Bible Commentary

Psalms 16:10

Psalms 16:10

The Pulpit Commentary · Joseph S. Exell and contributors · Public Domain

For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; literally, to Sheol, or "to Hades." The confidence in a future life shown here is beyond that exhibited by Job. Job hopes that he may not always remain in Hades, but may one day experience a "change" or "renewal" (); David is certain that his soul will not be left in hell.

Hell (Sheol) is to him an "intermediate state," through which a man passes between his life in this world and his final condition in some blest abode. Neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

The present Hebrew text has חסידיךָ, "thy holy ones," i.e. thy saints generally; but the majority, of the manuscripts, all the ancient versions, and even the Hebrew revised text (the Keri) have the word in the singular number, thus agreeing with , ; , which give us the translation, τὸν ὄσιον σου, and declare the psalmist to have spoken determinately of Christ.

Certainly he would not have spoken of himself as "God's holy one." The translation of shachath ( שָׁחַת) by "corruption" has been questioned, and it has been rendered "the pit," or "the grave," but quite gratuitously.

The LXX. have διαφθορὰν as the equivalent; and the rabbinical commentators, giving it the same meaning, but expounding it of David, invented the myth that David's body was miraculously preserved from corruption.

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