Psalm 116:16
New International Version
Truly I am your servant, LORD; I serve you just as my mother did; you have freed me from my chains.

New Living Translation
O LORD, I am your servant; yes, I am your servant, born into your household; you have freed me from my chains.

English Standard Version
O LORD, I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your maidservant. You have loosed my bonds.

Berean Standard Bible
Truly, O LORD, I am Your servant; I am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant; You have broken my bonds.

King James Bible
O LORD, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds.

New King James Version
O LORD, truly I am Your servant; I am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant; You have loosed my bonds.

New American Standard Bible
O LORD, I surely am Your slave, I am Your slave, the son of Your female slave, You have unfastened my restraints.

NASB 1995
O LORD, surely I am Your servant, I am Your servant, the son of Your handmaid, You have loosed my bonds.

NASB 1977
O LORD, surely I am Thy servant, I am Thy servant, the son of Thy handmaid, Thou hast loosed my bonds.

Legacy Standard Bible
O Yahweh, surely I am Your slave, I am Your slave, the son of Your maidservant, You have loosed my bonds.

Amplified Bible
O LORD, truly I am Your servant; I am Your servant, the son of Your handmaid; You have unfastened my chains.

Christian Standard Bible
LORD, I am indeed your servant; I am your servant, the son of your female servant. You have loosened my bonds.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
LORD, I am indeed Your servant; I am Your servant, the son of Your female servant. You have loosened my bonds.

American Standard Version
O Jehovah, truly I am thy servant: I am thy servant, the son of thy handmaid; Thou hast loosed my bonds.

Contemporary English Version
I worship you, LORD, just as my mother did, and you have rescued me from the chains of death.

English Revised Version
O LORD, truly I am thy servant: I am thy servant, the son of thine handmaid; thou hast loosed my bonds.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
O LORD, I am indeed your servant. I am your servant, the son of your female servant. You have freed me from my chains.

Good News Translation
I am your servant, LORD; I serve you just as my mother did. You have saved me from death.

International Standard Version
LORD, I am indeed your servant. I am your servant. I am the son of your handmaid. You have released my bonds.

Majority Standard Bible
Truly, O LORD, I am Your servant; I am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant; You have broken my bonds.

NET Bible
Yes, LORD! I am indeed your servant; I am your lowest slave. You saved me from death.

New Heart English Bible
LORD, truly I am your servant. I am your servant, the son of your handmaid. You have freed me from my chains.

Webster's Bible Translation
O LORD, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, the son of thy handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds.

World English Bible
Yahweh, truly I am your servant. I am your servant, the son of your servant girl. You have freed me from my chains.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Ah, now, O YHWH, for I [am] Your servant; I [am] Your servant, son of Your handmaid; You have opened my bonds.

Young's Literal Translation
Cause it to come, O Jehovah, for I am Thy servant. I am Thy servant, son of Thy handmaid, Thou hast opened my bonds.

Smith's Literal Translation
Now, O Jehovah, for I am thy servant; I thy servant, the son of thy maid-servant: thou didst loose to my bonds.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
O Lord, for I am thy servant: I am thy servant, and the son of thy handmaid. Thou hast broken my bonds:

Catholic Public Domain Version
O Lord, because I am your servant, your servant and the son of your handmaid, you have broken my bonds.

New American Bible
LORD, I am your servant, your servant, the child of your maidservant; you have loosed my bonds.

New Revised Standard Version
O LORD, I am your servant; I am your servant, the child of your serving girl. You have loosed my bonds.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
O LORD, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thy handmaid; thou hast loosed my bonds.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Oh, LORD JEHOVAH, I am your Servant; I am your Servant, the son of your Maid Servant! You have taken off my shackles from me!
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
I beseech Thee, O LORD, for I am Thy servant; I am Thy servant, the son of Thy handmaid; Thou hast loosed my bands.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
O Lord, I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid: thou hast burst by bonds asunder.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The LORD Has Heard My Voice
15Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints. 16Truly, O LORD, I am Your servant; I am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant; You have broken my bonds. 17I will offer to You a sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the LORD.…

Cross References
Exodus 21:5-6
But if the servant declares, ‘I love my master and my wife and children; I do not want to go free,’ / then his master is to bring him before the judges. And he shall take him to the door or doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he shall serve his master for life.

Deuteronomy 15:16-17
But if your servant says to you, ‘I do not want to leave you,’ because he loves you and your household and is well off with you, / then take an awl and pierce it through his ear into the door, and he will become your servant for life. And treat your maidservant the same way.

1 Samuel 1:11
And she made a vow, saying, “O LORD of Hosts, if only You will look upon the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, not forgetting Your maidservant but giving her a son, then I will dedicate him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall ever touch his head.”

Isaiah 44:21-22
Remember these things, O Jacob, for you are My servant, O Israel. I have made you, and you are My servant; O Israel, I will never forget you. / I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud, and your sins like a mist. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.

Isaiah 49:15-16
“Can a woman forget her nursing child, or lack compassion for the son of her womb? Even if she could forget, I will not forget you! / Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; your walls are ever before Me.

Isaiah 63:16
Yet You are our Father, though Abraham does not know us and Israel does not acknowledge us. You, O LORD, are our Father; our Redeemer from Everlasting is Your name.

Jeremiah 30:10
As for you, O Jacob My servant, do not be afraid, declares the LORD, and do not be dismayed, O Israel. For I will surely save you out of a distant place, your descendants from the land of their captivity! Jacob will return to quiet and ease, with no one to make him afraid.

Jeremiah 31:33
“But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD. I will put My law in their minds and inscribe it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be My people.

