Psalms 116:8 - For You have rescued my soul from death, My eyes from tears, My feet from stumbling. Psalm 116 Commentary by Brad Boyles. Our word hallelujah comes from hallel (praise) and yah (Yahweh or God or the Lord), so it means “praise the Lord.”. The thanksgiving offering required the sacrifice of an animal as well as an offering of unleavened cakes and wafers mixed with oil” (Leviticus 7:12). “the pains (Hebrew: mesar) of Sheol got a hold of me” (v. 3b). Psalm 16 Commentary: Introduction. 10 I believed, therefore I said, In Psalm 16, I believe the emotion that David is expressing is this: Satisfaction with God. What shall I render unto the Lord — Yet, notwithstanding all my dangers, and my distrust of God also, he hath conferred so many and great blessings upon me, that I can never make sufficient returns to him for them. It means the grave or death (Genesis 37:35; 42:38, etc.). Commentary, Psalm 116:1-9, James K. Mead, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2018. The psalmist may be considering decisions that led him to his woebegone status. The psalmist is giving thanks to Yahweh for saving him from peril (v. 6). Some of us have experienced the cords of death closing around us. The Court of Israelites (open to ritually pure Israelite men). The word ‘aman means to have the confidence that comes from depending on a reliable resource, such as a loving parent––or Yahweh. He acts to restore those whose lives are broken––not because they are deserving, but because God is compassionate. 9 I will walk before Yahweh in the land of the living. Need help streaming? The word malat is more usually used to mean escape or flee. What shall I render unto the Lord] This he speaketh as one in an ecstasy (Amor Dei est ecstaticus), or in a deep demur what to do best for so good a God. “Then I called on the name of Yahweh” (v. 4a). Psalms 116:12-13 HCSB How can I repay the LORD for all the good He has done for me? 8 For you have delivered my soul from death, Psalms 116:12 What shall I render unto the LORD [for] all his benefits toward me? Psalm 116 is the only place it appears in the OT. “You have freed me from my chains” (v. 16b). To call on Yahweh’s name can mean seeking Yahweh’s help. Psalm 116: This psalm is one of the most personal of all the thanksgiving psalms (note the many occurrences of the personal pronoun “I”). Furthermore, he can do so in a public setting where his thanksgiving will honor God in the presence of the assembled worshipers. You have freed me from my chains. They could not have conceived of a soul apart from a body–– or of the soul continuing to live after the body died. Psalm 116 is a prayer of thanksgiving. While the psalmist believed in Yahweh, he determined that he couldn’t believe in men. The psalmist doesn’t spell out the nature of the peril except that it was extreme. The bonds thou hast loosed shall tie me faster unto thee. Two ways men came to be servants. Some die young, and others die old. In addition to these audio and video commentaries, you can review the available text commentaries. This is Psalm 116: "I love the LORD, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications. Psalms 116 Commentary, One of over 110 Bible commentaries freely available, this large five-volume commentary is still read today and known for its pithy statements and quotable prose Some old Bibles make Psalm 116 into 2 psalms: verses 1-9 is the first, verses 10-18 the second. It is the contents of the cup that counts. Psalms 116:3 The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow. Psalms 116:19 - In the courts of the Lord's house, In the midst of you, O Jerusalem. 2 Because he has turned his ear to me, 12. He might have been in danger of death (v. 3), but his comments about the “cords of death” could be a metaphor for some other sort of peril. Study the bible online using commentary on Psalms 116 and more! Doing good is sacrifice, with which God is well pleased; and this must accompany giving thanks to his name. 3 The cords of death surrounded me, To call upon the name of the Lord, then, means something more than appealing for relief from a crisis. “Praise (Hebrew: hallel) Yah!” (Hebrew: yah) (v. 19b). I found trouble and sorrow. Psalms 116 Commentary | Old Testament | Matthew Henry | St-Takla.org The psalmist acknowledges being Yahweh’s servant––one obliged to do Yahweh’s will. “I believed (Hebrew: ‘aman), therefore I said, ‘I was greatly afflicted'” (v. 10). The word hannun means gracious or merciful. 12 What will I give to Yahweh for all his benefits toward me? Yahweh counts saints as precious, because they are members of his family––loved ones. The psalmist believed in Yahweh, and that gave him confidence to face his adversities. I am your servant, the son of your handmaid” (v. 16). That’s what the psalmist is determined to do. He understands that he has received much from Yahweh, but has nothing equivalent to give in return. Ver. The psalmist declares his love to the Lord. The offering had to be eaten the same day. The psalmist believed in Yahweh even in the midst of great afflictions. Psalms 116:1 I love the LORD, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications. and my cries for mercy. O Lord, truly I am thy servant — This is a thankful acknowledgment of his great obligations to God, whereby he was in duty bound to be his perpetual servant. By redemption. Pride stands in the way of listening to wise counsel. Psalm 116:12-14. Book 1 (Psalms 1 - 41) » ... Psalm 