Chapter Overview
Summary
Psalm 116 (MT) / Psalms 114–115 (LXX, split at v. 10) is a thanksgiving for deliverance from death — the fourth psalm of the Egyptian Hallel. The psalm contains one of the Psalter's strongest post-rescue-thanksgiving declarations: 'I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice' (v. 1) and the famous v. 15 'precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.' The psalm's vow-fulfillment ('I will take the cup of salvation,' v. 13) is the Passover 'cup of salvation' that Jesus may have extended Eucharistically at the Last Supper.
Notable Variants
116:10 'I believed, therefore I spoke' → 2 Corinthians 4:13 (Paul's preaching-through-affliction citation); 116:13 'cup of salvation' as Passover-third-cup → Lord's Supper Eucharistic connection; 116:15 'precious the death of his saints' as martyrdom-value theology.
Structural Notes
MT Ps 116 = LXX Pss 114 (vv. 1–9) + 115 (vv. 10–19) — LXX SPLITS the psalm at v. 10. 19 verses. Fourth Egyptian Hallel psalm.
I love the LORD because He hears my voice, my pleas for mercy.
'I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy' tracks MT. I-LOVE-THE-LORD opening — one of the Psalter's most-intimate-love-declarations.
Because He turned His ear toward me, I will call on Him as long as I live.
'Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live' tracks MT.
The cords of death wrapped around me; the straits of Sheol found me. I found distress and grief.
'The snares of death encompassed me; the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me; I suffered distress and anguish' tracks MT. SNARES-OF-DEATH / PANGS-OF-SHEOL. Acts 2:24 ('God raised him up, LOOSING THE PANGS OF DEATH,' lysas tas ōdinas tou thanatou) uses the same vocabulary for Christ's resurrection — escape from death's pangs.
Then I called on the name of the LORD: "Please, LORD, rescue my life!"
'Then I called on the name of the LORD: O LORD, I pray, deliver my soul!' tracks MT.
The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God shows compassion.
'Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; our God is merciful' tracks MT. GRACIOUS-AND-MERCIFUL Exodus-34:6-echo.
The LORD watches over the vulnerable; I was brought low, and He saved me.
'The LORD preserves the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me' tracks MT.
Return, my soul, to your rest, for the LORD has dealt generously with you.
'Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you' tracks MT. RETURN-TO-YOUR-REST — the soul-self-address to recover peace. Matthew 11:28 ('come to me … and I will give you rest') Christologically extends.
For You rescued my life from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling.
'For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling' tracks MT. Revelation 21:4 ('he will wipe away every tear from their eyes') echoes.
I will walk before the LORD among the living.
'I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living' tracks MT.
I believed, even when I said, "I am severely afflicted."
Masoretic (WLC)
הֶאֱמַנְתִּי כִּי אֲדַבֵּר אֲנִי עָנִיתִי מְאֹד
I believed, even when I spoke: I am greatly afflicted
Septuagint (LXX)
ἐπίστευσα διὸ ἐλάλησα ἐγὼ δὲ ἐταπεινώθην σφόδρα
I believed, therefore I spoke; but I was greatly humbled
2 CORINTHIANS 4:13 CITATION. Paul cites this verse verbatim at 2 Cor 4:13: 'Since we have the same SPIRIT OF FAITH as he who wrote: I BELIEVED, AND SO I SPOKE (episteusa, dio elalēsa), we also believe, and so we also speak.' The LXX's 'I believed, THEREFORE I spoke' becomes Paul's model for apostolic-preaching-through-affliction: faith compels proclamation even under suffering.
LXX vs MT. The Hebrew reads something like 'I believed, even when I spoke: I am greatly afflicted.' The LXX has 'I believed, therefore I spoke; I was greatly humbled.' The LXX's causal-connection (dio, 'therefore') between believing-and-speaking is what Paul exploits. The apostolic-kerygma is grounded in the psalm's faith-speech link.
LXX NUMBERING. The LXX numbering splits Psalm 116 at this very verse — the verse becomes the opening-line of a new-psalm (LXX Ps 115). The Christian-Greek church thus begins the psalm with Paul's citation-text — a liturgical privileging.
I said in my alarm, "Every person is a liar."
'I said in my alarm: All mankind are liars' tracks MT. Romans 3:4 ('let God be true, though every man is a liar,' pas anthrōpos pseustēs) echoes.
What can I give back to the LORD for all His gifts to me?
'What shall I render to the LORD for all his benefits to me?' tracks MT.
I will lift the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD.
'I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD' tracks MT. CUP-OF-SALVATION (kos yeshu'ot / potērion sōtēriou). In Passover-seder tradition, four cups are drunk: sanctification, deliverance, REDEMPTION (the third cup, sung during Ps 116), and praise. Jesus' Last Supper 'cup' (Matt 26:27–28, Mark 14:23–24, Luke 22:20, 1 Cor 11:25) — said to 'the cup of the new covenant in my blood' — may be precisely this Passover-third-cup of Ps 116:13, transformed into Eucharistic-sacrament.
I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all His people.
'I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people' tracks MT.
Costly in the eyes of the LORD is the death of His faithful ones.
'Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints' tracks MT. 'PRECIOUS-THE-DEATH-OF-HIS-SAINTS' (timios enantion kyriou ho thanatos tōn hosiōn autou). One of the OT's strongest statements of martyrdom-value. Revelation 6:9–11 (souls-under-the-altar) and 17:6 (martyrs-of-Jesus) develop the preciousness-of-martyr-death theology.
Please, LORD — truly I am Your servant; I am Your servant, the child of Your maidservant. You have loosened my bonds.
'O LORD, I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your maidservant. You have loosed my bonds' tracks MT. 'SON-OF-YOUR-MAIDSERVANT' (ben-amathekha / hyios tēs paidiskēs sou) — same phrase as Ps 86:16. Remarkably shared-self-designation.
To You I will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the LORD.
'I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the LORD' tracks MT. SACRIFICE-OF-THANKSGIVING. Hebrews 13:15's 'sacrifice of praise' extends.
I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all His people,
'I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people' tracks MT.
in the courts of the house of the LORD, in your midst, Jerusalem. Praise the LORD!
'In the courts of the house of the LORD, in your midst, O Jerusalem. Praise the LORD!' tracks MT. Closing with temple-courts + halleluyah.