Psalms 116:16 - Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

Bible Comments

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

O Lord, truly I am thy servant - `O Lord, I pray thee, (accept, graciously my thanksgiving), because I am thy servant.' The Hebrew х 'aanaah (H577)] expresses prayer rather than affirmation. He prays for permission to express publicly his gratitude, as a special favour which God bestows on "His servants" whom He delivers.

And the son of thine handmaid - (Psalms 86:16.) Here the language is overruled by the Spirit to typify Messiah, the antitypical Israel, the "servant of Yahweh" (Isaiah 42:1), and at the same time the Divine Son of the Virgin, who said (Luke 1:38), "Behold the handmaid of the Lord;" and Ps. 116:48 , "He hath regarded the low estate of His handmaiden." As being thy servant, I have a claim on thy protecting grace, and thou hast vouchsafed it.

Thou hast loosed my bonds. So concerning Messiah at His resurrection, Peter saith, "Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death." Israel, loosed from the Babylonian captivity, is the type.

Psalms 116:16

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