Tap any verse number for what that verse means.
1I love the LORD, for He has heard my voice— my appeal for mercy.
2Because He has inclined His ear to me, I will call on Him as long as I live.
3The ropes of death entangled me; the anguish of Sheol overcame me; I was confronted by trouble and sorrow.
4Then I called on the name of the LORD: “O LORD, deliver my soul!”
5The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.
6The LORD preserves the simplehearted; I was helpless, and He saved me.
7Return to your rest, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you.
8For You have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling.
9I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living.
10I believed, therefore I said, “I am greatly afflicted.”
11In my alarm I said, “All men are liars!”
12How can I repay the LORD for all His goodness to me?
13I will lift the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD.
14I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all His people.
15Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints.
16Truly, O LORD, I am Your servant; I am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant; You have broken my bonds.
17I will offer to You a sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the LORD.
18I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all His people,
19in the courts of the LORD’s house, in your midst, O Jerusalem. Hallelujah!
Understand This
Psalm 116, explained
What Psalm 116 is saying
Psalm 116 is an individual thanksgiving psalm in which the psalmist, having been delivered from the threat of death, publicly fulfills vows of gratitude in the temple courts. The psalm's emotional arc moves from distress ('the cords of death entangled me') through divine rescue to joyful worship. Verse 15—'Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints'—affirms that God does not treat His servants' lives cheaply.
The background behind it
The psalm's temple setting, with its references to paying vows and lifting the cup of salvation, suggests a todah (thanksgiving) ceremony. Paul quotes verse 10 in 2 Corinthians 4:13, connecting faith and speech.
Themes running underneath
The psalm develops a theology of gratitude as obligation: deliverance creates a debt that is paid through public testimony and continued worship. The 'cup of salvation' imagery anticipates eucharistic theology. The question 'How can I repay the LORD?' is answered not with sacrifice but with testimony and trust.
Why it still matters
This psalm demonstrates that true gratitude is not merely felt but performed—in public worship, in vow-keeping, and in ongoing service. It models the integration of personal experience with communal worship.
Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible — used by permission, Bible Hub.