Psalms 16:5

5 Jehovah is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot.

Psalms 16:5 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 16:5

The Lord [is] the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup,
&c.] This is said by Christ as a priest, and in allusion to the Levitical priests, who had no inheritance in the land of Canaan with their brethren, but the Lord was their part and portion, and their inheritance, ( Numbers 18:20 ) ( Deuteronomy 18:1 Deuteronomy 18:2 ) ; and it expresses the strong love and affection Christ had for the Lord as his God, the delight and pleasure he had in him, and the satisfaction he had in the enjoyment of him and communion with him, and that it was his meat and drink to serve him, and to do his will; and though his goodness did not extend to him, yet his goodness and happiness as man lay in him: unless the sense should be,

``the Lord is he who gives me the portion of mine inheritance;''

meaning his church and people, all the elect of God, who are Christ's portion and inheritance, given him by the Father; see ( Deuteronomy 32:9 ) ( Psalms 2:8 ) ; And assigns to me my cup, as of blessings, so of sorrows and sufferings, which being measured out, filled up, and put into his hand by his Father, he freely took it, ( John 18:11 ) ;

thou maintainest my lot;
that is, either his interest in God himself, as his covenant God, which always continued; or the lot of goods, of grace and glory, put into his hands for his people, which always remains; or rather the saints themselves, who, as they are Christ's portion and inheritance, so they are his lot; in allusion to the land of Canaan, which was divided by lot: these Jehovah took hold of, kept, preserved, and upheld, as the word ^F19 signifies; so that they shall never totally and finally fall and perish; and this sense is countenanced by what follows.

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FOOTNOTES:

F19 (Kymwt) "sustentas", Musculus, Pagninus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; so Ainsworth; "sustentans", Montanus, Michaelis; "tenuisti", Cocceius; "tenendo quasi sustentans", Gejerus.

Psalms 16:5 In-Context

3 To the saints that are on the earth, and to the excellent [thou hast said], In them is all my delight.

4 Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another: their drink-offerings of blood will I not offer, and I will not take up their names into my lips.

5 Jehovah is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot.

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

7 I will bless Jehovah, who giveth me counsel; even in the nights my reins instruct me.

Footnotes

• [a]. Or 'mine assigned portion.'