מִכְתָּ֥ם לְדָוִ֑ד שׇֽׁמְרֵ֥נִי אֵ֝֗ל כִּֽי־חָסִ֥יתִי בָֽךְ
michtom ledovid shomreyniy ʾeyl kiychosiysiy voch
A michtam of David.
Protect me, O God, for I seek refuge in You.
1.....(16.1)
Miktam of David
There are some of the Rabbis who say that MIKTAM is compounded of two words which describe David, MAK, "MEEK" and TAM, "undefiled".
And there are others who derive MEKTAM from KETEM (fine gold), and say that Miktam of David means the "golden Psalm" of David.
1.
A michtam of David
Our Sages said (Sotah 10b, Mid. Ps. 16:1): Of David, who was poor (מך) and perfect (ותם), whose wound (מכתו) was perfect (תמה), for he was born circumcised. However, the sequence of the verse here does not lend itself to be interpreted according to the Midrash. There are psalms prefaced by the title לדוד מכתם, which may be interpreted: This song is David’s, who was poor and perfect, but here, where it is stated מכתם לדוד, it cannot be interpreted in this manner. I therefore say that it is one of the names of the various types of melodies and the variations in the music.
Another explanation: מכתם is an expression of a crown, like כתם, meaning that David was accustomed to say, “O God, guard me for I have taken refuge in You.” And this was to him as a crown, as it is stated (5:13): “You shall crown him with will.”
1.
A tenet of David
[כֶּתֶם] ( kethem) - when used as a noun, denotes a superior kind of gold.
[כְּתַם] (katham) to be stained
In Rabbinic literature [kathamim] are stains that are blood-red in color.
So it is possible that it has a connotation of gold that is blood-red in color.
The superscription MIKTAM seems to denote a Psalm which David has recorded for himself as an everlasting memorial, a tenet to which he would adhere forever.