Psalms

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Psalm 16

1 A prayer of David. Protect me, O God, for I have taken shelter in you. 2 I say to the Lord, “You are the Lord, my only source of well-being.” 3 As for God’s chosen people who are in the land, and the leading officials I admired so much— 4 their troubles multiply; they desire other gods. I will not pour out drink offerings of blood to their gods, nor will I make vows in the name of their gods.⁠ 5 The Lord is the portion of my possession and my cup⁹;⁠ you make my future secure. 6 It is as if I have been given fertile fields or received a beautiful tract of land. 7 I will praise the Lord who guides me; yes, during the night my kidneys instruct me¹⁵.⁠ 8 I set the Lord before me continually¹⁶;⁠ because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 9 So my heart rejoices and I am happy; my life is safe. 10 You will not abandon me to Sheol; you will not allow your faithful follower to see the Pit. 11 You lead me in the path of life. I experience absolute joy in your presence; you always give me sheer delight.

Texts in conversation

Compare KTU 1.16 VI:25 and Psalm 16:7

Ancient Near East, Ugaritic · Hebrew Bible

Summary

Psalm 16 treats the kidneys as the seat of thought and moral insight, reflecting an ancient Near Eastern view of the inner body. Ugaritic texts like the Legend of Kirta describe Prince Yassib guided by his inward parts, showing the same belief.

Passages

KTU 1.16 VI:25

Ancient Near East, Ugaritic · Cuneiform Texts from Ugarit

Yassib also sits in the palace, and his inward parts instruct him: "Go to your father, Yassib. Go [to] your fa[ther] and speak, repeat to Kir[ta the Noble]: Lis[ten] and incline [(your) ear. For . . . . . . . . . ] . . . . and . . . . . [ ] You have let your hand fall into mischief. You used to judge the cause of the widow, to adjudicate the case of the wretched. Since you have become a brother of the bed of sickness, a companion of the bed of suffering, descend from the kingship—I will be king; in your authority I will sit."—

1350–1185 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in KTU

Psalm 16:7

Hebrew Bible

5 The Lord is the portion of my possession and my cup⁹; you make my future secure. 6 It is as if I have been given fertile fields or received a beautiful tract of land. 7 I will praise the Lord who guides me; yes, during the night my kidneys instruct me¹⁵. 8 I set the Lord before me continually¹⁶; because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

600–201 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Psalms

References

"... This reflects a moment of divine prompting, comparable to Psalm 16:7. Some, like Kutscher, suggest a more mythic reading, taking it as a reference to “his jinn or personal demon,” a supernatural agent of insight or agitation acting within him ..."

John C. L. Gibson, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 2nd ed. (London: T&T Clark International, 2004), 101.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

Psalms150 psalms

Compare KTU 1.16 VI:25 and Psalm 16:7

Summary

Passages

KTU 1.16 VI:25

Psalm 16:7

References

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