Psalms — Chapter 16
A michtamamichtam Meaning of Heb. uncertain. of David.Protect me, O God, for I seek refuge in You.
I say to GOD,“You are my Sovereign, my benefactor;there is none above You.”bmy benefactor; / there is none above You In contrast to others “I have no good but in You.”
As to the holy and mighty ones that are in the land,my whole desire concerning them is that
those who espouse another [god]may have many sorrows!cAs to the holy and mighty ones … sorrows Meaning of Heb. uncertain; “holy and mighty ones” taken as epithets for divine beings; cf. qedoshim in Ps. 89.6, 8, and ʼaddirim in 1 Sam. 4.8. I will have no part of their bloody libations;their names will not pass my lips.
GOD is my allotted share and portion;dportion Lit. “cup.” You control my fate.
Delightful country has fallen to my lot;lovely indeed is my estate.
I bless GOD who has guided me;my conscienceeconscience Lit. “kidneys.” admonishes me at night.
I am ever mindful of GOD’s presence—who is at my right hand; I shall never be shaken.
So my heart rejoices,my whole being exults,and my body rests secure.
For You will not abandon me to Sheol,or let Your faithful one see the Pit.
You will teach me the path of life.In Your presence is perfect joy;delights are ever in Your right hand.
✦ Connected Across Traditions
The Golden Rule
Matthew 7:12
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
Hadith (An-Nawawi 13)
“None of you truly believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself.”
Mahabharata 5.1517
“One should never do to another what one regards as injurious to oneself.”
Dhammapada 10:1
“All tremble at violence; all fear death. Putting oneself in the place of another, one should not kill nor cause another to kill.”
Good vs Evil / Light vs Darkness
Yasna 30:3
“Now the two primal Spirits, who reveal themselves as Twins, are the Better and the Bad, in thought and word and action.”
John 1:5
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
Dhammapada 1:1-2
“Mind is the forerunner of all actions. If one speaks or acts with a pure mind, happiness follows like a shadow.”
Bhagavad Gita 16:21
“There are three gates to self-destructive hell: lust, anger, and greed. Therefore, one must learn to give these up.”