Psalm 16 (15):10Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

"‘For Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell.’ Is the discussion centered on God? Can it be said that God remains in hell? Did hell have the power to confine God? Could decay pose a threat to the Author of life? Have you not heard Paul proclaim that it was impossible for decay to claim life? The term 'life' here refers to the body. If the body signifies life, was life then held captive by death? ‘Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell.’ Just as the fall affected all of humanity, so too does redemption: fallen humanity is entirely and fully restored. Reflecting on the apostle's declaration, ‘I do not do what I will, but what I hate, that I do’ (Rom. 7:15); and considering the way James foreshadows Christ; at the outset of the discourse, directed against those who delight in SPURIA theatrical displays."

The Jewish people do not believe that the Messiah they await can experience death. They contend that the Christ anticipated in the Law and the Prophets is not our Messiah but rather someone of their own conception, whom they envision as untouched by human suffering. In an astonishing display of pride and ignorance, they maintain that the passages we have referenced (Psalms 3:6, Psalms 40:9) do not refer to death and resurrection, but rather to sleep and awakening.

You will not abandon my soul. He, who embodies life and bestows it, is described as being resurrected by the Father.

Demonstrating that the physical forms of others experience decay upon death serves to affirm that He, of whom it is declared: You shall not let Your Holy One see corruption, is free from the degradation of mortality. This establishes that He transcends the nobility of human existence and is more appropriately contrasted with the Divine rather than with humanity.

There is no need for extensive elaboration on this topic, as the blessed Peter, who was granted insight from the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, has already provided an interpretation of these words. While addressing the Jewish people and bearing witness, he proclaimed, "Brethren, I must speak with boldness to you concerning the patriarch David, because he died and was buried, and his tomb is with us even to this day. He was a prophet, and he knew that God had sworn an oath to him that He would raise up Christ from the fruit of his loins according to the flesh, foreseeing the proclamation of His resurrection, that His soul would not remain in Hades, nor would His flesh experience decay" (Acts 2:29-31).

The term "perishability" encompasses two interpretations. Firstly, it refers to the suffering that humanity endures, including hunger, thirst, exhaustion, crucifixion, death, or the separation of the soul from the body, among other states. In this sense, we describe the Lord's body as corruptible, because He willingly embraced all of these afflictions. Conversely, corruption can also denote the complete disintegration of the body into its elemental components, often described as decay. The Lord's body did not experience this decay; as noted by the prophet David: “Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thy Holy One to see corruption” (Ps. 15:10).

I will not abandon my spirit to the grave. This statement emphasizes the basis for our confidence. You, He asserts, will not forsake my soul to the grave, where the spirits of the departed reside; for the grave is the realm beneath the earth designated for the souls of the deceased. Therefore, one might question the empty claims of Apollinarius, who asserted that Christ assumed our flesh without our human spirit and without intellect. What folly he displays! Here, let your esteemed attention fall upon the decay. This is spoken concerning the body of the Lord.

Let us turn our attention to the fifteenth Psalm, which clearly states: “I will not leave my soul in hell, neither will I allow Your Holy One to see corruption.” It is important to note that He did not declare, "I will not allow Your Holy One to see decay" (Psalm 16:10); if that were the case, He would never have experienced death. Instead, He affirms, "I will not see decay, nor will I remain under the dominion of death. You have shown me the path of life" (Psalm 16:11). This clearly illustrates the concept of life after death. Now, let us consider the twenty-ninth Psalm: "I will extol You, O Lord, for You have lifted me up and have not let my foes rejoice over me" (Psalm 29:2). What is the significance of this?

Concerning the Resurrection of Christ, the Apostle Peter references Psalm 15, stating, 'For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; thou wilt not let thy reverend (and thou wilt not let thy saint) see corruption' (Acts 2:27).

Christ is risen, and all that is good and righteous and true before and after the morning of the Resurrection rises with Him.

He further develops the aforementioned doctrine, stating that nothing detracts from the completeness of his joy; he is protected from destruction and thus scorns death. It is important to recognize that David expresses this not in plea for deliverance from a specific known disaster (as he does in Psalm 48, where he states, God will deliver my soul out of the hand of hell, Psalm 48:16, among similar passages), but rather in acceptance of the steadfast hope of everlasting salvation. Although God rescues His faithful from danger, their earthly existence does not extend beyond death. Therefore, David articulates this understanding, signaling that through his faith and trust, he rises above the typical fate of humanity, while still acknowledging he shares in that fate.

Christ our Savior rose on the third day, free from corruption, and the tomb was proven to be empty; death was conquered, and hell was vanquished by the might of His divine nature. Consequently, He liberated Adam and many others, causing hell to be forsaken, and Christ, God, was born of water and the Spirit.