116: He Saved Me! The ASV, which is also in the public domain due to expired copyrights, was a very good translation, but included many archaic words (hast, shineth, etc. 3 The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow. It served to express thanks for deliverance from peril or other blessings that had been received. But most Bible students think that Psalm 116 is just one psalm, all by the same *psalmist. for Yahweh has dealt bountifully with you. Praise Yah! 13 I will take the cup of salvation and call on the name of Yahweh. Yahweh allowed the psalmist to fall, to become a person of no account, to hit bottom––not for punishment but for redemption. He could have no confidence in them. Psalms 116:2 Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live. He maintained his faith when sorely tempted to think that Yahweh had abandoned him. Like other psalms of this type (see Psalm 30; 32; 34), Psalm 116 begins by saying that God has rescued the psalmist from trouble (verses 1-2). Matthew Henry’s Bible Commentary (concise), Matthew Henry Bible Commentary (complete), California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. 14 I will pay my vows to Yahweh, Psalms 116, Coffman Commentaries on the Bible, One of over 110 Bible commentaries freely available, this commentary, by the leading authority in the Church of Christ, presents a … 2 Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live. SCRIPTURE QUOTATIONS are from the World English Bible (WEB), a public domain (no copyright) modern English translation of the Holy Bible. “and call on the name of Yahweh” (v. 13b). Psalm 116. Yet there may be true faith where there are workings of unbelief; but then faith will prevail; and being humbled for our distrust of God's word, we shall experience his faithfulness to it. Biblical References: Psa 116 . therefore I will call on him as long as I live. The psalmist paints vivid pictures in this verse. Since Yahweh has saved his life, the psalmist pledges to walk before Yahweh “in the land of the living”––while the psalmist is alive. A wise counselor once told me, “We do what works for us.”  His point was that, when rewarded for our effort, we will continue to do the same thing again and again. “The Psalm was an intimation to Israel that the grace and mercy of their God were not to be confined to one nation, but would in happier days be extended to all the race of man.” (Spurgeon) iii. I will take the cup of salvation; I will offer the drink-offerings appointed by the law, in token of thankfulness to God, and rejoice in God's goodness to me. The word peti means foolish or simpleminded. We should deem ourselves bound to walk as in his presence. “I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call on the name of Yahweh” (v. 17). The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came over me; I was overcome by distress and sorrow. Let us all speak of God as we have found him; and have we ever found him otherwise than just and good? and my feet from falling. “in the courts of Yahweh’s house, in the midst of you, Jerusalem” (v. 19a). “What will I give to Yahweh for all his benefits toward me?” (v. 12). The psalmist cannot repay Yahweh for this salvation act, but he can give thanks. When a poor sinner is awakened to a sense of his state, and fears that he must soon sink under the just wrath of God, then he finds trouble and sorrow. ), The New Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible, 5 vol. It is of his mercies that we are not consumed. But none die without notice from Yahweh––because their deaths (and lives) are precious in Yahweh’s sight. This Psalms is also without a title, and its author is unknown. St-Takla.org > bible > commentary > en > all > ot > psalms Contact St-Takla.org website You can contact us through this form, or directly through mobile/WhatsApp: 002 01287627004 (Michael Ghaly). Our raham God is sympathetic to those in need. The Hallels are Psalms 113-118. --By the Rev. The word sama means hear or listen––but in this context it obviously means more. He may have in mind ropes or nets that he has used to ensnare game. (10-19). But in this verse, the psalmist takes the cup of salvation––drinks deeply from the blessing that Yahweh has bestowed on him––on the renewed life that Yahweh has given him. He might have been in danger But oddly enough, after acknowledging his servitude, the psalmist also acknowledges his God-given freedom. A vow is a solemn promise to God, often made as part of a bargain where the petitioner promises a specific action in return for a blessing from God. We do not know when the *psalmist wrote Psalm 116. Graciousness and mercy (hannun) and just and righteous (saddiq) would seem to be polar opposites. 19 in the courts of Yahweh’s house, Commentary on Psalm 116:1-9 (Read Psalm 116:1-9) We have many reasons for loving the Lord, but are most affected by his loving-kindness when relieved out of deep distress. The word Sheol appears in the Old Testament about 60 times. Those of us who have attained a certain age can appreciate the meaning of that gesture. my eyes from tears, Dr. EDERSHEIM, Torquay, 1873, "there is a brief exposition of Ps 116:1-12. (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1979-1988), Brown, Francis; Driver, S.R. Psalm 116:12(HCSB) Verse Thoughts. Yahweh has heard him and has saved his life. ), Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2000), Mounce, William D., (ed. “I said in my haste, ‘All men are liars'” (v. 11). “We love (God), because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). I tried swimming to shore, but the tide pushed me out faster than I could swim. Biblical Commentary (Bible study) Psalm 116 EXEGESIS: CONTEXT: This is a psalm of individual thanksgiving. To turn one’s ear to someone is to position yourself to hear that person as clearly as possible. Presumably the psalmist made such a vow when his life was threatened. It is a clear and judicious explanation of the text, and cannot be dispensed with. In "The Golden Diary of Heart Converse with Jesus in the Book of Psalms. Lord, I was born in thy house; I am the son of thine handmaid, and therefore thine. 