Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.

PSALMS 116:15KJV
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Psalms 116:15 (KJV)

What does Psalms 116:15 mean?

Psalms 116:15 says that the death of those devoted to God is valuable and important in God’s eyes. The verse highlights that God cares deeply about the lives and deaths of His faithful people.

In this psalm, an individual is speaking to God, expressing gratitude for deliverance from trouble and reflecting on God’s faithfulness. The verse shows that even when God’s people die, their lives and deaths are not overlooked or meaningless to Him. It reassures readers that God honors and remembers those who belong to Him.

The Hebrew behind Psalms 116:15

  • "Precious" (יָקָר, yaqar) means something highly valued or costly. The word shows that the death of God’s faithful is not trivial or unnoticed, but something God treasures.
  • "Saints" (חָסִיד, chasid) refers to those who are loyal, devoted, or faithful to God. This word emphasizes that the verse is about people who have a close relationship with God, not just anyone.

Why Psalms 116:15 matters

  • Psalms 116:15 corrects the idea that death is always a defeat or a loss in God’s eyes; instead, it is seen as something significant and honored for God’s faithful.
  • The verse connects to the psalm’s theme of God’s care and deliverance, showing that God’s attention continues even at the moment of death.
  • This verse reassures readers that God is personally involved with the lives of those who trust Him, even to the very end.

Where else these words appear

“saints” Hebrew H2623 · used in 32 verses

  • Deuteronomy 33:8 And of Levi he said, Let thy Thummim and thy Urim be with thy holy one, whom thou didst prove at Massah, and with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah;
  • Psalms 32:6 For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him.
  • Psalms 132:9 Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness; and let thy saints shout for joy.

“Precious” Hebrew H3368 · used in 36 verses

  • 1 Samuel 3:1 And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision.
  • 2 Chronicles 3:6 And he garnished the house with precious stones for beauty: and the gold was gold of Parvaim.
  • Proverbs 6:26 For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life.