Psalms 16:4

"As for the saints who are in the earth, they are the excellent ones in whom is all my delight."

Key Reflection

In the ancient Near East, the term "saints" referred to individuals of noble character and moral uprightness who were dedicated to God. Psalms 16:4 would have resonated deeply with this audience by declaring that such saints are not only virtuous but also objects of divine delight. The psalmist emphasizes that his joy and satisfaction lie in these righteous individuals, highlighting the special relationship between God and those who walk in His ways.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

Their sorrows shall be multiplied -The word here rendered “sorrows -עצבוּת‛atstsebôth- may mean either idols or sorrows. CompareIsaiah 48:5;Psalms 139:24;Job 9:28;Psalms 147:3. Some propose to render it, “Their idols are multiplied;” that is, many are the gods which others worship, while I worship one God only. So Gesenius understands it. So also the Aramaic Paraphrase renders it. But the common construction is probably the correct one, meaning that sorrow, pain, anguish, must always attend the worship of any other gods than the true God; and that therefore the psalmist would not he found among their number, or be united with them in their devotions. That hasten after another god -Prof.

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