I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.

PSALMS 16:7KJV
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Psalms 16:7 (KJV)

What does Psalms 16:7 mean?

Psalms 16:7 expresses the writer’s gratitude to the LORD for giving wise guidance, and describes how even in the quiet hours of the night, the writer’s own inner thoughts and conscience provide instruction. The verse highlights a sense of ongoing, personal direction from God, both outwardly through counsel and inwardly through reflection.

In this psalm, David is speaking directly to God, reflecting on his relationship with the LORD during times of uncertainty or quietness. The mention of “my reins also instruct me in the night seasons” uses an old term for the innermost self—often thought of as the heart or conscience—suggesting that God’s guidance is felt deeply, even in private moments or times of darkness.

The Hebrew behind Psalms 16:7

  • bless (בָּרַךְ, barakh): This word means to praise or speak well of. Here, David is actively expressing thanks and reverence to the LORD, not just feeling gratitude but voicing it.
  • LORD (יְהוָה, YHWH): This is the personal name for God in the Hebrew Bible, emphasizing a close, covenant relationship.
  • reins (כִּלְיָה, kilyah): Often translated as “kidneys,” this word refers to the innermost parts of a person, symbolizing the seat of emotions and conscience in Hebrew thought. The verse uses it to show that guidance comes not just from outside advice, but from deep within.
  • instruct (יָסַר, yasar): This verb means to teach, correct, or discipline. The sense here is of gentle instruction or guidance, especially during quiet or reflective times.

Why Psalms 16:7 matters

  • The verse clarifies that God’s guidance is not only external (through events or advice) but also internal, shaping a person’s thoughts and conscience even in solitude.
  • By using “reins” for the inner self, Psalms 16:7 reveals how ancient Israelites understood the heart and mind as places where God’s wisdom could be experienced directly.
  • This verse connects to the wider psalm by showing David’s trust in God’s constant presence and guidance, both day and night, in public and in private.

Where else these words appear

“reins” Hebrew H3629 · used in 26 verses

  • Exodus 29:13 And thou shalt take all the fat that covereth the inwards, and the caul that is above the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, and burn them upon the altar.
  • Leviticus 8:25 And he took the fat, and the rump, and all the fat that was upon the inwards, and the caul above the liver, and the two kidneys, and their fat, and the right shoulder:
  • Psalms 73:21 Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins.

“instruct” Hebrew H3256 · used in 38 verses

  • Leviticus 26:18 And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins.
  • Job 4:3 Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands.
  • Proverbs 31:1 The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him.

“counsel” Hebrew H3289 · used in 74 verses

  • Exodus 18:19 Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God:
  • 2 Chronicles 22:4 Wherefore he did evil in the sight of the LORD like the house of Ahab: for they were his counsellors after the death of his father to his destruction.
  • Isaiah 3:3 The captain of fifty, and the honourable man, and the counsellor, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator.