Psalm 116:4 kjv
Then called I upon the name of the LORD; O LORD, I beseech thee, deliver my soul.
Psalm 116:4 nkjv
Then I called upon the name of the LORD: "O LORD, I implore You, deliver my soul!"
Psalm 116:4 niv
Then I called on the name of the LORD: "LORD, save me!"
Psalm 116:4 esv
Then I called on the name of the LORD: "O LORD, I pray, deliver my soul!"
Psalm 116:4 nlt
Then I called on the name of the LORD:
"Please, LORD, save me!"
Psalm 116 4 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 4:26 | Then men began to call upon the name of the LORD. | First recorded invoking God's Name |
| Gen 12:8 | ...he built an altar to the LORD and called upon the name of the LORD. | Abram's act of worship and reliance |
| 1 Kgs 18:24 | ...call upon the name of your god, and I will call upon the name of the LORD... | Contrast: Idols vs. True God's power |
| Psa 18:6 | In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I cried for help... | Similar plea in affliction |
| Psa 34:6 | This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. | God hears and delivers the distressed |
| Psa 50:15 | Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me. | God's invitation and promise to answer |
| Psa 68:20 | Our God is a God of salvation, and to GOD, the Lord, belong deliverances from death. | God as the source of salvation from death |
| Psa 91:15 | When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble... | God's presence and rescue in distress |
| Psa 145:18 | The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. | God's nearness to sincere callers |
| Pro 18:10 | The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and are safe. | Safety and refuge in God's Name |
| Isa 45:21-22 | ...a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides me. 'Turn to me and be saved...' | God alone is the only Savior |
| Jer 33:3 | Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things... | God's promise to respond to calling |
| Lam 3:55-58 | I called on your name, O LORD, from the depths of the pit...You came near when I called... | Jeremiah's lament and God's rescue |
| Jonah 2:2 | I called out to the LORD, out of my affliction, and he answered me... | Jonah's prayer from extreme distress |
| Joel 2:32 | And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. | Prophecy of salvation through invoking God |
| Acts 2:21 | And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. | Peter applies Joel's prophecy to Christ |
| Acts 4:12 | And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven...by which we must be saved. | Salvation uniquely found in Christ's Name |
| Rom 10:9-10 | ...confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart...for with the mouth one confesses... | Confession of Lordship leads to salvation |
| Rom 10:13 | For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." | Direct call on Lord for salvation (Paul) |
| 1 Cor 1:2 | ...to those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ... | Identifying believers as those who call on Christ |
| Phil 2:9-11 | God has highly exalted him...so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow... | Power and authority in the name of Jesus |
| Psa 6:4 | Turn, O LORD, deliver my life; save me for the sake of your steadfast love. | Direct plea for life preservation |
Psalm 116 verses
Psalm 116 4 Meaning
Psalm 116:4 portrays the psalmist's desperate yet direct response to an imminent threat of death: an urgent, personal prayer to the Lord. It signifies a profound act of faith and dependence, where the psalmist, engulfed by distress, turned exclusively to God, invoking His covenant character and power for life-saving deliverance. The verse encapsulates the heart of biblical prayer in crisis – a cry for help to the one true source of salvation.
Psalm 116 4 Context
Psalm 116 is a deeply personal and fervent psalm of thanksgiving. It follows the structure of a lament that culminates in praise for divine deliverance. The verses immediately preceding Psalm 116:4 (verses 3) describe the psalmist's dire situation: "The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of destruction assailed me; the cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me." Faced with overwhelming physical danger that felt like an embrace by death itself, verse 4 reveals the psalmist's pivotal and immediate response: turning to the only one capable of offering salvation. This prayer of desperation sets the stage for the rest of the psalm, which recounts God's merciful listening and powerful rescue, followed by the psalmist's commitment to living a life of gratitude and devotion in God's presence. In ancient Israelite culture, invoking the 'name' of God was a profound act, recognizing His character, covenant relationship, and power, contrasting with the impotence of pagan deities.
