John Calvin Commentary Psalms 16:2

"[O my soul], thou hast said unto Jehovah, Thou art my Lord: I have no good beyond thee." — Psalms 16:2 (ASV)

Thou shalt say unto Jehovah. David begins by stating that he can bestow nothing on God, not only because God needs nothing, but also because mortal man cannot merit God's favor by any service he can perform for Him. At the same time, however, he takes courage, and, since God accepts our devotion and the service we offer Him, David declares that he will be one of His servants.

To encourage himself more effectively in this duty, he speaks to his own soul, for the Hebrew word rendered Thou shalt say, is of the feminine gender, which can refer only to the soul. Some may prefer to read the word in the past tense, Thou hast said, which I think is unobjectionable, for the Psalmist is speaking of an affliction that had a continued presence in his soul.

The meaning of his language is: I am, indeed, fully convinced in my heart, and know for certain, that God can derive no profit or advantage from me; but nevertheless, I will join in fellowship with the saints, so that with one accord we may worship Him with the sacrifices of praise.

Two things are distinctly stated in this verse. The first is that God has a right to require of us whatever He pleases, since we are wholly bound to Him as our rightful proprietor and Lord. David, by ascribing to Him the power and the dominion of Lord, declares that both he himself and all he possessed are the property of God.

The other point contained in this verse is the acknowledgment the Psalmist makes of his own indigence: My well-doing extendeth not unto thee. Interpreters expound this last clause in two ways.

As עליך, aleyka, may be translated upon You, some draw this meaning from it: that God is not brought under obligation, or in the least degree indebted to us, by any good deeds we may perform for Him. They understand the term goodness in a passive sense, as if David affirmed that whatever goodness he received from God did not proceed from any obligation he had placed God under, or from any merit he possessed.

But I think the sentence has a more extensive meaning: namely, that however much people may strive to exert themselves for God, they still can bring no advantage to Him. Our goodness does not extend to Him, not only because, having in Himself alone an all-sufficiency, He needs nothing, but also because we are empty and destitute of all good things, and have nothing with which to show ourselves generous towards Him.

From this doctrine, however, the other point which I have previously touched upon follows: namely, that it is impossible for people, by any merits of their own, to bring God under obligation to them, so as to make Him their debtor. The sum of the discourse is that when we come before God, we must lay aside all presumption.

When we imagine that there is any good thing in us, we should not be surprised if He rejects us, as we thereby take away from Him a principal part of the honor that is His due. But, on the contrary, if we acknowledge that all the services we can offer Him are in themselves things of no value, and undeserving of any recompense, this humility is like a perfume of a sweet fragrance, which will procure for them acceptance with God.