Psalms 16:9

"Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth:

My flesh also shall dwell in safety.

For thou wilt not leave my soul to Sheol;

Neither wilt thou suffer thy holy one to see corruption.

Thou wilt show me the path of life:

In thy presence is fulness of joy;

In thy right hand are pleasures forever more."

"Neither wilt thou suffer thy holy one to see corruption." What a pity it is that some scholars see nothing here except the written notion of David the king that, "Maybe God will let him live to a good old age,"[12] or "Probably the poet is thinking merely of a long life, the reward of the pious."[13] All such interpretations are founded upon the proposition that David is God's Holy One, as stated here; but David could never have spoken of himself in such language. David was a murderer, an adulterer, and despite many good qualities could never in a million years have been entitled to such a designation as "God's Holy One." No one except the Messiah appears in this line.

The margin of most versions gives an alternate reading in this verse as "holy ones" instead of "Thy Holy One," but the very best authorities have retained the singular, leaving the passage applicable to the Messiah only.

Barnes pointed out that "Holy One" is a title applied especially to Christ in " Mark 1:24; Luke 4:34; Acts 3:14, etc."[14] He also added that:

"As this passage is expressly applied to Jesus Christ in Acts 2:27, there can be no doubt that it was intended by the Holy Spirit to designate him here."[15]

"The full value of this passage as both Paul and Peter insisted (Acts 2:29ff and 13:34-37), indicate that this language is too strong even for David's hope of his own resurrection. "Only He whom God raised up saw no corruption."[16]

With reference to the device of accepting the alternative reading of "thy holy ones," instead of Thy Holy One, which is always the last resort of interpreters who would actually do anything to get rid of the obvious prophecy of the Christ, is effectively forbidden by the fact that:

"The great majority of ancient manuscripts, and all the ancient versions, including even the Hebrew manuscripts, have the expression in the SINGULAR, not in the plural."[17]

David would have had to be a conceited fool indeed to have referred to himself as "The Holy One of God." We simply cannot believe that he did so in this passage.

Peter effectively pointed out in the very first sermon of the Gospel Age that David's body saw corruption, adding that the tomb was still in Jerusalem. Here are his words:

"For David saith concerning him (Christ), I beheld the Lord always before my face; For he is on my right hand that I should not be moved; Therefore was my heart glad, and my tongue rejoiced; Moreover my flesh also shall dwell in hope: Because thou wilt not leave my soul unto Hades, Neither wilt thou give Thy Holy One to see corruption. Thou madest known unto me the ways of life; Thou shalt make me full of gladness with thy countenance" (Acts 2:25-28).

"The apostle Paul likewise commented upon this passage thus:

"David saith: Thou wilt not give thy Holy One to see corruption; for David, after he had in his own generation served the counsel of God, fell asleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption: but he whom God raised up saw no corruption" (Acts 13:35-37).

We shall refrain from commenting upon the attitude of certain alleged scholars who have dared to suppose that they have any better conception of what this passage means than do the inspired writers of the New Testament. There cannot possibly be any value in setting aside the judgment of men like Peter and Paul in favor of some speculative guess by a recent graduate of some university.

Another device which we simply cannot accept is that of supposing that David was here speaking of himself; but that, much later, the apostles discovered a deeper meaning in the words, applying them to Jesus Christ. No. As the words stand in the Bible, they refer to Jesus Christ the Messiah and to no one else. To us the admission that, "It is only in the resurrection of Jesus Christ that the hope of God's people is centered,"[18] while true enough as an independent assertion, does not touch the meaning of this passage anywhere.

"Thou wilt show me the path of life." "Raised from the dead, he shall die no more; death can have no further dominion over him."[19] Jamieson was undoubtedly correct in ascribing this eleventh verse to the existence of the Messiah after his resurrection.

"In thy presence is fulness of joy." This indicates that the Holy One raised up from the grave would find fulness of joy in the "presence" of God, and it is therefore a prophecy of the Ascension. Nowhere except in heaven could the presence of God be enjoyed continually by any one.

"In thy right hand." This is additional proof that the Ascension to God's Right Hand is the prophetic import of this passage. Hebrews 1:3 reveals that Christ, "Sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on High." Also, "We have such a High Priest, who sat down on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens" (Hebrews 8:1).

"There are pleasures forever more." The eternal nature of Christ's reign is indicated here. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the same, "Yesterday, to-day, yea and forever." He is with his Church "always," even unto the end of the world. Amen! (Matthew 28:18-20).

This magnificent prophecy of the Christ is more complex than a mere prophecy of his resurrection. It also includes prophecies (1) of his absolute righteousness (Psalms 16:2); (2) that his portion would not be that of a land holder, but that God would be his portion (Psalms 16:5); (3) that he would speak the words of Jehovah (Psalms 16:7); (4) that his body would not suffer corruption (Psalms 16:10); (5) that he would be raised from the dead (Psalms 16:11); (6) that he would be in the presence of God in heaven (Psalms 16:11), that he would ascend to God; and (7) that he would sit forever at God's right hand (Psalms 16:11).