Psalms 86 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

Psalm 86

Great Is Your Steadfast Love

A Prayer of David.

86:1   Incline your ear, O LORD, and answer me,
    for I am poor and needy.
2   Preserve my life, for I am godly;
    save your servant, who trusts in you—you are my God.
3   Be gracious to me, O Lord,
    for to you do I cry all the day.
4   Gladden the soul of your servant,
    for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
5   For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
    abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.
6   Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer;
    listen to my plea for grace.
7   In the day of my trouble I call upon you,
    for you answer me.
8   There is none like you among the gods, O Lord,
    nor are there any works like yours.
9   All the nations you have made shall come
    and worship before you, O Lord,
    and shall glorify your name.
10   For you are great and do wondrous things;
    you alone are God.
11   Teach me your way, O LORD,
    that I may walk in your truth;
    unite my heart to fear your name.
12   I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart,
    and I will glorify your name forever.
13   For great is your steadfast love toward me;
    you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.
14   O God, insolent men have risen up against me;
    a band of ruthless men seeks my life,
    and they do not set you before them.
15   But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious,
    slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.
16   Turn to me and be gracious to me;
    give your strength to your servant,
    and save the son of your maidservant.
17   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.

Commentary

Personal trust in an unchanging God. This psalm is perhaps dated when David was escaping from Saul; compare Ps 54; 64.

v1-7: References to the individual;

Hear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy;
Guard my life, for I am devoted to you;
You are my God; save your servant who trusts in you;
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I call to you all day long;
Bring joy to your servant, for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul;
Hear my prayer, O Lord, listen to my cry for mercy;
In the day of trouble I will call to you, for you will answer me.

We see too David's real personal walk with God; he was devoted to God, and His character reflected the fact that he spent time in God's presence.

David was confident in God's willingness to hear and answer prayer. David had no second option; there was no thought that there was an alternative if 'prayer didn't work.' Further, he is concious of personal frailty here.

v8-10: Our God is uniquely excellent; true also of the Son (John 15.24); He is worthy of the worship of all.

v11-13: Life of obedience and devotion; we need God to teach us, that we might obey; walk, fear, praise, glorify; the godly balance life towards God; such is the response of each one whom God has delivered from the grave. 'Obedience is an excellent way of commenting upon the Bible.' In contrast, we dishonour the word of God, and the God who gave it, by departing from it.

v14: The contrast with the ungodly; proud and violent, men who reject the truths of God, and attack the people of God.

v15: Different from God's character; the ungodly cannot experience the God described in these ways; compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness; only those who know Him, can know Him like this.

v16-17: David's prayer, for deliverance from the attacks of the enemy, and as a testimony to those who have opposed him.