Old Testament · Poetry

Psalm 116

I Love the Lord

I love the Lord because He heard my voice. The snares of death entangled me — I called, and He delivered. Simple and profound.

King James Version BSB KJV

Tap any verse number for what that verse means.

1I love the LORD, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications.

2Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.

3The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow.

4Then called I upon the name of the LORD; O LORD, I beseech thee, deliver my soul.

5Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful.

6The LORD preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me.

7Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee.

8For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.

9I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living.

10I believed, therefore have I spoken: I was greatly afflicted:

11I said in my haste, All men are liars.

12What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me?

13I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD.

14I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people.

15Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.

16O LORD, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds.

17I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD.

18I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people,

19In the courts of the LORD’s house, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. Praise ye the LORD.

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.

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Scripture text: King James Version — public domain.