Psa 116:7 | KingComments | STEP | He is delivered from the cords of death and the terrors of Sheol because the LORD is “gracious …, and righteous” ( ). These two attributes of God are part of His nature. They seem to be in opposition to each other, but they are always in harmony (cf. ). God can show grace and forgive sins because His Son met all the requirements of God’s righteousness on the cross. Even the sins of Old Testament believers could be forgiven on the basis of the blood Christ would shed ( ). Grace reigns through righteousness ( ). This also means that God will never change what He has promised in grace. That God “is compassionate”. In connection with this, the psalmist speaks of God as “our God”. Literally it says: “Our God relieves.” That means: because He is gracious and righteous, He takes care of the afflicted. Next, the psalmist describes himself as the afflicted: he belongs to the simple and those who are brought low. Here he connects with all who, like him, are in a living relationship with Him and, like him, have been in mortal danger. Here we clearly hear the Spirit of Christ in the remnant. In the time of the great tribulation they have come to know that God is compassionate. We also see the faithful remnant in “the simple”, which are the little ones, preserved by the LORD during the great tribulation ( ). The simple are those who do not have a high opinion of themselves. They are upright and God-fearing. They have a ‘clear or simple eye’ ( ) that is, they pay attention only to the LORD and His will and have a simple and unshakable trust in God and in His Word. Next, the psalmist again uses the I-form. He is speaking of himself and also expresses the feelings that the remnant also has, saying: “I was brought low, and He saved me.” It does indicate clearly how bad off he was. One who is brought low has absolutely no reserve left to do anything. However, the LORD did not let him perish, but saved him from his great need. Now that he has been saved, his soul can also return to the rest he had before the tribulation came upon him ( ). The outward distress may have been resolved, but sometimes more time is needed for the soul to come to rest. For example, the soul of Elisha, saddened by the unequal yoke of King Jehoshaphat, needed time to come to rest and prophesy ( ). The psalmist reminds his soul that the LORD has dealt bountifully with him. The thought of the Lord’s goodness helps the soul to come to rest. It is also good for our peace of mind to remind ourselves again and again how good God is to us again and again. Then the psalmist turns to the LORD in gratitude ( ). After all, it is He Who has “rescued” his “soul from death”. He has experienced the compassion and redemption of the LORD from physical and spiritual pain, for his “eyes”, which were wet with tears, have been rescued “from tears”. He can also come to rest regarding his walk, for the LORD has rescued his “feet from stumbling”. He was brought low, but has been able to continue on his way. Salvation is described here in threefold: 1. His soul/life is rescued from death. 2. His eyes are rescued from tears. 3. His feet are rescued from stumbling. The result is that he can “walk” with his feet ( ). He can do that “before the LORD”, as it were, face to face with Him. He can do that “in the land of the living”, for he has been rescued from death. That he is still in the land of the living is a special blessing to him. It means that he can still praise God and enjoy God’s blessing. Death is still for him “the king of terror” ( ), who takes him away from the land of light and blessing and brings him to the land of darkness and silence. In the tribulation, the psalmist learned the lesson of true faith ( ). He put his trust in the LORD during the tribulation of , which is why he spoke what he said in . In he looks back. The psalmist explains why he cried out to the LORD in his distress, namely because of his faith. Therefore, he prayed, supplicated, cried out to the LORD. He spoke in the presence of the LORD. He has believed just when he was “greatly afflicted”. That is what he is speaking about now. Paul quotes this verse in the second letter to the Corinthians ( ). The context in which he does so makes it clear that this is about the testimony given by Christ. Again, this is about speaking in the presence of God. The difference is that the psalmist spoke of his life, while the apostle spoke of “the life of Jesus” that it would be manifest in his body ( ). Paul speaks of the dangers of death into which he has repeatedly come because of his preaching. The threat of death did not silence him, for he knows in Whom he believes. Therefore, he had to speak. The spirit of faith that Paul possesses is the same spirit that the Old Testament believer possesses. He who believes will speak to God when he is in distress because he believes that God is able to rescue from distress. And if the opposition results in his being killed, then that is not the end. Paul then points to the Lord Jesus ( ). Christ paid for His testimony with death. But God raised Him up. Paul mentions this to encourage the believers. The encouragement is that as surely as God raised up Christ, He will also raise up every one who has to pay for his testimony with death. This is secured in the power of God. The psalm is therefore broadly applicable to the suffering that Christians may undergo. of this psalm is translated in different ways. In our opinion, the best translation and consistent with the content of this psalm, as also the Septuagint translates, is: “I believed, therefore I spoke.” That is, the psalmist’s faith was the reason he spoke to God while he was still in mortal danger. It is not about speaking after he had been rescued from this mortal danger. That the psalmist says something “in his alarm” is not a confession of sin, as if he had been too quick with his mouth to say anything ( ). The Hebrew word for ‘alarm’ literally means “to terrify”. The word is better translated ‘fear’ (cf. ). He says in his alarm that he is convinced that “all men are liars”. He quickly learned in his tribulation that God alone is true and trustworthy. Those in need quickly find out that people cannot help and that their promises to help are lies. God helps everyone who calls out to Him in his distress. The hostile people who persecute the psalmist use the lie to snare him with cords of death ( ). We see an example with Jeremiah, who was deceived by his fellow villagers and even family ( ). The lie is pre-eminently the mark of the devil ( ) and is therefore also the mark of those under his power. The lie is the misrepresentation of Who God is ( ).