Psalm 116 4 Word analysis
- Then: This temporal conjunction signals an immediate and crucial action following a period of extreme distress. It highlights the decisive moment when the psalmist turned to divine intervention.
- I called upon: The Hebrew word is qara (קרא). This term is much stronger than a casual utterance. It implies a fervent cry, an earnest supplication, an invocation, or a desperate plea for help. It emphasizes urgency, vocalization, and complete dependence on the recipient of the call. It is a fundamental act of worship and seeking God.
- the name of the Lord: The phrase uses shem Adonai (שם יהוה). In Hebrew thought, "the name" (shem) is not just a label, but represents the full character, reputation, authority, and essence of a person. To call upon "the name of the Lord" (YHWH, the covenant name of God) is to invoke God's revealed being, His inherent power, and His faithful nature, acknowledging Him as the unique, living God of the covenant, unlike any other.
- O Lord: A direct, intimate, and emphatic address. This repetition of the divine title ("Lord," Adonai or implied YHWH) reinforces the personal and urgent nature of the plea, showing a relationship of trust and a direct appeal to the One with ultimate authority.
- save: The Hebrew verb is yasha (ישע). This word means to deliver, to rescue, to bring salvation, or to provide help and preservation. It encompasses deliverance from physical peril, oppression, and ultimately, spiritual salvation. The concept of salvation is inherent in this root, forming the basis for names like Joshua and Jesus (Yeshua).
- my life!: The Hebrew word is napshiy (נפשי), literally "my soul" or "my being." Nephesh refers to the whole person, their very existence, vitality, or life-breath. In this context, it emphasizes that the psalmist's physical existence and well-being were in imminent danger, and the plea was for the preservation of his entire self from destruction.
- "Then I called upon the name of the Lord": This phrase marks the moment of spiritual pivot and active engagement with God in crisis. It conveys a deliberate, faith-filled action of resorting solely to God, recognizing His ultimate authority and availability. It highlights the conscious choice to trust in God's specific character, as revealed in His Name, as the means of deliverance.
- "'O Lord, save my life!'": This succinct yet powerful petition is a direct, urgent cry from the depths of peril. It demonstrates total dependence, clearly articulating the critical need (life in danger) and the specific requested action (salvation), addressing God personally as the sole and omnipotent rescuer.
Psalm 116 4 Bonus section
The immediacy suggested by "Then I called" highlights that this was the psalmist's go-to, automatic response to the threat of death, reflecting a life already characterized by faith. This verse, though expressing personal deliverance from death, resonates strongly with the ultimate deliverance from sin and spiritual death found in calling on the name of Jesus Christ in the New Testament. The desperate need for "my life" (nephesh) to be saved signifies a holistic plea for the entire person—body, soul, and spirit—to be preserved from ruin. It speaks to a deep, experiential understanding of God as Yasha, the God who truly saves and rescues from all forms of destruction.
Psalm 116 4 Commentary
Psalm 116:4 stands as a quintessential declaration of reliance on God amidst profound crisis. It captures a moment of intense fear where the natural response of faith is to immediately and directly invoke the all-sufficient name of the Lord. The act of "calling upon the name of the Lord" is not a passive utterance, but an active, desperate, and personal supplication to God as the sole provider of deliverance. This single, fervent prayer for "my life" reveals the psalmist's understanding that God, as the covenant Lord, possessed the unique power and character to rescue from even the grasp of death. It models for believers the essential response to overwhelming adversity: bypassing all other recourse and casting one's total self onto the revealed character and saving power of the Almighty God. It serves as a timeless reminder that when life hangs in the balance, prayer to God is not merely a last resort but the first and only true source of hope and salvation.
- Example for Practical Usage: When overwhelmed by anxiety about a health diagnosis, instead of spiraling into despair, cry out: "O Lord, save my life! I call on Your name!"
- Example for Practical Usage: Facing unexpected financial ruin, directly ask: "Lord, deliver my soul from this hardship; You are my hope."
- Example for Practical Usage: Feeling spiritually trapped by sin, appeal directly: "O Lord, save my soul from this bondage, by Your grace."