God & Savior

Psalm 16:8

I have set the LORD always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Psalm 16:8
Read chapter

Study notes

The psalmist keeps the Lord always before him, and with the Lord at his right hand he will not be shaken.

Explanation

To "set the LORD always before me" is a deliberate choice to keep God in view. The "right hand" was the place of a helper or protector. Because God stands there, the psalmist will not be moved.

Peter quotes this psalm in Acts 2:25-28 and applies it to the resurrection of Jesus.

Original language
  • שִׁוִּ֬יתִי (shi.Vi.ti): to set
    Hebrew · Verb, piel, perfect, 1st person, common, singular · Strong's H7737B · text: Leningrad Codex (as recorded in TAHOT)

    I have placed or set.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAHOT: Translators Amalgamated Hebrew Old Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Psalm 16:8, word 1

  • תָמִ֑יד (ta.Mid): continuity
    Hebrew · Noun, masculine, singular, absolute · Strong's H8548 · text: Leningrad Codex (as recorded in TAHOT)

    Continually, always.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAHOT: Translators Amalgamated Hebrew Old Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Psalm 16:8, word 4

  • אֶמּֽוֹט ('e.Mot): to shake
    Hebrew · Verb, niphal, imperfect, 1st person, common, singular · Strong's H4131 · text: Leningrad Codex (as recorded in TAHOT)

    I will be shaken or moved.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAHOT: Translators Amalgamated Hebrew Old Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Psalm 16:8, word 8

Cross-references
  • Acts 2:25-28 · Quotation

    Peter quotes Psalm 16:8-11 about Jesus.

  • Psalm 121:5 · Same theme

    The LORD is the shade on your right hand.

  • Psalm 62:2 · Same theme

    I will never be shaken.

Sources

Original language and places

Reference data from open datasets, shown as published by their sources. Word-by-word English is a literal guide, not a translation.

Original language (Hebrew)

שִׁוִּ֬יתִי יְהוָ֣ה לְנֶגְדִּ֣י תָמִ֑יד כִּ֥י מִֽ֝ימִינִ֗י בַּל־אֶמּֽוֹט׃

  1. שִׁוִּ֬יתִיshi.Vi.ti“I have placed”
    Verb, piel, perfect, 1st person, common, singular · from שָׁוָה · “to set” · Strong's H7737B
  2. יְהוָ֣הYah.weh“Yahweh”
    Noun, proper name, title · from יהוה · “LORD” · Strong's H3068G
  3. לְנֶגְדִּ֣יle.neg.Di“to before me”
    Preposition + Adjective, cardinal number, masculine, singular, construct + Suffix, pronominal, 1st person, both genders, singular · from נֶ֫גֶד · “before” · Strong's H5048
  4. תָמִ֑ידta.Mid“continually”
    Noun, masculine, singular, absolute · from תָּמִיד · “continuity” · Strong's H8548
  5. כִּ֥יki“for”
    Particle · from כִּי · “for” · Strong's H3588A
  6. מִֽ֝ימִינִ֗יmi.mi.Ni“[he is] from right [hand] my”
    Preposition + Noun, feminine, singular, construct + Suffix, pronominal, 1st person, both genders, singular · from יָמִין · “right” · Strong's H3225G
  7. בַּל־bal-“not”
    Particle, negative · from בַּל · “not” · Strong's H1077
  8. אֶמּֽוֹט׃'e.Mot“I will be shaken”
    Verb, niphal, imperfect, 1st person, common, singular · from מוֹט · “to shake” · Strong's H4131
  • Prepared by the God & Savior team. Not yet reviewed by an editor.
  • Hebrew and Aramaic words: STEP Bible (STEPBible.org), based on work at Tyndale House, Cambridge. CC BY 4.0. Source (version ed476a8)