What Does Psalm 55:16 Mean in the King James?

As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me.

Psalm 55:16 · KJV

The analysis reads the King James wording.

King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.

THE KEY

The verse holds calling and deliverance as one movement: the cry opens toward being brought out.

THE MEANING

When you call upon God, your cry meets a promise of deliverance: the LORD brings you out. The verse makes that promise personal, “me”, so deliverance meets you where you are.

WHAT THIS UNDOES

The lie this verse undoes is that calling is pointless and no response follows your cry.

THE ROOT

יוֹשִׁיעֵנִי

yōšîʿēnî

GROWS FROM

ישע

y-š-ʿ

Deliver, rescue, bring out; here, movement from constriction toward spaciousness.

The root’s family keeps the motion visible: to deliver, the deliverance, and the deliverer all grow from one seed. Here, “save me” names being brought out of constriction toward spaciousness.

ALSO GROWS

yāšaʿ: To deliver or rescue

יָשַׁע

This is the root verb behind “shall save me,” naming deliverance as an action.

yeshuʿah: Deliverance

יְשׁוּעָה

This branch names the movement promised to the one who calls.

mōšîaʿ: Deliverer

מוֹשִׁיעַ

This branch names the one who carries out the deliverance the verse promises.

THE PATTERN

When a person calls on the LORD, deliverance answers by bringing them out of trouble.

And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.

Psalm 50:15 · KJVThe call meets a direct promise: the LORD will deliver the one who calls.

And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.

Joel 2:32 · KJVCalling on the LORD’s name opens into deliverance.

And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Acts 2:21 · KJVThe same pattern joins a person’s call to the promise of being brought out.

THE THREAD

This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.

Psalm 34:6 · KJV

“Saved” here shares the root ⁨ישע⁩ (y-š-ʿ) with “shall save me” in Psalm 55:16. This verse makes the movement explicit: the cry is heard, and deliverance brings the person out of trouble.

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