The measuring lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; Indeed, my inheritance is beautiful to me.
Parallel translations
- WEB The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places. Yes, I have a good inheritance.
- KJV The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.
- BSB The lines of my boundary have fallen in pleasant places; surely my inheritance is delightful.
- NKJV The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Yes, I have a good inheritance.
- NLT The land you have given me is a pleasant land. What a wonderful inheritance!
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
David rejoices that his boundaries have fallen in pleasant places and that he has a good inheritance. It matters because contentment flows from recognizing God's gracious portion to us.
Overview
Continuing the inheritance metaphor of surveyors' measuring lines, David celebrates the pleasant 'plot' the Lord has given him. His joy rests not in circumstances but in the goodness of what God has apportioned. This contentment in God's provision points to the rich inheritance secured for all who are in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Jer 3:19“But I said, ‘How I desire to put you among the children, and give you a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the armies of the nations!’ and I said, ‘You shall call me “My Father”, and shall not turn away from following me.’
- Ps 21:1–3For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. The king rejoices in your strength, Yahweh! How greatly he rejoices in your salvation!
- Heb 12:2looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
- Eph 1:18having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
- Ps 78:55He also drove out the nations before them, allotted them for an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.
- Rom 8:17and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; if indeed we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified with him.
- 1 Cor 3:21–23Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours,
- Phil 2:9–11Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name;
- Rev 3:21He who overcomes, I will give to him to sit down with me on my throne, as I also overcame, and sat down with my Father on his throne.
- 2 Tim 2:12If we endure, we will also reign with him. If we deny him, he also will deny us.
- John 20:17Jesus said to her, “Don’t hold me, for I haven’t yet ascended to my Father; but go to my brothers, and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
- Amos 7:17Therefore Yahweh says: ‘Your wife shall be a prostitute in the city, and your sons and your daughters shall fall by the sword, and your land shall be divided by line; and you yourself shall die in a land that is unclean, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of his land.’”
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 16:6 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.