Psalm 16:3
New International Version
I say of the holy people who are in the land, “They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.”

New Living Translation
The godly people in the land are my true heroes! I take pleasure in them!

English Standard Version
As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.

Berean Standard Bible
As for the saints in the land, they are the excellence in whom all my delight resides.

King James Bible
But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight.

New King James Version
As for the saints who are on the earth, “They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.”

New American Standard Bible
As for the saints who are on the earth, They are the majestic ones; all my delight is in them.

NASB 1995
As for the saints who are in the earth, They are the majestic ones in whom is all my delight.

NASB 1977
As for the saints who are in the earth, They are the majestic ones in whom is all my delight.

Legacy Standard Bible
As for the saints who are in the earth, They are the majestic ones in whom is all my delight.

Amplified Bible
As for the saints (godly people) who are in the land, They are the majestic and the noble and the excellent ones in whom is all my delight.

Christian Standard Bible
As for the holy people who are in the land, they are the noble ones. All my delight is in them.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
As for the holy people who are in the land, they are the noble ones. All my delight is in them.

American Standard Version
As for the saints that are in the earth, They are the excellent in whom is all my delight.

Contemporary English Version
Your people are wonderful, and they make me happy,

English Revised Version
As for the saints that are in the earth, they are the excellent in whom is all my delight.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Those who lead holy lives on earth are the noble ones who fill me with joy.

Good News Translation
How excellent are the LORD's faithful people! My greatest pleasure is to be with them.

International Standard Version
As for the saints that are in the land, they are noble, and all my delight is in them.

Majority Standard Bible
As for the saints in the land, they are the excellence in whom all my delight resides.

NET Bible
As for God's chosen people who are in the land, and the leading officials I admired so much--

New Heart English Bible
As for the holy ones who are in the land, they are the excellent ones in whom is all my delight.

Webster's Bible Translation
But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight.

World English Bible
As for the saints who are in the earth, they are the excellent ones in whom is all my delight.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
For the holy ones who [are] in the land, "" And the honorable, all my delight [is] in them.

Young's Literal Translation
For the holy ones who are in the land, And the honourable, all my delight is in them.

Smith's Literal Translation
To the holy ones that are upon the earth, they and the mighty ones, all my delight is in them.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
To the saints, who are in his land, he hath made wonderful all my desires in them.

Catholic Public Domain Version
As for the saints, who are in his land: he has made all my desires wonderful in them.

New American Bible
As for the holy ones who are in the land, they are noble, in whom is all my delight.

New Revised Standard Version
As for the holy ones in the land, they are the noble, in whom is all my delight.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
I said it also to the saints that are on the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Also for The Holy Ones who are in the Earth, and the glorious in whom is all my pleasure.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
As for the holy that are in the earth, They are the excellent in whom is all my delight.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
On behalf of the saints that are in his land, he has magnified all his pleasure in them.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Presence of God
2I said to the LORD, “You are my Lord; apart from You I have no good thing.” 3As for the saints in the land, they are the excellence in whom all my delight resides. 4Sorrows will multiply to those who chase other gods. I will not pour out their libations of blood, or speak their names with my lips.…

Cross References
Hebrews 12:22-24
Instead, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to myriads of angels / in joyful assembly, to the congregation of the firstborn, enrolled in heaven. You have come to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, / to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

1 Peter 2:9-10
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. / Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Philippians 3:20-21
But our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, / who, by the power that enables Him to subject all things to Himself, will transform our lowly bodies to be like His glorious body.

Ephesians 2:19-22
Therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household, / built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone. / In Him the whole building is fitted together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord. ...

1 John 3:1-3
Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him. / Beloved, we are now children of God, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when Christ appears, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is. / And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as Christ is pure.

Romans 8:27-30
And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. / And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose. / For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers. ...

1 Corinthians 1:2
To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours:

Colossians 1:12-14
giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. / He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of His beloved Son, / in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Revelation 5:9-10
And they sang a new song: “Worthy are You to take the scroll and open its seals, because You were slain, and by Your blood You purchased for God those from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. / You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign upon the earth.”

Matthew 5:14-16
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. / Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they set it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. / In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Acts 20:32
And now I commit you to God and to the word of His grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all who are sanctified.