4 (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1996), Ross, Allen P., A Commentary on the Psalms, 90-150, Vol. Psalms 116 Commentary, this commentary, written by 29 eminent scholars, is one of the most-recognized standards of expository commentaries The Psalmist expresses his love for the Lord because God hears and answers His children when they call to Him. Yahweh not only heard the psalmist’s plea for mercy, but also did something to save him. But when we enter the heavenly rest, deliverance from sin and sorrow will be complete; we shall behold the glory of the Lord, and walk in his presence with delight we cannot now conceive. (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2007), Freedman, David Noel (Ed. When troubled, we do best to hold our peace, for we are apt to speak unadvisedly. These short commentaries are based on Level A EasyEnglish (about 1200 word vocabulary) by Gordon Churchyard. 13 I will take the cup of salvation, and call on the name of Yahweh. But he is not only a servant, but the son of a servant––Yahweh’s handmaid. People who are riding high are seldom good candidates for repentance. 17 I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving, Lord, thou hast loosed my bonds, thou hast discharged me from them, therefore I am thy servant. (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2006-2009), VanGemeren, Willem A. ), which the WEB has updated. But God sent a man who had trained as a lifeguard to swim to me and pull me to shore. “Yahweh, I beg you, deliver my soul.”, “I love Yahweh, because he listens (Hebrew: sama) to my voice” (v. 1a). Now that Yahweh has saved him, the psalmist promises to do what he had promised as part of his vow. The proud person is likely to feel “self-made”––and thus feels no obligation to God or man. Nowhere in the Old Testament is it described as a place of punishment. I was brought low, and he saved me. Anderson, A.A., The New Century Bible Commentary: Psalms 73-150 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1972), Broyles, Craig C., New International Biblical Commentary: Psalms (Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 1999, Brueggemann, Walter, The Message of the Psalms A Theological Commentary (Minneapolis: Augsburg Press, 1984), Clifford, Richard J., Abingdon Old Testament Commentaries: Psalms 73-150 (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2003), DeClaisse-Walford, Nancy; Jacobson, Rolf A.; Tanner, Beth Laneel, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament:  The Book of Psalms (Grand Rapids:  Wm. STREAM DOWNLOAD. He can drink the cup of salvation that Yahweh has provided, and “call on the name of Yahweh.”. in the midst of you, Jerusalem. Some saints die as martyrs, and others die in bed. Verse 6b makes this certain. The psalmist says, “I was brought low, and (Yahweh) saved me.”. 3  (Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 2016), Tate, Marvin E., Word Biblical Commentary: Psalms 51-100 (Dallas: Word Books, 1990), Waltner, James H., Believers Church Bible Commentary: Psalms (Scottdale, Pennsylvania: Herald Press, 2006), Baker, Warren (ed. Then the psalm describes the distressing circumstance now past (verse 3), recalls a prayer for help (verse 4) along with the Lord’s … Continue reading "Commentary on Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19" “I found trouble and sorrow” (v. 3c). Let’s turn to Psalm 16 for this Psalm 16 commentary. and Kahane, Ahuvia, The Oxford English-Hebrew Dictionary (Oxford University Press, 1998), Fohrer, Georg, Hebrew & Aramaic Dictionary of the Old Testament (SCM Press, 2012), Freedman, David Noel (ed. But let all such call upon the Lord to deliver their souls, and they will find him gracious and true to his promise. It is the fourth of the 6 Egyptian Hallels. A name expressed the person’s essential character––something of the person’s power or authority. See comments above. The Court of the Gentiles (open to Gentiles). A merciful person is willing to forgive the other person’s misdeeds. I was sure I was going to die, because I could see no possibility of rescue. Psalm … Continue reading "Commentary on Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19" and will call on the name of Yahweh. The old Greek Bible does this. But the context of this verse suggests something else––something less self-serving. But there is one thing that the psalmist can do. So the psalmist is describing his anguish at the thought of his impending death. The psalmist is calling on the name of Yahweh as a way of honoring Yahweh for the blessing of salvation that Yahweh has bestowed on him. Many of our wounds are self-inflicted, and that may be how the psalmist sees his problems––self-inflicted. John Trapp Complete Commentary. ), The Complete WordStudy Old