Psalms 16:2

Thou hast said. — The text of this passage is exceedingly corrupt. This appears (1) from the actual existence of various readings, (2) by the variations in the ancient versions, both from the Hebrew and each other. It will be best to take Psalms 16:2 together first. The consensus of the ancient versions in favour of the first person, “I said,” instead of “thou hast said” (the italicised words O my soul, are a mere gloss from the Chaldee), gives for Psalms 16:2 the plain and intelligible rendering

I said to Jehovah, Thou art my Lord,
I have no good besides thee.

Psalms 16:3 also requires emendation, being quite unintelligible as it stands. The simplest device is to omit the conjunction and recognise one of those changes of person so agreeable to Hebrew, when the verse will run —

“And of the saints who are in the earth,
They are the excellent in whom is all my delight.”

The Authorised Version, in inserting “extendeth,” introduces the fine thought that

“Merit lives from man to man.
And not from man, O God, to Thee;”

but it could not have been the thought of the original, since “my good,” as Psalms 16:5 show, equals “happiness,” not “conduct.”