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Psalms 16:11

in Psalms 16

You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

Thou wilt show me the path of life: In thy presence is fulness of joy; In thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

KJV

Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

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This verse in Psalms 16

Commentary

5 notes on this verse

A commentator

Charles Spurgeon

1834–1892

The Treasury of David, Vol. 1 (1869)

"Thou wilt shew me the path of life." To Jesus first this way was shown, for he is the first begotten from the dead, the first-born of every creature. He himself opened up the way through his own flesh, and then trod it as the forerunner of his own redeemed. The thought of being made the path of life to his people, gladdened the soul of Jesus. "In thy presence is fulness of joy."

This site's exposition

the path of life

The path of life is the road God makes known, and verse 10 has already set it past the grave. Joy comes from being in God's presence, and the pleasures at Your right hand are eternal. The psalm ends where the LORD stood in verse 8.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

If the heart rejoice in God, out of the abundance of that let the mouth speak, to his glory, and the edification of others. That dying Christians, as well as a dying Christ, may cheerfully put off the body, in a believing expectation of a joyful resurrection: My flesh also shall rest in hope.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

31:16). at thy right hand--to which Christ was exalted (Ps 110:1; In the glories of this state, He shall see of the travail (Isa 53:10, 11; Php 2:9) of His soul, and be satisfied.
Modern Voices1 voice
"Fullness" means completely satisfying. And "forevermore" means those pleasures never stop.

How the passage was read

What the Jewish commentators add

You shall let me know the way of life This is the future tense, not an expression of prayer.
Rashi: France, 1040–1105 · Rashi on Psalms 16:11:1, via Sefaria, The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
For Thou wilt not leave my soul to Sheol: Neither wilt Thou suffer Thine holy one to see the pit: – For I know that while I hold fast to life, that is the right way that I am in – and this is what he means in saying Thy holy one – I know that Thou wilt not leave my soul to go down to Sheol with the body, but wilt raise it to Thy glory.
Radak: Provence, 1160–1235 · Radak on Psalms 16:10:1, via Sefaria, R. David Kimhi on the first book of Psalms, Translated by R.G. Finch, London, 1919

This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.

Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.

The words behind it

10 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • תּֽוֹדִיעֵנִי֮you will make known to me

    todieniH3045 →945 times

  • אֹ֤רַח[the] path of

    ʾorachH734 →58 times

  • חַ֫יִּ֥יםlife

    chaiyimH2416 →498 times

  • שֹׂ֣בַעabundance of

    soa'H7648 →

  • שְׂ֭מָחוֹתgladness<es>

    semachotH8057 →94 times

  • אֶת־[are] with

    ʾet-H854 →929 times

  • פָּנֶ֑יךָpresence your

    paneikhaH6440 →2123 times

  • נְעִמ֖וֹתpleasant [things]

    neimotH5273 →13 times

  • בִּימִינְךָ֣[are] at right [hand] your

    biminekhaH3225 →140 times

  • נֶֽצַח׃perpetuity

    netzachH5331 →43 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

18 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Acts 2:28You have made known to me the paths of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence.’112 worksPsalms 31:19How great is Your goodness which You have laid up for those who fear You, which You have bestowed before the sons of men on those who take refuge in You!94 worksJude 1:24Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you unblemished in His glorious presence, with great joy—59 worksPsalms 36:7–8How precious is Your loving devotion, O God, that the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings!52 worksPsalms 23:6Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.50 worksRevelation 7:15–17For this reason, they are before the throne of God and serve Him day and night in His temple; and the One seated on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them.42 works
The other 12 cross-references, with their words ▾
Colossians 3:1Therefore, since you have been raised with Christ, strive for the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.39 worksEphesians 3:19of the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.38 worksPsalms 36:8They feast on the abundance of Your house, and You give them drink from Your river of delights.38 worksPsalms 30:5For His anger is fleeting, but His favor lasts a lifetime. Weeping may stay the night, but joy comes in the morning.33 worksPsalms 21:4–6He asked You for life, and You granted it— length of days, forever and ever.32 worksProverbs 4:18The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining brighter and brighter until midday.30 worksPsalms 17:15As for me, I will behold Your face in righteousness; when I awake, I will be satisfied in Your presence.29 worksRevelation 22:3No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be within the city, and His servants will worship Him.27 worksIsaiah 61:7Instead of shame, My people will have a double portion, and instead of humiliation, they will rejoice in their share; and so they will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting joy will be theirs.26 worksPsalms 139:24See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the way everlasting.26 worksMatthew 7:14But small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it.24 worksMatthew 5:8Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.20 works

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Jude 1:24

    Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you unblemished in His glorious presence, with great joy—

    it leads to

    • 2 Timothy 4:18

      And the Lord will rescue me from every evil action and bring me safely into His heavenly kingdom. To Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

    • Ephesians 3:20

      Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us,

    • Colossians 1:22

      But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy, unblemished, and blameless in His presence—

    • John 10:29–30

      My Father who has given them to Me is greater than all. No one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand.

    • Hebrews 13:20–21

      Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep,

  • Through

    Ephesians 3:19

    of the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

    it leads to

    • Ephesians 1:23

      which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

    • Colossians 2:9–10

      For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity dwells in bodily form.

    • Colossians 1:10

      so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,

Where this verse is studied

About Psalms

Saul attempts to kill David (the harpist of Israel) — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain
Saul attempts to kill David (the harpist of Israel) — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain
Psalms: the study guide →Read Psalms 16 →

This page draws on Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 1; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David; Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Psalms; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Piper, The Lord Governs My Good and Is My Good: All of Psalm 16 for a New Year (sermon) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in Psalms 16 →