‏ Psalms 116:7

Believing and Speaking

He is delivered from the cords of death and the terrors of Sheol because the LORD is “gracious …, and righteous” (Psa 116:5). These two attributes of God are part of His nature. They seem to be in opposition to each other, but they are always in harmony (cf. Jn 1:17b). God can show grace and forgive sins because His Son met all the requirements of God’s righteousness on the cross. Even the sins of Old Testament believers could be forgiven on the basis of the blood Christ would shed (Rom 3:25). Grace reigns through righteousness (Rom 5:21). This also means that God will never change what He has promised in grace.

That God “is compassionate”. In connection with this, the psalmist speaks of God as “our God”. Literally it says: “Our God relieves.” That means: because He is gracious and righteous, He takes care of the afflicted. Next, the psalmist describes himself as the afflicted: he belongs to the simple and those who are brought low.

Here he connects with all who, like him, are in a living relationship with Him and, like him, have been in mortal danger. Here we clearly hear the Spirit of Christ in the remnant. In the time of the great tribulation they have come to know that God is compassionate.

We also see the faithful remnant in “the simple”, which are the little ones, preserved by the LORD during the great tribulation (Psa 116:6). The simple are those who do not have a high opinion of themselves. They are upright and God-fearing. They have a ‘clear or simple eye’ (Mt 6:22) that is, they pay attention only to the LORD and His will and have a simple and unshakable trust in God and in His Word.

Next, the psalmist again uses the I-form. He is speaking of himself and also expresses the feelings that the remnant also has, saying: “I was brought low, and He saved me.” It does indicate clearly how bad off he was. One who is brought low has absolutely no reserve left to do anything. However, the LORD did not let him perish, but saved him from his great need.

Now that he has been saved, his soul can also return to the rest he had before the tribulation came upon him (Psa 116:7). The outward distress may have been resolved, but sometimes more time is needed for the soul to come to rest. For example, the soul of Elisha, saddened by the unequal yoke of King Jehoshaphat, needed time to come to rest and prophesy (2Kgs 3:15). The psalmist reminds his soul that the LORD has dealt bountifully with him. The thought of the Lord’s goodness helps the soul to come to rest. It is also good for our peace of mind to remind ourselves again and again how good God is to us again and again.

Then the psalmist turns to the LORD in gratitude (Psa 116:8). After all, it is He Who has “rescued” his “soul from death”. He has experienced the compassion and redemption of the LORD from physical and spiritual pain, for his “eyes”, which were wet with tears, have been rescued “from tears”. He can also come to rest regarding his walk, for the LORD has rescued his “feet from stumbling”. He was brought low, but has been able to continue on his way.

Salvation is described here in threefold:

1. His soul/life is rescued from death.

2. His eyes are rescued from tears.

3. His feet are rescued from stumbling.

The result is that he can “walk” with his feet (Psa 116:9). He can do that “before the LORD”, as it were, face to face with Him. He can do that “in the land of the living”, for he has been rescued from death. That he is still in the land of the living is a special blessing to him. It means that he can still praise God and enjoy God’s blessing. Death is still for him “the king of terror” (Job 18:14), who takes him away from the land of light and blessing and brings him to the land of darkness and silence.

In the tribulation, the psalmist learned the lesson of true faith (Psa 116:10). He put his trust in the LORD during the tribulation of Psa 116:3, which is why he spoke what he said in Psa 116:1-2. In Psa 116:10 he looks back. The psalmist explains why he cried out to the LORD in his distress, namely because of his faith. Therefore, he prayed, supplicated, cried out to the LORD.

He spoke in the presence of the LORD. He has believed just when he was “greatly afflicted”. That is what he is speaking about now. Paul quotes this verse in the second letter to the Corinthians (2Cor 4:13). The context in which he does so makes it clear that this is about the testimony given by Christ. Again, this is about speaking in the presence of God. The difference is that the psalmist spoke of his life, while the apostle spoke of “the life of Jesus” that it would be manifest in his body (2Cor 4:10).

Paul speaks of the dangers of death into which he has repeatedly come because of his preaching. The threat of death did not silence him, for he knows in Whom he believes. Therefore, he had to speak. The spirit of faith that Paul possesses is the same spirit that the Old Testament believer possesses. He who believes will speak to God when he is in distress because he believes that God is able to rescue from distress.

And if the opposition results in his being killed, then that is not the end. Paul then points to the Lord Jesus (2Cor 4:14). Christ paid for His testimony with death. But God raised Him up. Paul mentions this to encourage the believers. The encouragement is that as surely as God raised up Christ, He will also raise up every one who has to pay for his testimony with death. This is secured in the power of God. The psalm is therefore broadly applicable to the suffering that Christians may undergo.

Psa 116:10 of this psalm is translated in different ways. In our opinion, the best translation and consistent with the content of this psalm, as also the Septuagint translates, is: “I believed, therefore I spoke.” That is, the psalmist’s faith was the reason he spoke to God while he was still in mortal danger. It is not about speaking after he had been rescued from this mortal danger.

That the psalmist says something “in his alarm” is not a confession of sin, as if he had been too quick with his mouth to say anything (Psa 116:11). The Hebrew word for ‘alarm’ literally means “to terrify”. The word is better translated ‘fear’ (cf. Psa 31:22).

He says in his alarm that he is convinced that “all men are liars”. He quickly learned in his tribulation that God alone is true and trustworthy. Those in need quickly find out that people cannot help and that their promises to help are lies. God helps everyone who calls out to Him in his distress.

The hostile people who persecute the psalmist use the lie to snare him with cords of death (Psa 116:3). We see an example with Jeremiah, who was deceived by his fellow villagers and even family (Jer 11:15-19 ; Jer 12:6). The lie is pre-eminently the mark of the devil (Jn 8:44) and is therefore also the mark of those under his power. The lie is the misrepresentation of Who God is (Gen 3:1-7).