Psalm 16 – A miktam of David
“Keep me safe, my God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.” I say of the holy people who are in the land, “They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight. “Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more. I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods or take up their names on my lips. Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay. You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”
Psalm 16 contains 11 verses and it begins with the phrase “A miktam of David.” I have researched the meaning of miktam and there is uncertainty about its exact meaning; however, we can assume some of its meaning by looking at the contents of the six Psalms that begin with this phrase. In all six of these Psalms (Psalm 56, 57, 58, 59 and 60), David is the author who is seeking help and refuge from God because of a dangerous situation he is enduring.
Blogger, David Hobbs, states in his post The “Miktams” of God that the literal meaning of miktam is “engraving” because the dangerous experience serves only to highlight the bright jewel of the love of God manifested in the miraculous deliverance. Therefore, the whole episode is remembered not as a traumatic event, but as a golden demonstration of the faithfulness, love and power of God in the wondrous escape. This psalm challenges my heart. Read more…
