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Psalms 86

Psalms 86

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 · 17

Psalms 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.

Deep dive

The movement opens with “Bow down thine ear, O LORD , hear me: for I am poor and needy.” By verse 3, the text has turned to “Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto thee daily.” It lands on “Give ear, O LORD , unto my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications.” The distance between those lines matters as much as any isolated phrase. The passage has a voice and pulse of its own, including 1 verse naming the LORD or God. Those features reveal where the narrative slows down, speaks directly, or changes direction.

Speaker, parallel lines, images, emotional movement, and changes in voice carry the argument. Wise guidance is richer than a mechanical promise. Words such as LORD, soul, servant, attend, call, daily tie the complete block together. The central idea, “the wording and movement of this passage,” should remain answerable to the text. Some conclusions are explicit, some gather support across several verses, and others remain strong inferences or interpretations.

Names or load-bearing terms in this scene include Lord, Bow, Give, God, Preserve, Rejoice. The nearest hinge to the center comes in verse 3: “Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto thee daily.” That detail helps separate the opening situation from what the passage changes next.

Words to trace: LORD, soul, servant, attend, call, daily

Verse-by-verse path

  1. Psalms 86:1

    “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.

  2. Psalms 86:2

    “Preserve my soul; for I am holy: O thou my God, save thy servant that trusteth in thee.” Naming Preserve keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

  3. Psalms 86:3

    “Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto thee daily.” The verse names Lord rather than leaving the action without a source. Watch whether the next line continues, answers, or contrasts that action.

  4. Psalms 86:4

    “Rejoice the soul of thy servant: for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.” Naming Rejoice keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

  5. Psalms 86:5

    “For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.

  6. Psalms 86:6

    “Give ear, O LORD , unto my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications.” Naming Give 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 Version

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.

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.

Deep dive

The movement opens with “In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me.” By verse 9, the text has turned to “All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall…” It lands on “I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for…” The distance between those lines matters as much as any isolated phrase. The passage has a voice and pulse of its own, including 2 verses naming the LORD or God. Those features reveal where the narrative slows down, speaks directly, or changes direction.

Speaker, parallel lines, images, emotional movement, and changes in voice carry the argument. Wise guidance is richer than a mechanical promise. Words such as LORD, name, glorify, heart, works, answer tie the complete block together. The central idea, “the wording and movement of this passage,” should remain answerable to the text. Some conclusions are explicit, some gather support across several verses, and others remain strong inferences or interpretations.

Names or load-bearing terms in this scene include Lord, God, All, Among, Teach. The nearest hinge to the center comes in verse 9: “All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy name.” That detail helps separate the opening situation from what the passage changes next.

Words to trace: LORD, name, glorify, heart, works, answer

Verse-by-verse path

  1. Psalms 86:7

    “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.

  2. Psalms 86:8

    “Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto thy works.” Naming Among keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

  3. Psalms 86:9

    “All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy name.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

  4. Psalms 86:10

    “For thou art great, and doest wondrous things: thou art God alone.” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.

  5. Psalms 86:11

    “Teach me thy way, O LORD ; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.” Naming Teach keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

  6. Psalms 86:12

    “I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore.” The verse names God and Lord rather than leaving the action without a source. Watch whether the next line continues, answers, or contrasts that action.

Psalms 86:7-12

King James Version

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.

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.

Deep dive

The movement opens with “For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.” By verse 15, the text has turned to “But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous…” It lands on “Shew me a token for good; that they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed: because thou…” The distance between those lines matters as much as any isolated phrase. The passage has a voice and pulse of its own, including 1 stated contrast, 2 verses naming the LORD or God. Those features reveal where the narrative slows down, speaks directly, or changes direction.

Speaker, parallel lines, images, emotional movement, and changes in voice carry the argument. Wise guidance is richer than a mechanical promise. Words such as mercy, LORD, soul, ashamed, assemblies, comforted tie the complete block together. The central idea, “the wording and movement of this passage,” should remain answerable to the text. Some conclusions are explicit, some gather support across several verses, and others remain strong inferences or interpretations.

Names or load-bearing terms in this scene include God, Lord, Shew. The nearest hinge to the center comes in verse 15: “But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.” That detail helps separate the opening situation from what the passage changes next.

Words to trace: mercy, LORD, soul, ashamed, assemblies, comforted

Verse-by-verse path

  1. Psalms 86:13

    “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.

  2. Psalms 86:14

    “O God, the proud are risen against me, and the assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul; and have not set…” The verse names God rather than leaving the action without a source. Watch whether the next line continues, answers, or contrasts that action.

  3. Psalms 86:15

    “But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.” The verse names God and Lord rather than leaving the action without a source. Watch whether the next line continues, answers, or contrasts that action.

  4. Psalms 86:16

    “O turn unto me, and have mercy upon me; give thy strength unto thy servant, and save the son of thine handmaid.” The line’s distinctive content terms include handmaid, mercy, save. Its relationship to verses 15 and 17 shows what work it does in this passage.

  5. Psalms 86:17

    “Shew me a token for good; that they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed: because thou, LORD , hast holpen me, and…” Naming Shew keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

Psalms 86:13-17

King James Version

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.

Questions to keep in mind while reading

  1. Follow the speaker, images, parallel lines, questions, and emotional movement.
  2. Notice where tension or suffering resists an easy answer.
  3. Read a saying as wisdom for faithful discernment, not as a mechanical promise detached from context.

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.

Questions beneath the surface

  1. What account of God, human freedom, responsibility, and the good life emerges from Psalms 86?
  2. Which tension does the chapter refuse to resolve quickly?
  3. What changes when the chapter is read as part of the whole canon rather than as an isolated moral story?
  4. Where might a sincere reader confuse a familiar tradition with something the text states directly?

Questions for serious personal contemplation

These open-ended questions make room for tension, honest response, prayer, and conclusions that remain accountable to the chapter.

Observe without rushing

  1. What part of Psalms 86 makes you stop, feel unsettled, or feel surprised, and why?

  2. Which detail in the passage would be easiest to overlook? How does that detail change your understanding?

  3. Where do you see tension between what happens and this focus: Psalms 86:1–17 completes a passage that was not covered by the original study-unit map. Its own wording and immediate context supply the focus.?

  4. What important question does the passage leave open instead of resolving quickly?

Examine your inner life honestly

  1. Which person, response, fear, or desire in the passage feels most like your own life right now?

  2. What assumption about God, other people, or yourself does this text challenge?

  3. Which part would you rather soften, avoid, or explain away too quickly? What might that reaction reveal?

  4. If this Scripture could ask you one direct question, what do you think it would ask?

Respond with wisdom and courage

  1. What do you need to remember, confess, grieve, thank God for, or trust after reading this passage?

  2. How might another faithful person read this situation differently without ignoring the text?

  3. What obedient response would be costly, uncomfortable, or slow, yet still faithful to Scripture?

  4. What question will you carry into prayer this week, and which verses will you keep in front of you?