O LORD, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds.
Parallel translations
- WEB Yahweh, truly I am your servant. I am your servant, the son of your servant. You have freed me from my chains.
- BSB Truly, O LORD, I am Your servant; I am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant; You have broken my bonds.
- NKJV O Lord, truly I am Your servant; I am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant; You have loosed my bonds.
- NASB O Lord, I surely am Your slave, I am Your slave, the son of Your female slave, You have unfastened my restraints.
- NLT O Lord, I am your servant; yes, I am your servant, born into your household; you have freed me from my chains.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The psalmist gladly confesses he is God's servant, freed from his chains. It matters because deliverance binds us in loving service to our Redeemer.
Overview
Twice calling himself God's servant, born into God's household, he celebrates being loosed from bondage. Freedom from God leads to glad servitude to God. This paradox is fulfilled in the gospel, where Christ frees us from sin's chains to become servants of righteousness (Rom. 6:18).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Ps 86:16O turn unto me, and have mercy upon me; give thy strength unto thy servant, and save the son of thine handmaid.
- Ps 143:12And of thy mercy cut off mine enemies, and destroy all them that afflict my soul: for I am thy servant.
- Ps 119:125I am thy servant; give me understanding, that I may know thy testimonies.
- Jas 1:1James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
- John 12:26If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.
- Acts 27:23For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,
- Ps 107:14–16He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder.
- 2 Chr 33:11–13Wherefore the LORD brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon.
- Rom 6:22But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
- Isa 61:1The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 116:16 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.