God & Savior

Psalm 16:8-9

8I have set the LORD always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 9Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will dwell securely.
Psalm 16:8-9
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Study notes

Verse 8

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.

Verse 8

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

Verse 9

Original language (Hebrew)

לָכֵ֤ן׀ שָׂמַ֣ח לִ֭בִּי וַיָּ֣גֶל כְּבוֹדִ֑י אַף־בְּ֝שָׂרִ֗י יִשְׁכֹּ֥ן לָבֶֽטַח׃

  1. לָכֵ֤ן׀la.Khen“<to> therefore”
    Preposition + Adverb · from כֵּן · “so” · Strong's H3651C
  2. שָׂמַ֣חsa.Mach“it is glad”
    Verb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular · from שָׂמַח · “to rejoice” · Strong's H8055
  3. לִ֭בִּיLi.bi“heart my”
    Noun, masculine, singular, construct + Suffix, pronominal, 1st person, both genders, singular · from לֵב · “heart” · Strong's H3820A
  4. וַיָּ֣גֶלvai.Ya.gel“and it rejoiced”
    Conjunction + Verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular · from גִּיל · “to rejoice” · Strong's H1523
  5. כְּבוֹדִ֑יke.vo.Di“honor my”
    Noun, both genders, singular, construct + Suffix, pronominal, 1st person, masculine, singular · from כָּבוֹד · “glory” · Strong's H3519
  6. אַף־'af-“also”
    Particle, interjection · from אַף · “also” · Strong's H0637
  7. בְּ֝שָׂרִ֗יbe.sa.Ri“body my”
    Noun, masculine, singular, construct + Suffix, pronominal, 1st person, both genders, singular · from בָּשָׂר · “flesh” · Strong's H1320
  8. יִשְׁכֹּ֥ןyish.Kon“it will dwell”
    Verb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular · from שָׁכַן · “to dwell” · Strong's H7931
  9. לָבֶֽטַח׃la.Ve.tach“to security”
    Preposition + Noun, masculine, singular, absolute · from בֶּ֫טַח · “security” · Strong's H0983
  • 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)