Wisdom & Poetry · Old Testament
Psalms 86
Psalm 86: a poor and needy servant asks for mercy, teaching and a token for good
General context
The speaker asks the Lord to bow down his ear, because the speaker is poor and needy, and to preserve his soul and save his servant who trusts in him. He asks for mercy because he cries daily, and asks God to rejoice his servant's soul, which he lifts up to the Lord. The reason given is that the Lord is good, ready to forgive and plenteous in mercy to all who call on him. The speaker asks God to hear his prayer and says he will call in the day of trouble because God will answer. Among the gods there is none like the Lord, and no works like his; all nations he has made will come and worship and glorify his name, for he is great and God alone. The speaker asks to be taught God's way, promises to walk in his truth, and asks God to unite his heart to fear his name; he will praise the Lord his God with all his heart because of great mercy and deliverance from the lowest hell. Then he reports that the proud have risen against him and assemblies of violent men have sought his soul without setting God before them. He calls God full of compassion, gracious, longsuffering, plenteous in mercy and truth, and asks God to turn, have mercy, give strength to his servant and save the son of thine handmaid. He ends by asking for a token for good, so that those who hate him may see it and be ashamed because the Lord has helped and comforted him.
Cited passages: Psalms 86:1, Psalms 86:2, Psalms 86:3, Psalms 86:4, Psalms 86:5, Psalms 86:7, Psalms 86:8, Psalms 86:9, Psalms 86:10, Psalms 86:11, Psalms 86:13, Psalms 86:14, Psalms 86:15, Psalms 86:16, Psalms 86:17
Psalms 86 (KJV)
1Bow down thine ear, O Lord, hear me: for I am poor and needy.
2Preserve my soul; for I am holy: O thou my God, save thy servant that trusteth in thee.
3Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto thee daily.
4Rejoice the soul of thy servant: for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
5For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.
6Give ear, O Lord, unto my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications.
7In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me.
8Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto thy works.
9All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy name.
10For thou art great, and doest wondrous things: thou art God alone.
11Teach me thy way, O Lord; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.
12I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore.
13For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.
14O God, the proud are risen against me, and the assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul; and have not set thee before them.
15But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.
16O turn unto me, and have mercy upon me; give thy strength unto thy servant, and save the son of thine handmaid.
17Shew me a token for good; that they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed: because thou, Lord, hast holpen me, and comforted me.
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Historical context
This source prints no superscription; the psalm opens with Bow down thine ear, O Lord, hear me. The speaker is a single voice who calls himself thy servant, the son of thine handmaid, and poor and needy, and who also says for I am holy. The trouble is stated late and in general terms: the proud and the assemblies of violent men who have sought after my soul; no names, places or events are given. Verse 13 says God has delivered my soul from the lowest hell in the past tense, while verses 14 to 17 still ask for help, so the psalm holds a past rescue and a present danger together. The mention of the gods in verse 8 is comparative, none like unto thee, and verse 10 says thou art God alone. There is no Selah. The token for good asked for in the last verse is not described.
Cited passages: Psalms 86:2, Psalms 86:16, Psalms 86:14, Psalms 86:13, Psalms 86:8, Psalms 86:10, Psalms 86:17
Literary context
Each request in the psalm is paired with a reason introduced by for: hear me, for I am poor and needy; be merciful, for I cry daily; rejoice my soul, for I lift it up to thee; and the reasons include God's own character, for thou, Lord, art good. The petitions in the first person alternate with declarations about God's greatness, and the widest claim, that all nations will come and worship, sits in the middle of a very personal plea. The words mercy and truth recur, from plenteous in mercy in verse 5 to plenteous in mercy and truth in verse 15, and the speaker's promise to walk in thy truth answers them. The prayer that God unite my heart is followed by praise with all my heart. The enemies enter only in verse 14, and the last request asks for a visible sign so that they may see it, turning the private prayer toward an audience.
Cited passages: Psalms 86:1, Psalms 86:3, Psalms 86:5, Psalms 86:9, Psalms 86:15, Psalms 86:11, Psalms 86:12, Psalms 86:17
Key moments
- Poor and needy (Psalms 86:1). The speaker asks the Lord to bow down his ear and gives his need as the reason.
- Ready to forgive (Psalms 86:5). The speaker grounds the request in the Lord's goodness and plenteous mercy.
- All nations shall worship (Psalms 86:9). The prayer widens to every nation God has made glorifying his name.
- Unite my heart (Psalms 86:11). The speaker asks to be taught God's way and to fear his name with a whole heart.
- Violent men seek my soul (Psalms 86:14). The proud and the assemblies of violent men are named as the danger.
- A token for good (Psalms 86:17). The speaker asks for a visible sign so that those who hate him will be ashamed.
For reflection
The speaker asks God to unite my heart to fear thy name. What might a divided heart look like in a prayer that already says it trusts, cries daily and will praise with all its heart?
