Psalms 16:1

1 Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge.

Psalms 16:1 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 16:1

Preserve me, O God
Prayer is proper to Christ as man; he offered up many prayers and supplications to Cost, even his Father, and his God, and as the strong and mighty God, as the word ^F9 here used is commonly rendered by interpreters; with whom, all things are possible, and who is able to save; see ( Hebrews 5:7 ) ( Luke 6:12 ) ( Matthew 26:39 Matthew 26:42 Matthew 26:44 ) ( John 17:1 ) ; and this petition for preservation was suitable to him and his case, and was heard and answered by God; he was very remarkably preserved in his infancy from the rage and fury of Herod; and very wonderfully was his body preserved and supported in the wilderness under a fast of forty days and forty nights together, and from being torn to pieces by the wild beasts among which he was, and from the temptations of Satan, with which he was there assaulted; and throughout the whole of his ministry he was preserved from being hindered in the execution of his office, either by the flatteries, or menaces, or false charges of his enemies; and though his life was often attempted they could not take it away before his time: and whereas Christ is in this psalm represented as in the view of death and the grave, this petition may be of the same kind with those in ( John 12:27 ) ( Matthew 26:39 Matthew 26:42 ) ; and put up with the same submission to the will of God; and at least may intend divine help and support in his sufferings and death, preservation from corruption in the grave, and the resurrection of him from the dead; and it may also include his concern for the preservation of his church, his other self, and the members of it, his apostles, disciples, and all that did or should believe in his name, for whom he prayed after this manner a little before his death; see ( Luke 22:31 Luke 22:32 ) ( John 17:11 John 17:15 John 17:20 John 17:24 ) ;

for in thee do I put my trust:
or "have hoped" ^F11; the graces of faith and hope were implanted in the heart of Christ, as man, who had the gifts and graces of the Spirit without measure bestowed on him, and these very early appeared in him, and showed themselves in a very lively exercise, ( Psalms 22:7 ) ( Luke 2:49 ) ; and were in a very eminent manner exercised by him a little before his death, in the view of it, and when he was under his sufferings, and hung upon the cross, ( Isaiah 1:6-9 ) ( Matthew 27:46 ) ( Psalms 16:9 Psalms 16:10 ) ( 22:8 ) ; and this his trust and confidence in God alone, and not in any other, is used as a reason or argument for his preservation and safety.

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FOOTNOTES:

F9 (la) "Deus fortis seu potens", Muis; "Deus omnipotens", Cocceius, Michaelis.
F11 (Kb ytyox) "speravi in te", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus.

Psalms 16:1 In-Context

1 Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge.

2 I say to the Lord, "You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you."

3 As for the holy ones in the land, they are the noble, in whom is all my delight.

4 Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names upon my lips.

5 The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.