 Sam. 2: "My heart has rejoiced in the Lord." Ps. 63: "The just man shall rejoice in the Lord," etc. "And my tongue has rejoiced," etc., outwardly, when exterior joy breaks forth into vocal praise. Is. 12: "Sing to the Lord, for he has done great things." Ps. 80: "Rejoice in God," etc.

For Thou wilt not abandon my soul to the nether-world; neither wilt Thou suffer Thy godly one to see the pit.

Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent. For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him.

"For You will not leave My soul in hell." For You will neither give My soul for a possession to those parts below. "Neither will You grant Your Holy One to see corruption." Neither will You suffer that sanctified body, whereby others are to be also sanctified, to see corruption.

The reason is that resurrection requires the union of body and soul; and therefore the soul joined to divinity should not have remained in Hell; but it had to stay there only until the truth of his humanity and true flesh was proven: nor was it fitting for it to be left in Hell, where it had descended to free the saints. Sir.

Thou makest me to know the path of life; in Thy presence is fulness of joy, in Thy right hand bliss for evermore.

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