Deeper Commentary
Psa 116:1
I love Yahweh, because He listens to
my voice and my cries for mercy-
It is part of the "Hallel Psalms" (Ps. 111-118), chants sung at the
feasts of Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles, which consist of Psalm
113-118. It sounds very much like a Psalm of David, thanking God for
delivering him; but it is here appropriated in hope to the restoration of
the exiles. But the reality was that as we see implied in Ezekiel's words
to the exiles, and in the book of Esther, the exiles for the most part
weren't begging God for restoration and mercy in the spirit of David.
The Hebrew grammar here is peculiar; the verb "to love" has no expressed object. 1 Jn. 4:19 may allude here: “We love, because He first loved us". This is one of the few simple statements that "I love God"; see on :16 for the significance. The Psalm describes the psalmist deeply grateful for having been saved, and then taking the cup of salvation [a term later used in Judaism for one of the cups at Passover] amongst all the rest of God's people. He did what everyone else did- take a cup of wine. Just as we do at the communion service. But these are his internal thoughts leading up to that action. As such, this is a wonderful challenge to all of us at the breaking of bread meeting. All take the cup, we do it at the same time, in the same location. But we are to do so with all this deep sense of personal gratitude and love for God, leading us to ask ourselves "What can I do in response?". And knowing that actually we can do nothing- except take this cup.
Psa 116:2
Because He has turned His ear to me, therefore
I will call on Him as long as I live-
"As long as I live" is the term used by Hezekiah after his healing
(Is. 39:8), but he doesn't offer to continue calling upon Yahweh in
gratitude. We too can so easily forget the wonder of answered prayer,
failing to realize that the experience commits us to a lifetime of calling
upon Him.
Psa 116:3
The cords of death surrounded me, the pains of Sheol got a hold
on me, I found trouble and sorrow-
David felt as if he had been a sacrifice bound to an altar, and
therefore about to be pulled into the grave (Ps. 18:5,6; 116:3; 140:5).
The allusion is to Isaac and his miraculous deliverance from such cords,
thanks to the ram in the thicket whom David is later to understand as
representative of the future Messianic saviour; for the Lord quotes
David's "My God, why have You forsaken me?" (Ps. 22:1) as the Aramaic
sabachthani, "entangled", the word used of the ram entangled in the
thicket.
Psa 116:4
Then I called on the name of Yahweh: Yahweh, I beg You, deliver
my soul-
To call on Yahweh meant to sacrifice and worship, and yet David rightly
understood that prayer is the essence of such sacrifice and worship,
rather than the offering of literal animals.
Commonly enough, the New Testament speaks of baptism as a calling upon the
Name of the Lord. This must be understood against its Hebrew background-
qara' beshem Yahweh, which originally referred to approaching God in
sacrifice (Gen. 12:7,8; Ps. 116:4,17). God placed His Name upon places in
order to make them suitable places for sacrifice to be offered to Him (Dt.
12:4-7,21; Jer. 7:12). Baptism was thus seen as a sacrificial commitment to
Yahweh in solemn covenant.
Psa 116:5
Yahweh is gracious and righteous; yes, our God
is merciful-
Mercy and grace indicate that David is recognizing that the answer to
his prayer (perhaps at some point after the sin with Bathsheba) was an
expression of moral grace and forgiveness to him. And the exiles were to
realize this too. But as we see implied in Ezekiel's words to them, their
problem was that they considered themselves as good people, and their
ancestors as the sinners. "Merciful" is the word for "compassion". But the basis for that
compassion was to be Israel's repentance (s.w. Dt. 30:13 etc.). But God remembers that we are dust, and He
does have compassion for reasons other than that His people have repented
(s.w. 2 Kings 13:23). His compassion is therefore on the basis of His
mercy and grace, rather than a proportionate response to steel willed
human repentance and self reformation. His compassion is
actually always there for His children, even when they are in exiled
punishment from Him (s.w. Jer. 31:20; 33:26). Solomon failed to perceive
this grace, instead focusing solely upon the aspect of God showing
compassion to those who are repentant (s.w. Prov. 28:13).
