The Meaning of Psalms 116:8 Explained

Psalms 116:8

KJV: For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.

YLT: For Thou hast delivered my soul from death, My eyes from tears, my feet from overthrowing.

Darby: For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, my feet from falling.

ASV: For thou hast delivered my soul from death, Mine eyes from tears, And my feet from falling.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For thou hast delivered  my soul  from death,  mine eyes  from tears,  [and] my feet  from falling. 

What does Psalms 116:8 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 116:1-11 - He Delivered My Soul
Throughout this psalm we meet the pronoun in the first person. Only in two verses, Psalms 116:15 and Psalms 116:19, does it not so occur. There is no fear of egotism, however, when the heart of the singer overflows with divine love.
Psalms 116:1-4
The psalmist here compares himself to some wild animal ensnared by the hunter and bound by the sharp cords which make free movement impossible. Bow many of God's saints have felt the deep incision of these cords! It has been with them as with Joseph, when let down into the pit. But there is no pit so deep that a cry from it may not reach the heart of God.
Psalms 116:5-11
When the quiet faith of answered prayer is ours, the fluttering soul seems to settle down to its nest in peace. The feet which were slipping now walk in the paths of life. Notice the prayer of Psalms 116:4 and the reply of Psalms 116:8. God does more than deliver; He wipes the tears from our faces, and holds us as a mother who places her hands under the armpits of her child, teaching it to walk. Paul quotes Psalms 116:10 in 2 Corinthians 4:13. How often must this psalm have been in his thought and on his lips! Do not speak hastily. An eminent religious leader said once, "I shall have good hopes of you, when you can speak and move slowly." [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 116

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

What do the individual words in Psalms 116:8 mean?

For You have delivered my soul from death - My eyes from tears [And] my feet from falling
כִּ֤י חִלַּ֥צְתָּ נַפְשִׁ֗י מִ֫מָּ֥וֶת אֶת־ עֵינִ֥י מִן־ דִּמְעָ֑ה רַגְלִ֥י מִדֶּֽחִי

חִלַּ֥צְתָּ  You  have  delivered 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: חָלַץ 
Sense: to remove, draw out, draw off, take off, withdraw, equip (for war), arm for war, rescue, be rescued.
נַפְשִׁ֗י  my  soul 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
מִ֫מָּ֥וֶת  from  death 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מָוֶת  
Sense: death, dying, Death (personified), realm of the dead.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
עֵינִ֥י  My  eyes 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct, first person common singular
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
דִּמְעָ֑ה  tears 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: דִּמְעָה  
Sense: tears.
רַגְלִ֥י  [And]  my  feet 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: רֶגֶל  
Sense: foot.
מִדֶּֽחִי  from  falling 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular
Root: דְּחִי  
Sense: a stumbling, falling.