Psalms 16:2 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

Bible Comments

O my soul; which words are fitly understood; for it is manifest he speaks to one person of another. And it is usual with David to turn his speech to his soul, as Psalms 42:6, Psalms 43:5. Thou hast said; thou hast ofttimes avowed and professed it, and dost still persist to do so. Thou art my Lord, by creation, and preservation, and otherwise; to whom I owe all service and obedience upon that account. My goodness; whatsoever piety, or virtue, or good. ness is in me, or is done by me. Extendeth not to thee, i.e. doth not add any thing to thy felicity; for thou dost not need me nor my service, nor art capable of any advantage from it. Or, is not for thee, as this word is used, Genesis 16:5 2 Samuel 1:26, i.e. for thy use or benefit. Or, is not upon thee, i.e. it lays no obligation upon thee, as this very word is taken, Judges 19:20 Psalms 56:12 Ezekiel 45:17. All comes to the same thing. The sense is, God is all-sufficient and infinitely happy, and the author of all the good that is in or is done by any of his creatures; and therefore cannot prevent nor oblige God any further than he is graciously pleased to oblige himself. Thus he renounceth all opinion of merit; and though he urged his trust in God, as a motive to persuade God to preserve him, Psalms 16:1, yet he here declares that he did not do it, as thinking that God was indebted to him for it.

Psalms 16:2

2 O my soul, thou hast said unto the LORD, Thou art my Lord: my goodness extendeth not to thee;