Psa 116:6
Yahweh preserves the simple; I was brought low,
and He saved me-
David likens himself to the simple who was made wise by God's word
(Ps. 19:7; 119:130), and was therefore preserved (Ps. 116:6). To be taught
by God's word we have to become "simple", unlearning and placing to one
side all our perceived knowledge and understandings. Solomon repeats
David's theme by saying that wisdom makes wise the simple (Prov. 1:4; 8:5;
9:4). But he is equating "wisdom" with the words of God, although for
Solomon, "wisdom" seems to be what he is saying and teaching. Solomon
doesn't direct his listeners back to God's word, as David did, but rather
towards loyalty to his teaching. Inspired as it was, his lack of extended
reference to God's law places his own teaching of "wisdom" above that law.
This is in sharp contrast to David's attitude in Ps. 119.
"Simple" is LXX "babes" and for sure the Lord is referring here
when He thanks the Father for not revealing His truth to the humanly wise
but to "babes" (Mt. 11:25).
Psa 116:7
Return to your rest, my soul, for Yahweh has
dealt bountifully with you-
Again we have an insight into David's self talk, which should be a
pattern for ours. He was not at peace, but he talks to himself, reminding
himself of how God had saved his life earlier, and he was thereby
obligated to a lifetime of trust in Him, with the associated peace which
comes from that. See on :8.
Psa 116:8
For You have delivered my soul from death, my
eyes from tears, and my feet from falling-
See on :7. God's past deliverance of his soul from death meant that
now, he should dry his eyes from tears regarding his latest crisis.
This is a quote from Ps. 56:13 which is a psalm of David, leading
us to conclude that this Psalm too had its first origins in the
experiences of David.
Psa 116:9
I will walk before Yahweh in the land of the
living-
LXX "I shall be well-pleasing before the Lord in the land of the
living", an undertaking in response to salvation. This is the language of
Hezekiah (Is. 38:11), although unlike David he failed to remember his
salvation from death (see on :3,4) and live the rest of his life in trust
and praise. The relevance to the exiles is that they hoped they would in
their lifetimes come to return to a restored Kingdom of God in Israel,
where they would walk in God's presence, truly "in the land of the
living". As noted throughout this Psalm, there are hints that the
"life" and day of thanksgiving in view is at the last day. "The land of
life" would then refer to eternal life being enjoyed in the Kingdom of God
on earth.
Psa 116:10
I believed, therefore I said, I was greatly afflicted-
"I
believed, and
therefore have I spoken" (Ps.
116:10 LXX) is quoted in 2 Cor. 4:13 concerning the attitude of the preacher;
because we have believed,
therefore we preach, after Paul’s
pattern. We naturally have a debt to
preach to all men, as we have a debt to love all our brethren- because of
what has been done for us (Rom. 1:14). But the quotation appears to be
taking a phrase out of context. David is recalling how he had felt he "was
greatly afflicted" and surrounded by liars (:11), and yet had been saved
out of that part of his life (:12). But the New Testament doesn't always
quote the Old Testament in context; it uses the style of Jewish midrash,
in justifying a thought by taking a Biblical phrase out of context.
"Context" can be overworked within the task of Biblical interpretation.
The GNB in 2 Cor. 4:13 gets the point: "The scripture says, "I spoke
because I believed." In the same spirit of faith we also speak because we
believe". But it could be that Paul perceived that David here was speaking
in the spirit of Christ, whom he typified. And so Paul quotes the
Messianic Ps. 116:10 about our witness, which is to be a living out
of the spirit which Jesus had in His death and present life and being in
Heaven.
I discussed on :3 how this Psalm can be seen as the thanksgiving of the Lord Jesus for His resurrection, and His desire to show that by taking "the cup of salvation" in Jerusalem at the last day, along with all those who have also experienced resurrection. It seems to me that Paul's quotation of Ps. 116:10 is precisely in this context; this is how Paul, under Divine inspiration, understood the Psalm. In the context of his quotation of it, Paul is reasoning that the suffering, death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus is experienced by himself and all who are "in Christ". In the midst of that argument, he as it were bolsters it by quoting Ps. 116:10 and applying it to each of us. We need to review the entire context of the quotation to appreciate this: "Always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our body. For we who live are always being delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh... But having the same spirit of faith [as Jesus had], according to what is written, I believed, and therefore did I speak [quoting Ps. 116:10]; we also believe and on this basis we also speak. Knowing that He that raised up the Lord Jesus, shall raise up us also with Jesus, and shall present us with you" (2 Cor. 4:10-14).
