The big picture
Psalms 86 opens in verse 1 with “Bow down thine ear, O LORD , hear me: for I am poor and needy.”, reaches its middle movement near verse 9 with “All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall…”, and closes in verse 17 with “Shew me a token for good; that they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed: because…” Repeated or prominent terms include LORD, soul, mercy, name, servant. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Psalms · King James Version · 17Psalms 86:1-6
1–6: Bow down thine ear, O LORD , hear me: for I am poor and needy.
Psalms 86:1–6 opens with “Bow down thine ear, O LORD , hear me: for I am poor and needy.” and reaches “Give ear, O LORD , unto my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications.” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on the wording and movement of this passage, with particular weight carried by LORD, soul, servant.
Context that brings the passage to life
“Bow down thine ear, O LORD , hear me: for I am poor and needy.” Naming Bow keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
Psalms 86:1-6
King James Version1Bow 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.
Psalms 86:7-12
7–12: In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me.
Psalms 86:7–12 opens with “In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me.” and reaches “I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore.” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on the wording and movement of this passage, with particular weight carried by LORD, name, glorify.
Context that brings the passage to life
“In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me.” The line’s distinctive content terms include answer, call, trouble. Its relationship to verses 8 shows what work it does in this passage.
Psalms 86:7-12
King James Version7In 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.
Psalms 86:13-17
13–17: For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from…
Psalms 86:13–17 opens with “For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.” and reaches “Shew me a token for good; that they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed: because thou, LORD…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on the wording and movement of this passage, with particular weight carried by mercy, LORD, soul.
Context that brings the passage to life
“For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.
Psalms 86:13-17
King James Version13For 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.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Psalms 86:1 begins with “Bow down thine ear, O LORD , hear me: for I am poor and needy.”
Where the chapter turns
Psalms 86:15 forms a natural hinge: “But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.”
The final note
Psalms 86:17 leaves the reader with “Shew 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.”
A word trail through the chapter
The words LORD, soul, mercy, name, servant, call help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
KJV words made clear
- unto
- to
- thee
- you
- thou
- you
- thy
- your
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.