THE *BOOK OF
PSALMS.

Psalm 86

1David imploreth God's aid because of his need and religious faith; 5and of the power and goodness of God: 11he prayeth for grace, and promiseth praise for past mercies: 14complaining of the proud, he craveth some token of God's favour.


0 A 1Prayer of David.

1 As Psalm 17 in the title.

1BOW down thine ear, O LORD, hear me: for I am poor and needy.

2Preserve my soul; for I am 2holy: O thou my God, save 3thy servant that trusteth in thee.

2 Or, thy saint. Other, to whom thou showest favor.

3 Namely, me; and so likewise verses 4 and 16.

3Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto thee daily.

4Rejoice the soul of thy servant: for 4unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.

4 That is, I seek help from Thee, and from Thee I likewise anticipate it. See Psalm 25 on verse 1.

5For thou, Lord, art good, and 5ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.

5 Hebr. a willing or a ready forgiver, or, acquitter.

6Give ear, O LORD, unto my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications.

7Ina the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me.

a Psalm 50:15.

86Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord; neither are thereb any works like unto thy works.

6 That is, among the false gods or idols. See Psalm 96:5; 1 Cor. 8:5, 6. One may likewise understand here by the name of gods, the angels, or the princes and mighty ones of this world.

b Deut. 3:24; Psalm 136:4.

9All nations whom thou hast made 7shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy name.

7 Namely, in the days of the Kingdom of Christ, when the Gentiles shall be called and brought to the knowledge of Him.

10For thou art great, and doest wondrous things: thou art God alone.

11Teachc me 8thy way, O LORD; I will walk 9in thy truth: unite my heart 10to fear thy name.

c Psalm 25:4; 27:11; 119:33.

8 How I shall walk and live.

9 That is, in Thy commandments, which truly show how Thou wilt be served and honored.

10 Hebr. to the fearing of thy name, that is, grant that my heart may be firmly knit and united with true piety, without turning back or aside, or being rent from it, and without being driven to and fro.

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 11my soul from 12the lowest hell.

11 That is, me, my life or my body, as Psalm 16:10.

12 Hebr. the lowermost grave. The sense of this verse is, that David entreats God for deliverance out of this misery, as He had done often before, understanding by the word grave or hell, the great danger or the great pain and misery, or even hell itself, from which God had delivered him through Christ.

14O God, thed proud are risen against me, and the assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul; and 13have not set thee before them.

d Psalm 54:3.

13 Hebr. over against them, that is, they have Thee not before their eyes, nor stand in fear of Thy holy Name. See Psalm 54 on verse 3.

15But thou, O Lord, arte a God full of compassion, and gracious, 14longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and 15truth.

e Exod. 34:6; Num. 14:18; Neh. 9:17; Psalm 103:8; 145:8; Joel 2:13.

14 Or, slow to wrath.

15 Or, faithfulness.

16O turn unto me, and have mercy upon me; 16give thy strength unto thy servant, and save 17the son of thine handmaid.

16 That is, let Thy strength and power be for mine advantage.

17 That is, me, whose mother was or still is Thine handmaid. Or, a son of thy handmaid, and consequently properly belonging unto Thee as the children born of a handmaid. See Exod. 21:4 with the annotation.

17Shew me a token 18for good; that they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed: 19because thou, LORD, hast holpenf me, and comforted me.

18 That is, deliver and protect me, that I may be a sign to others for their good, comfort, and encouragement.

19 Other, when thou, LORD.

f helped*