Psa 116:11
I said in my haste, All men are liars-
There is such a thing as feeling lonely when we needn’t. Elijah is an
example of this; he felt that he was “left alone” faithful in Israel- even
though there were another 7,000 who had not bowed the knee to Baal (Rom.
11:3). The Hebrew in 1 Kings is hard to translate. It could mean that God
reserved 7,000 of Elijah’s brothers and sisters who potentially would not
bow the knee to Baal. Yet Elijah didn’t want to see the potential of his
brethren. He set himself in a league above them, like the Psalmist, saying
in his haste that all men are liars.
But surely these words are to be connected
with David's feelings in Ps. 31:12: "‘I said in my haste, I am cut off
from before Your eyes". Now more positively he says that in his haste,
perhaps in his fleeing and crisis, his trepidation, he instead now says
that all men are liars or false / fake. As if his rejection of human
strength is in fact a reflection of his faith in God. "All humankind is
delusive" might be the sense. Rom. 3:4 quotes approvingly from other
Psalms which say that all men are liars. So we could read this as an
expression of faith in God, considering all men or all human help as false
or fake.
Psa 116:12
What will I give to Yahweh for all His benefits toward me?-
This is a rhetorical question; what can be given back to God for all
His giving toward us? The answer is, nothing; but we can praise God and
take the cup of salvation at the appointed feast (:13). Our motivation for
taking the cup of remembrance (:13) should be the same.
Psa 116:13
I will take the cup of salvation, and call on the name of
Yahweh-
"Salvation" is Yeshua, 'Jesus'. As noted on :1, this Psalm
was specifically used at the feasts, and may refer to the associated drink
offering (Num. 28:7), similar to the "cup of blessing" at Passover (Mt.
26:27). The salvation commemorated was the "help" (s.w.) of :6. Initially,
the reference is to a drink offering offered along with a voluntary
thanksgiving offering (see on :17). But in the context of the feasts, it
was attached to the Passover, which was the great feast of thanksgiving
for deliverance from death. The Jews traditionally sing
Psalm 116 after the Passover meal,
and the third of the four cups drunk then is called
"the cup of salvation". But to take a
cup doesn't have to mean to drink it, but rather to accept what had been
given from God (Ps. 16:5; 23:5). So the idea may be that by being open to
receiving yet more grace, we thereby render thanks for the grace so far
received.
I discussed on :3 how the Psalm is really a thanksgiving for resurrection. To take a cup meant to celebrate; it is a celebration of salvation, and in the context of this Psalm, specifically for salvation from sheol. This will come to ultimate term when we along with the Lord do so at the Messianic banquet of the last day. But we enter into the essence of that when we do it at the communion service.
Psa 116:14
I will pay my vows to Yahweh, yes, in the
presence of all His people-
This is appropriate to the celebration of a feast, which is when the
Psalm was used (see on :1). David had vowed to serve God in response to
his salvation from death (:3,4) and he wanted to do this in the presence
of God's people, at a feast. David's faith was absolutely public, he was
no secret believer. These things have application to the Lord Jesus (:16).
His keeping of the last supper was in fact a celebration of the
deliverance which He believed was so certain to come that it was as if He
had already received it. For that is the essence of faith.
It is twice emphasized, here and in :16, that the psalmist will take the cup of salvation and thus pay his vows "in the presence of all His people". We can see this as looking forward to the last day, when all God's people shall be resurrected and all will individually desire to take the cup of salvation in gratitude to their saviour. "All His people" would then literally refer to all God's people down the ages, now resurrected (as in Heb. 11:39,40).
