In this first section of the psalm David reflected on what he had come to know about the Lord and how this knowledge comforted him.
16:1 This verse is a kind of topic sentence for the section. It is a prayer for protection in some unidentified distress based on the psalmist's confidence in the Lord's protection.
16:2 David had told the Lord that He was his only hope. The writer had no good beside Yahweh probably in the sense that he knew that he had no goodness of his own apart from God (cf. 73:25).
16:3 An evidence of David's confidence in the Lord was his choosing to keep company with others who trusted in and walked with God. He respected them because they shared the majestic quality of their God.
16:4 In contrast to these godly saints are those who trade worship of the true God for what they think they will gain from following other gods (i.e., apostates). However they only receive multiplied sorrows. David refused to join them in worshipping false gods or even mentioning them because he found what they were doing so distasteful.
16:5-6 David spoke with satisfaction of the Lord as something that someone had given to him. He compared God to a valuable inheritance passed on to him by his ancestors and to wine in a cup that brings great joy and satisfaction to the one who drinks it. He also gave God credit for supporting him in his lot in life. The lines marking the boundaries of David's inheritance (i.e., God) had turned out to be good lines since they prescribed a great inheritance. Compared to a piece of real estate such as the ones given to the Israelite tribes when they entered the Promised Land, David had received a pleasant lot. He viewed his inheritance as a beautiful piece of property. Obviously he was pleasantly content with God and found great delight in Him.
16:7 In view of this delight David purposed to bless or praise the Lord. This is the first of many references to blessing or praising the Lord in the Book of Psalms. To bless God means to speak well of Him.
God had counselled David through His Word. David received counsel from God through the previously written books of the Old Testament, through other prophets such as Nathan and Gad, and through personal revelations. David himself was a prophet as well as a king. It is probably to these personal words from the Lord that David referred in the second part of this verse.
16:8 Because the Lord Himself was the main focus of David's attention and satisfaction he knew no one would shake him in any major way from his stability in life (cf. 15:5c). David described his giving God first place in his life as having placed God at his right hand, the place of greatest honor and authority in the ancient East. Since David was a king, the place he gave God was especially honorable. Because David had delegated his defense to God, he knew his "right hand Man"would not fail him.
Peter quoted verses 8-11 on the day of Pentecost as a messianic prophecy (Acts 2:25-28). These words were perfectly and literally true only of Jesus Christ.
