Limitless Word
You will show me the path of life. In your presence is fullness of joy. In your right hand there are pleasures forever more.
Psalms 16:11 · World English Bible
Parallel translations
  • KJV Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
  • BSB You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand.
  • NKJV You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
  • NASB You will make known to me the way of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.
  • NLT You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.

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

God reveals the path of life, and his presence holds fullness of joy and eternal pleasures. It matters because lasting joy is found only in God's presence forever.

Overview

The psalm climaxes with the assurance that God shows the path of life, and that in his presence is full joy and everlasting pleasures at his right hand. This points beyond earthly life to eternal fellowship with God. Fulfilled in the risen Christ who entered the Father's presence, it promises the same resurrection joy to all who are his.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 26

  • Acts 2:28You made known to me the ways of life. You will make me full of gladness with your presence.’
  • Jude 1:24Now to him who is able to keep them from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory in great joy,
  • Ps 36:7–8How precious is your loving kindness, God! The children of men take refuge under the shadow of your wings.
  • Rev 7:15–17Therefore they are before the throne of God, they serve him day and night in his temple. He who sits on the throne will spread his tabernacle over them.
  • Eph 3:19and to know Christ’s love which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
  • Ps 21:4–6He asked life of you, you gave it to him, even length of days forever and ever.
  • Prov 4:18But the path of the righteous is like the dawning light, that shines more and more until the perfect day.
  • Ps 17:15As for me, I shall see your face in righteousness. I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with seeing your form.
  • Matt 7:14How narrow is the gate, and restricted is the way that leads to life! Few are those who find it.
  • Matt 5:8Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
  • 2 Cor 4:17For our light affliction, which is for the moment, works for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory;
  • Rev 22:5There will be no night, and they need no lamp light; for the Lord God will illuminate them. They will reign forever and ever.
  • Isa 2:3Many peoples shall go and say, “Come, let’s go up to the mountain of Yahweh, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths.” For out of Zion the law shall go out, and Yahweh’s word from Jerusalem.
  • 1 Pet 3:22who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, angels and authorities and powers being made subject to him.
  • Prov 12:28In the way of righteousness is life; in its path there is no death.
  • Rom 8:11But if the Spirit of him who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised up Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
  • 1 Cor 13:12For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, even as I was also fully known.
  • Ps 139:24See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.
  • 1 Jn 3:2Beloved, now we are children of God, and it is not yet revealed what we will be. But we know that, when he is revealed, we will be like him; for we will see him just as he is.
  • Matt 25:33He will set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
  • Mark 16:19So then the Lord, after he had spoken to them, was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.
  • Matt 25:46These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
  • Prov 2:19None who go to her return again, neither do they attain to the paths of life:
  • 1 Pet 1:21who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead, and gave him glory; so that your faith and hope might be in God.
  • Acts 7:56and said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”
  • Prov 5:6She gives no thought to the way of life. Her ways are crooked, and she doesn’t know it.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (6)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Psalms videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Psalms 16:11YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on PsalmsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

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 16:11 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.