Ezekiel 34:30-31
Then they will know that I, the LORD their God, am with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are My people,’ declares the Lord GOD. / ‘You are My flock, the sheep of My pasture, My people, and I am your God,’ declares the Lord GOD.”

Zechariah 13:9
This third I will bring through the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are My people,’ and they will say, ‘The LORD is our God.’”

Romans 6:18
You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

Romans 6:22
But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the fruit you reap leads to holiness, and the outcome is eternal life.

Romans 8:15
For you did not receive a spirit of slavery that returns you to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption to sonship, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”

1 Corinthians 7:22
For he who was a slave when he was called by the Lord is the Lord’s freedman. Conversely, he who was a free man when he was called is Christ’s slave.

Galatians 4:7
So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, you are also an heir through God.


Treasury of Scripture

O LORD, truly I am your servant; I am your servant, and the son of your handmaid: you have loosed my bonds.

truly

Psalm 86:16
O turn unto me, and have mercy upon me; give thy strength unto thy servant, and save the son of thine handmaid.

Psalm 119:125
I am thy servant; give me understanding, that I may know thy testimonies.

Psalm 143:12
And of thy mercy cut off mine enemies, and destroy all them that afflict my soul: for I am thy servant.

the son

Psalm 86:16
O turn unto me, and have mercy upon me; give thy strength unto thy servant, and save the son of thine handmaid.

thou hast

Psalm 107:14-16
He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder…

2 Chronicles 33:11-13
Wherefore 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…

Isaiah 61:1
The 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;

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Psalm 116
1. The psalmist professes his love and duty to God for his deliverance
12. He studies to be thankful














Truly
The word "truly" in this context is a declaration of sincerity and authenticity. It is a heartfelt affirmation of the psalmist's relationship with God. In Hebrew, the word often translated as "truly" can be linked to the concept of faithfulness and reliability. This sets the tone for the verse, emphasizing the psalmist's genuine acknowledgment of God's role in his life. It is a reminder of the importance of sincerity in our own declarations of faith and gratitude.

O LORD
The use of "O LORD" is a direct address to Yahweh, the covenant name of God in the Hebrew Bible. This name signifies God's eternal presence and His unchanging nature. It is a personal and intimate invocation, reflecting the psalmist's close relationship with God. Historically, the use of God's covenant name would remind the Israelites of God's promises and His faithfulness throughout generations. For Christians, it underscores the personal nature of our relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

I am Your servant
The phrase "I am Your servant" denotes a position of humility and dedication. In the Hebrew context, being a servant of the LORD was a position of honor, reflecting a life devoted to God's will and purposes. This servitude is not one of oppression but of willing submission and service to a loving and just Master. It echoes the New Testament call for believers to be servants of Christ, living lives that reflect His love and truth.

I am Your servant
The repetition of "I am Your servant" emphasizes the psalmist's commitment and identity. It is a reaffirmation of his role and purpose in life. This repetition can be seen as a poetic device to stress the importance of servitude to God. It serves as a reminder for believers to continually reaffirm their dedication to God, recognizing that our identity is found in Him.

the son of Your maidservant
This phrase highlights the psalmist's heritage and upbringing in a family devoted to God. The reference to being the "son of Your maidservant" suggests a lineage of faithfulness and service to the LORD. In ancient Israel, family heritage was significant, and being raised in a God-fearing household was a blessing. For Christians, it is a call to honor the spiritual heritage we have received and to pass it on to future generations.

You have freed my bonds
The statement "You have freed my bonds" is a powerful declaration of deliverance and liberation. In the Hebrew context, this could refer to physical, emotional, or spiritual deliverance. It acknowledges God's power to break the chains that bind us, whether they be sin, fear, or oppression. This deliverance is a foretaste of the ultimate freedom found in Christ, who breaks the bonds of sin and death for all who believe. It inspires believers to live in the freedom that God provides, trusting in His power to deliver and restore.

(16) Thy servant, and the son of Thine handmaid.--Comp. Psalm 86:16. Not only himself but his family were in the covenant, and, as very commonly in the East, the mother is selected for mention instead of the father.

Verse 16. - O Lord, truly I am thy servant; rather, even so, O Lord, for I am thy servant. Entitled, therefore, to thy care and consideration. I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid (comp. Psalm 86:16). "Thine handmaid" - the Church; or, if the writer is Hezekiah, "thy handmaid, Abiyah, the daughter of Zechariah," who "had under standing in the vision of God" (2 Chronicles 26:5; 2 Chronicles 29:1). Thou hast loosed my bonds. The "cords of death" (ver. 3) are probably intended.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Truly,
אָֽנָּ֣ה (’ān·nāh)
Interjection
Strong's 577: Ah, now! I (we) beseech you!

O LORD,
יְהוָה֮ (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

I [am]
אֲנִ֪י (’ă·nî)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 589: I

Your servant;
עַ֫בְדֶּ֥ךָ (‘aḇ·de·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 5650: Slave, servant

I
אֲ‍ֽנִי־ (’ănî-)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 589: I

am Your servant,
עַ֭בְדְּךָ (‘aḇ·də·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 5650: Slave, servant

the son
בֶּן־ (ben-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1121: A son

of Your maidservant;
אֲמָתֶ֑ךָ (’ă·mā·ṯe·ḵā)
Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 519: A maidservant, female slave

You have released
פִּ֝תַּ֗חְתָּ (pit·taḥ·tā)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 6605: To open wide, to loosen, begin, plough, carve

my bonds.
לְמוֹסֵרָֽי׃ (lə·mō·w·sê·rāy)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 4147: Chastisement, a halter, restraint


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OT Poetry: Psalm 116:16 Yahweh truly I am your servant (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 116:15
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