Testament (Chattanooga; AMG Publishers, 1994), Baker, Warren and Carpenter, Eugene, The Complete WordStudy Dictionary: Old Testament (Chattanooga: AMG Publishers, 2003), Bromiley, Geoffrey (General Editor), The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Revised, 4 vols. Psalms 116:4 Then called I upon the name of the LORD; O LORD, I beseech thee, deliver my soul. 14b (Downers Grove, Illinois:  Inter-Varsity Press, 1973), Limburg, James, Westminster Bible Companion: Psalms (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2000, Mays, James Luther, Interpretation: Psalms (Louisville: John Knox, 1994), McCann, J. Clinton, Jr., The New Interpreter’s Bible: The Book of Psalms, Vol. That is possible, because the psalmist is a voluntary servant, serving Yahweh out of gratitude. He prayed and Yahweh heard, so the psalmist will continue to pray in the hope and expectation that the God who heard once will hear him again. The word saddiq means just or righteous. 1 I love Yahweh, because he listens to my voice, 1 I love the LORD, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications. I love the LORD, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. I didn’t know that I should swim parallel to the shore to get out of the rip tide. So often, the psalms are a means of communicating an emotion of the author. Such are true saints of God, in whose lives and deaths he will be glorified. Praise the Lord ! “I was greatly afflicted.”, 11 I said in my haste, This verse stands in dramatic contrast to verse 10. Not only will he pay his vows to Yahweh, but he will do so “in the presence of all his people”––bearing witness to the faithfulness that Yahweh has shown him. My primary regret was the thought of my mother receiving the news of my death. Neither ignorance nor guilt will hinder their salvation, when they put their trust in the Lord. The Hebrew word yah is an abbreviated form of Yahweh (the name of God, often translated “the Lord.”)  It is found twice in Exodus (15:2; 17:16), once in Isaiah (38:11), and a number of times in the Psalms. “I will pay my vows to Yahweh, yes, in the presence of all his people” (v. 18). This psalm reveals the heart of a passionate man, so we can imagine him pleading passionately for God’s mercy. The word mesar means pain or distress or anguish. Psalm 116:16. (1-9) His desire to be thankful. When a poor sinner is awakened to a sense of his state, and fears that he must soon sink under the just wrath of God, then he finds trouble and sorrow. Psalm 116 . on StudyLight.org They are also precious because their lives, their faith, and their witness help to move this world toward the ideal that Yahweh wants it to be. Let those who labour and are heavy laden come to him, that they may find rest to their souls; and if at all drawn from their rest, let them haste to return, remembering how bountifully the Lord has dealt with them. The psalm was translated into the Greek Septuagint (about 250BC) in Hellenistic Egypt.There is a presence of Aramaisms in the psalm which has been interpreted by some biblical commentators as evidence of a late date, although this is not definitive. JOSEPH A ALEXANDER Psalms Commentary (1864) Spurgeon had high praise for Alexander's work writing that it "Occupies a first place among expositions. How can the psalmist be both a servant and free at the same time? Matthew Henry :: Commentary on Psalms 116 ← Back to Matthew Henry's Bio & Resources. Love is a natural response to being saved. Psalms 116 Commentary, One of over 110 Bible commentaries freely available, this commentary, written by 29 eminent scholars, is one of the most-recognized standards of expository commentaries This would be the Jerusalem temple, which had four courts: Presumably, the psalmist would pay his vows in the Court of Israelites. Psalms 116 Commentary, One of over 110 Bible commentaries freely available, this commentary is a triumph of rigorous scholarship and sound theology by two highly respected theologians A Devotional on Psalm 116. “All men are liars.”. This is one of those passages in Psalms where the writer has enjoyed deliverance from peril by the hand of Jehovah. © 2021 Christianity.com. “and my cries for mercy” (Hebrew: tahanun) (v. 1b). I will receive the cup of affliction; that cup, that bitter cup, which is sanctified to the saints, so that to them it is a cup of salvation; it is a means of spiritual health. ; and Briggs, Charles A., The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon (Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 1906, 2004), Doniach, N.S. A just person wants adherence to high standards. It was a very near thing, so I can appreciate the psalmist’s comment about the cords of death surrounding him. The son of thy handmaid — The son of a mother who was devoted, and did devote me to thy service. “Because he has turned his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live” (v. 2). What can the pardoned sinner, or what can those who have been delivered from trouble or distress, render to the Lord for his benefits? Not much! “Precious in the sight of Yahweh is the death of his saints” (Hebrew: hasiyd) (v. 15). However, the Bible sometimes tells of cups of God’s wrath (Isaiah 51:17; Jeremiah 25:15). “Yahweh is Gracious (Hebrew: hannun) and righteous” (Hebrew: saddiq) (v. 5a). Once a person is dead, he/she feels no more pain. “For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from falling” (v. 8). 7 Return to your rest, my soul,