The Meaning of Psalms 16:6 Explained

Psalms 16:6

KJV: The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.

YLT: Lines have fallen to me in pleasant places, Yea, a beauteous inheritance is for me.

Darby: The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.

ASV: The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; Yea, I have a goodly heritage.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The lines  are fallen  unto me in pleasant  [places]; yea, I have a goodly  heritage. 

What does Psalms 16:6 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 16:1-11 - The Citizen Of Zion And His Inheritance
The first of these psalms was probably composed to celebrate the bringing of the Ark to Mount Zion, 1 Samuel 6:20. It describes the character of those who have fellowship with God and dwell in His house all the days of their earthly lot. To the challenge of the soloist, Psalms 15:1, the choir makes response, Psalms 15:2-5, first positively, then negatively. We must act as non-conductors to evil; must mind what company we keep; and must cultivate a spirit of love and self-sacrifice which will never take advantage of others, Psalms 15:5. Here is the secret of permanence and peace.
Michtam means "golden," and may be truly applied to the next psalm, as also to Psalms 56:1-13; Psalms 57:1-11; Psalms 58:1-11; Psalms 59:1-17; Psalms 60:1-12. Others explain the word as a "secret." It is the song of the golden secret. The key is furnished in Acts 2:25. The Apostle Paul expressly emphasizes the divine authorship in Acts 13:35-38. Our Lord may have repeated Psalms 16:8-11 when He was descending the dark valley, and so may we. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 16

1  David, in distrust of merits, and hatred of idolatry
5  He shows the hope of his calling, of the resurrection, and life everlasting

What do the individual words in Psalms 16:6 mean?

The lines have fallen to me in pleasant [places] Yes inheritance a good I have
חֲבָלִ֣ים נָֽפְלוּ־ לִ֭י בַּנְּעִמִ֑ים אַף־ נַ֝חֲלָ֗ת שָֽׁפְרָ֥ה עָלָֽי

חֲבָלִ֣ים  The  lines 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: חֶבֶל 
Sense: a cord, rope, territory, band, company.
נָֽפְלוּ־  have  fallen 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: נָפַל  
Sense: to fall, lie, be cast down, fail.
לִ֭י  to  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
בַּנְּעִמִ֑ים  in  pleasant  [places] 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Adjective, masculine plural
Root: נָעִים 
Sense: pleasant, delightful, sweet, lovely, agreeable.
אַף־  Yes 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: אַף  
Sense: also, yea, though, so much the more adv.
נַ֝חֲלָ֗ת  inheritance 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: נַחֲלָה  
Sense: possession, property, inheritance, heritage.
שָֽׁפְרָ֥ה  a  good 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: שָׁפַר  
Sense: to be pleasing, be beautiful, be fair, be comely, be bright, glisten.
עָלָֽי  I  have 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.