Psalms 16:4

My Notes

What Does Psalms 16:4 Mean?

David makes a declaration about the consequences of divided loyalty: "Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god." Those who rush toward false gods will find their pain compounded, not relieved. Then David makes his own commitment: he won't offer their drink offerings of blood, and he won't even take their names into his lips.

The phrase "hasten after another god" (or in the margin, "give gifts to another") describes urgent, rushing devotion — not casual interest but eager pursuit. The word suggests people sprinting toward false worship, and David says their reward will be multiplied sorrow. What they're running toward is running them toward pain.

David's refusal to speak the names of other gods reflects Exodus 23:13: "make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth." He won't even give them the dignity of being named. The refusal is total: no offerings, no rituals, no words. David draws a complete boundary around his worship.

Reflection Questions

• 1.What are you 'hastening after' that might be multiplying your sorrow rather than relieving it?
• 2.What does David's refusal to even name other gods teach about how attention creates allegiance?
• 3.What 'drink offerings of blood' are you making — sacrifices to something that demands more than it gives?
• 4.How do you distinguish between genuine devotion to God and rushing toward substitutes?

Devotional

The people rushing toward other gods think they're running toward relief. David says they're running toward multiplied sorrow. The thing you're chasing because you think it will make the pain stop is actually compounding it.

This is the paradox of false worship: it always promises to solve the problem it's actually creating. The addiction promises peace and creates chaos. The toxic relationship promises love and produces isolation. The career obsession promises identity and hollows it out. You hasten after it — you sprint — and the sorrows multiply.

David's response is radical separation. He won't offer their rituals. He won't even speak their names. This isn't legalism; it's survival. He knows that the gods you name are the gods that get power in your life. What you speak about, you give attention to. What you give attention to, you eventually give allegiance to.

The "drink offerings of blood" phrase suggests rituals that cost something precious — that demand blood. False gods always demand more than they deliver. They promise fulfillment and extract blood. They promise freedom and require sacrifice. The exchange rate is terrible.

What name do you need to stop speaking? What offering do you need to stop making? What are you hastening after that is multiplying your sorrow instead of relieving it?

Commentary

Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.

Cross References

Related passages throughout Scripture