Psalms 116

KJV · Chapter 116/150

1I love the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications.

2Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.

3The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow.

4Then called I upon the name of the Lord; O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul.

5Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful.

6The Lord preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me.

7Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee.

8For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.

9I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.

10I believed, therefore have I spoken: I was greatly afflicted:

11I said in my haste, All men are liars.

12What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me?

13I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord.

14I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people.

15Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.

16O Lord, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds.

17I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord.

18I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people,

19In the courts of the Lord’s house, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. Praise ye the Lord.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

A personal testimony of gratitude from someone who stood at the brink of death and was rescued by God, promising to fulfill their vows publicly and to lift up the 'cup of salvation' in thanksgiving.

Explanation

This individual thanksgiving psalm expresses deep gratitude after deliverance from extreme danger ('the sorrows of death compassed me'), and is notable for its promise to pay vows 'in the presence of all his people' (v.14, 18) — showing that biblical gratitude often had a public, communal dimension, not just a private one. The phrase 'precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints' (v.15) has historically been a source of comfort for grieving families. The application today is that expressing gratitude publicly, not just in thought, strengthens the faith of the surrounding community.

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