2 Corinthians 6:16-18
What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.” / “Therefore come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” / And: “I will be a Father to you, and you will be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”

Isaiah 62:12
And they will be called the Holy People, the Redeemed of The LORD; and you will be called Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken.

Deuteronomy 7:6
For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His prized possession out of all peoples on the face of the earth.

Exodus 19:5-6
Now if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you will be My treasured possession out of all the nations—for the whole earth is Mine. / And unto Me you shall be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you are to speak to the Israelites.”


Treasury of Scripture

But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight.

But

Galatians 6:10
As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

Titus 3:8
This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.

Hebrews 6:10
For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

the saints

Isaiah 30:4
For his princes were at Zoan, and his ambassadors came to Hanes.

Psalm 116:15
Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.

2 Chronicles 6:41
Now therefore arise, O LORD God, into thy resting place, thou, and the ark of thy strength: let thy priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation, and let thy saints rejoice in goodness.

the excellent

Proverbs 12:26
The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour: but the way of the wicked seduceth them.

Song of Solomon 4:1
Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves' eyes within thy locks: thy hair is as a flock of goats, that appear from mount Gilead.

Song of Solomon 6:1
Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women? whither is thy beloved turned aside? that we may seek him with thee.

in whom

Psalm 119:63
I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts.

Proverbs 8:21
That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures.

Proverbs 13:20
He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.

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Psalm 16
1. David, in distrust of merits, and hatred of idolatry
5. He shows the hope of his calling, of the resurrection, and life everlasting














As for the saints
The term "saints" in Hebrew is "קְדוֹשִׁים" (qedoshim), which refers to those who are set apart, consecrated, or holy. In the Old Testament context, this often referred to the people of Israel, who were chosen by God to be His holy nation. From a conservative Christian perspective, this can also be seen as a foreshadowing of the New Testament believers, who are sanctified through faith in Christ. The saints are those who live in covenant relationship with God, striving to reflect His holiness in their lives.

in the land
The phrase "in the land" refers to the physical territory of Israel, the Promised Land given to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This land was not just a geographical location but a place of divine promise and blessing. It symbolizes the spiritual inheritance of God's people, a place where they can live out their calling as a holy nation. For Christians, this can also be seen as a metaphor for the Kingdom of God, where believers live under God's rule and experience His blessings.

they are the excellence
The word "excellence" in Hebrew is "אַדִּיר" (addir), which conveys the idea of nobility, majesty, or glory. The saints are described as the excellence because they reflect the character and glory of God. Their lives are marked by righteousness, integrity, and a commitment to God's ways. This excellence is not of their own making but is a result of God's work in their lives, transforming them into His image.

in whom all my delight resides
The psalmist expresses a deep affection and joy in the company of the saints. The word "delight" in Hebrew is "חֵפֶץ" (chephets), which denotes pleasure, desire, or satisfaction. This reflects God's own delight in His people, as seen throughout Scripture. God takes pleasure in those who seek Him and live according to His will. For believers, this is an encouragement to find joy and fulfillment in fellowship with other believers, as they share in the common pursuit of holiness and godliness.

Verse 3. - But to the saints that are in the earth; rather, it is for the saints. It (i.e. my prosperity) is granted me for the advantage of the saints that are in the land; i.e. of all the true Israelites. "I hold it in trust for them" (Kay). And to (rather, for) the excellent, in whom is all my delight. And, especially, I hold it in trust for "the inner circle of the excellent ones," in whom God takes pleasure (Psalm 147:11), and in whom therefore I also "delight."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
As for the saints
לִ֭קְדוֹשִׁים (liq·ḏō·wō·šîm)
Preposition-l | Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 6918: Sacred, God, an angel, a saint, a sanctuary

in the land,
בָּאָ֣רֶץ (bā·’ā·reṣ)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land

they
הֵ֑מָּה (hêm·māh)
Pronoun - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1992: They

are the excellence
וְ֝אַדִּירֵ֗י (wə·’ad·dî·rê)
Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine plural construct
Strong's 117: Wide, large, powerful

in whom all
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

my delight
חֶפְצִי־ (ḥep̄·ṣî-)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 2656: Pleasure, desire, a valuable thing, a matter

resides.
בָֽם׃ (ḇām)
Preposition | third person masculine plural
Strong's Hebrew


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OT Poetry: Psalm 16:3 As for the saints who are in (Psalm Ps Psa.)
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