Psalm 16

This is a guess. The meaning of the original Hebrew word, miktam, is unclear. Scholars make lots of guesses. This guess is based on the theory that the word is related to a Hebrew root word “inscribed,” which sprouted the term “write.” As in, a song not just passed along by word of mouth, but preserved in writing. Six psalms, including Psalms 56-60, are described this way. Most of these songs seem written in times of crisis, when it might seem most appropriate to put a prayer or a note of encouragement in writing, for others to see.

The subtitle wasn’t part of the original psalm. And the possible byline “of David,” isn’t necessarily a byline. The vague phrase could mean the song was written by David, about David, or was inspired by David. Almost half of the psalms are attributed to David in this way, 73 of 150. Ancient Jewish history tells of David playing a lyre and writing songs. For one, he wrote a song of mourning at the battlefield death of King Saul and his sons: “How have the mighty fallen!” (2 Samuel 1:19-27 New American Standard Bible). An ancient Jewish scroll from about the time of Jesus, discovered among the famous Dead Sea Scrolls, reports that David wrote 3,600 songs.

Literally, “You will not give me up to Sheol.” Sheol is 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.

David’s body eventually did rot in the grave. But apparently not this time. This sounds like a song of thanks he may have written after God brought him through a dangerous episode—one of many in David’s life.