Psa 116:15
Precious in the sight of Yahweh is the death of
His saints-
The idea may be that David had faced death (:3,4), but his life had
been precious in Yahweh's sight. The exiles likewise were precious in the
sight of Yahweh (s.w. Is. 43:4), and He would preserve the national
life of Israel. The death and life of Saul had been precious in
David's eyes (s.w. 1 Sam. 26:21), and so David's life was precious in
Yahweh's eyes. Again we are taught that God's attitude to our salvation
and our life is directly related to our attitude to the life and salvation
of others; and this is why we are to perceive the value, the preciousness,
of human life and salvation. It is why making others stumble from the path
to eternal life is so serious to God. The supremely precious death of all
was that of the Lord Jesus (1 Pet. 1:19; 2:4,6,7), and this Psalm clearly
looks forward to Him (see on :13,14,16). In the day of taking the
cup of salvation, rejoicing in resurrection and eternal life, we will then
reflect that our death was as or more painful to God than it was to us at
the time. JPS gives: "The death of his faithful ones is grievous in the
Lord's sight". It was difficult or costly, as the Hebrew is translated in
Ps. 49:9. Our lives were valuable, precious to God and our deaths were
painful to Him- we shall only then realize to what huge extent.
Psa 116:16
Yahweh, truly I am Your servant, I am Your
servant, the son of Your handmaid. You have freed me from my chains-
This Psalm refers to David and later to the exiles, who were
potentially freed from the chains of captivity and are declared as
Yahweh's servant throughout later Isaiah. But as noted on :15, it clearly
comes to ultimate term in the Lord Jesus. For Mary was the supreme
handmaid of Yahweh, and she appears to appropriate this verse to herself
(Lk. 1:38). Or we can read this as the Psalmist saying that he
feels as if he is a servant because he is the son of one of God's
servants, born into slavery, born among the household servants. Servants
‘born in the house’ (Gen. 14:14) were considered the most trusted
and loyal. We note the juxtaposition of ideas- he had been freed
from servitude, freed from his chains, but therefore offered himself as
God's slave. This is the theme of Romans 6, the classic baptism chapter.
We are made free from servitude to sin, and become the servants of God in
response. Quite possibly the allusion is therefore to the case of the
servant who, in the year of jubilee or being made free was entitled to his
personal freedom, but because he loved his master (see on :1) refused to
leave his master’s house; and had his ear bored to the door-post, as a
proof that by his own consent he agreed to continue as a slave in his
master’s house for ever.
Psa 116:17
I will offer to You the sacrifice of
thanksgiving, and will call on the name of Yahweh-
As discussed earlier in this Psalm, thanksgiving for deliverance from
death committed the psalmist and the audience to calling on Yahweh's Name
for the rest of their lives. The next verse (:18) repeats :14, and
therefore this verse (:17) reflects :13 "I will take the cup of salvation,
and call on the name of Yahweh". The cup of salvation therefore refers to
a thanksgiving offering. Although the Mosaic law didn't require a drink
offering for a thanksgiving offering, David was eager to serve God to the
maximum, and so offered one too.
Verses 17 and 18 are used by Jonah in Jon. 2:10, speaking of his thanksgiving for preservation from death. We know that Jonah's experience looked forward to the Lord's death and resurrection, confirming our discussion on :3 of how the Psalm on one level is the gratitude of the Lord Jesus for His resurrection from sheol, which Jonah too entered in the belly of the fish.
Psa 116:18
I will pay my vows to Yahweh, yes, in the
presence of all His people-
See on :14.
Psa 116:19
in the courts of Yahweh’s house, in the midst of you,
Jerusalem. Praise Yah!-
If the Psalm originated with David, then he is looking forward to the time
when a temple would be built in Zion, and he would be there. He would have
said this in faith in a resurrection of the body and literal restoration
of Zion. The Psalm also has relevance to the exiles. Their temple was then
in ruins, but they looked forward to its restoration. The tragedy was that
they didn't rebuild it according to the commands of Ez. 40-48, and so
these things became reapplied and rescheduled to the things of God's
Kingdom to be established at the return of the Lord Jesus.
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