Psalms · psalm 86 of 150
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Psalm 86 is a prayer of David in which, poor and needy, he asks God to incline his ear, preserve his life and gladden his soul, because the Lord is good, forgiving and abounding in steadfast love to all who call on him. He affirms that there is none like him among the gods, asks to be taught his way and to have his heart united to fear his name, and ends by asking for a sign of his favor before his enemies.
The title says simply a prayer of David. It is the only psalm in Book III attributed to David. It is composed in large part of phrases taken from other texts of Scripture, such as Exodus 34:6 and psalms of David, which shows a believer praying with the words he has learned from the Bible. It is a simple and humble prayer in a time of distress.
David begins by asking God to incline his ear and answer him, for he is poor and needy. He asks him to preserve his life, for he is godly, and to save his servant who trusts in him. He asks for grace, for to him he cries all the day, and for gladness for his soul, for to him he lifts up his soul. In verse 5, the reason for it all: for you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.
Verses 6 to 10 deepen the trust. He asks that God hear his prayer and attend to the voice of his pleas. In the day of his trouble he will call, for God will answer him. There is none like him among the gods, nor are there any works like his. All the nations he has made shall come and worship before him and glorify his name, for he is great and does wondrous things. He alone is God.
Verses 11 to 13 ask for a faithful heart. Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name. I give thanks to you with my whole heart and will glorify your name forever, for great is your steadfast love toward me and you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.
Verses 14 to 17 describe the threat. O God, insolent men have risen up against me; a band of ruthless men seek my life. But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. Turn to me and be gracious, give your strength to your servant and save the son of your maidservant. Show me a sign of your favor, that those who hate me may see and be put to shame, because you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.
References follow ESV book names and verse numbers. Read each verse in your Bible before the explanation.
The Lord is good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call on him. It is the foundation of the whole prayer: David asks because he knows God's character.
God is great, does wondrous things and he alone is God. David confesses his faith in the one God and joins it with the vision that all nations will come to worship him.
David asks God to teach him his way so that he may walk in his truth, and to unite his heart to fear his name. A divided heart is a threat to faith, and only God can focus it.
David recalls that the Lord is merciful, gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. It echoes the character of God revealed to Moses, and it is the center of David's hope.
6 questions with answers and references, ready for Sunday school, small group or a Bible quiz night.
Answer: Poor and needy. — Psalm 86:1
Answer: Good, forgiving and abounding in steadfast love to all who call on him. — Psalm 86:5
Answer: None like the Lord, nor any works like his. — Psalm 86:8
Answer: Come, worship before God and glorify his name. — Psalm 86:9
Answer: That God unite it to fear his name. — Psalm 86:11
Answer: A sign of favor, so that those who hate him may see it and be put to shame. — Psalm 86:17
Psalm 86 is a model for praying with humility. David does not come with merits but with his need, and he leans on God's character. In a small group you can use verse 5 as a basis for prayer: name God's attributes before asking. It changes the tone of the prayer and strengthens trust.
Verse 11 is a prayer for every day: Lord, teach me your way and unite my heart. Often the problem is not that we do not know what to do but that we want several things at once. To ask for an undivided heart is to ask that what we believe, what we feel and what we do all point to God. For someone whose heart pulls in several directions, this is a very honest prayer.
Psalm 86 ends with David asking for a sign of God's favor. Psalm 87 changes the subject completely: it is a short and unusual song about Zion and about the peoples who, according to God, were born in it.
It is an expression of humility and belonging: David presents himself as someone born in God's household, the son of a servant woman who served him. It says nothing about a humble origin but acknowledges that he has been a servant since birth. The same expression appears in Psalm 116:16.
The Hebrew speaks of uniting or focusing the heart. It is the opposite of a heart divided among several loyalties. In the Old Testament, to fear God's name is to live with reverence and obedience toward him, and David asks that his whole being line up with that.