Psalm 116
God saved my life
I have the Lord’s ear
1I love the LORD.He listens when I ask him for help.
2I have his ear,
And I’m going to use it till I die.
3I was in danger of dying.
I thought I was about to end up in a grave.[1]
I was terrified and depressed.
4I called the LORD’s name:
“Please, LORD, save me. I’m about to die.”
God is compassionate
5The LORD is kind and good.He’s our compassionate God.
6The LORD looks after us simple folks.
I was down and out—in big trouble,
But he saved me.
7“Calm down,” I said to myself.
“It’s safe to relax.
The LORD took care of me.”
8He saved my life.
He dried my tears.
And he kept me on my feet.
9So I’m going to walk with the LORD
As long as I’m alive.
10I trusted him when I said,
“I’m in big trouble.”
11Terrified, I spoke rashly when I said,
“People are liars. Every doggone one of them.”
A toast to the Lord
12How can I possibly repay the LORDFor all the good he has done for me?
13I raise this cup
To toast[2] the LORD by name,
And to thank him for saving me.
14I will keep the promises I made to the LORD.[3]
All the people are witnesses to what I’m saying.
15People are precious to the LORD.
He hurts when he sees them face death.
Thank you, Lord
16LORD, I am your servant,Born to a servant in your house.[4]
Yet, you set me free.[5]
17I’m going to make a thanksgiving offering.[6]
I’ll make this sacrifice to you, LORD.
18I will keep the promises I made to the LORD.
All the people are witnesses to what I’m saying
19As I stand in the Temple courtyards,
In the city of Jerusalem, where you live,
Thank you, LORD.
Notes
Literally, Sheol, a word Old Testament writers used to describe the place of the dead. It is a kind of underworld where the dead are cut off from the living—and from God—and there is no coming back.
More literally, “I lift the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD.” Scholars say the “cup” may refer literally to an offering of wine as part of the thanksgiving sacrifice, mentioned in verse 17. Or it could be a metaphor, as a way of thanking God in a word picture: a cup of wine raised in a toast of praise.
These may be promises made under duress, as a kind of deal with God. As in, “Get me out of this and I’ll never miss another Passover in Jerusalem for as long as I can walk to get there.”
The double use of “servant” is perhaps a way of expressing deep humility.
Possibly a metaphor that means, “You saved my life.”
Thanksgiving offerings were partially eaten by the worshipper, at a meal with family and friends. Burnt offerings were different. They atoned for sin, and were entirely burned in the fire. See Leviticus 7.
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