Psalms — Chapter 86

Loading ESV text...

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.

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.

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.

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

1Bow down thine ear, O Jehovah, and answer me; For I am poor and needy.

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

3Be merciful unto me, O Lord; For unto thee do I cry all the day long.

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 abundant in lovingkindness unto all them that call upon thee.

6Give ear, O Jehovah, unto my prayer; And hearken unto the voice of my supplications.

7In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee; For thou wilt answer me.

8There is none like unto thee among the gods, 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 they shall glorify thy name.

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

11Teach me thy way, O Jehovah; I will walk in thy truth: Unite my heart to fear thy name.

12I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with my whole heart; And I will glorify thy name for evermore.

13For great is thy lovingkindness toward me; And thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest Sheol.

14O God, the proud are risen up against me, And a company of violent men have sought after my soul, And have not set thee before them.

15But thou, O Lord, art a God merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness and truth.

16Oh turn unto me, and have mercy upon me; Give thy strength unto thy servant, And save the son of thy handmaid.

17Show me a token for good, That they who hate me may see it, and be put to shame, Because thou, Jehovah, hast helped me, and comforted me. Psalm 87 A Psalm of the sons of Korah; a Song.

1A prayer of David. Listen, O Lord. Answer me. For I am oppressed and needy.

2Protect me, for I am loyal. You are my God; deliver your servant who trusts in you.

3Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I cry out to you all day long.

4Make your servant glad, for to you, O Lord, I pray.

5Certainly, O Lord, you are kind and forgiving, and show great faithfulness to all who cry out to you.

6O Lord, hear my prayer. Pay attention to my plea for mercy.

7In my time of trouble I cry out to you, for you will answer me.

8None can compare to you among the gods, O Lord. Your exploits are incomparable.

9All the nations, whom you created, will come and worship you, O Lord. They will honor your name.

10For you are great and do amazing things. You alone are God.

11O Lord, teach me how you want me to live. Then I will obey your commands. Make me wholeheartedly committed to you.

12O Lord, my God, I will give you thanks with my whole heart. I will honor your name continually.

13For you will extend your great loyal love to me and will deliver my life from the depths of Sheol.

14O God, arrogant men attack me; a gang of ruthless men, who do not respect you, seek my life.

15But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and merciful God. You are patient and demonstrate great loyal love and faithfulness.

16Turn toward me and have mercy on me. Give your servant your strength. Deliver this son of your female servant.

17Show me evidence of your favor. Then those who hate me will see it and be ashamed, for you, O Lord, will help me and comfort me.

1Hear, Yahweh, and answer me, for I am poor and needy.

2Preserve my soul, for I am godly. You, my God, save your servant who trusts in you.

3Be merciful to me, Lord, for I call to you all day long.

4Bring joy to the soul of your servant, for to you, Lord, do I lift up my soul.

5For you, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive; abundant in loving kindness to all those who call on you.

6Hear, Yahweh, my prayer. Listen to the voice of my petitions.

7In the day of my trouble I will call on you, for you will answer me.

8There is no one like you among the gods, Lord, nor any deeds like your deeds.

9All nations you have made will come and worship before you, Lord. They shall glorify your name.

10For you are great, and do wondrous things. You are God alone.

11Teach me your way, Yahweh. I will walk in your truth. Make my heart undivided to fear your name.

12I will praise you, Lord my God, with my whole heart. I will glorify your name forever more.

13For your loving kindness is great toward me. You have delivered my soul from the lowest Sheol.

14God, the proud have risen up against me. A company of violent men have sought after my soul, and they don’t hold regard for you before them.

15But you, Lord, are a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness and truth.

16Turn to me, and have mercy on me! Give your strength to your servant. Save the son of your servant.

17Show me a sign of your goodness, that those who hate me may see it, and be shamed, because you, Yahweh, have helped me, and comforted me.

Summary
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
Videos
Reflection

Summary

An individual lament of David — 'Bow down thine ear, O LORD, for I am poor and needy'; God is merciful, great in steadfast love, ready to forgive all who call; 'teach me thy way, O LORD; unite my heart to fear thy name.'

Authorship & Background

Author: Multiple authors — primarily David (73 psalms attributed), plus Asaph (12), Sons of Korah (11), Solomon (2), Moses (1), Heman (1), Ethan (1), and anonymous. The Psalter was compiled over approximately 1000 years and served as Israel's hymnal and prayer book. The book is divided into five 'books' (1-41, 42-72, 73-89, 90-106, 107-150), paralleling the five books of Moses. Key themes: worship, lament, praise, trust, kingship, creation, wisdom, Messianic prophecy, and the full range of human emotion brought before God.
Classification: Individual Lament / Prayer Psalm Attributed Author: David (the only Davidic psalm in Book III) Key Themes: Poverty and neediness before God, God's character as the basis of prayer, undivided heart, the incomparability of God, all nations worshiping, divine compassion
Historical Context: This is the only psalm in Book III (73-89) attributed to David, making it distinctive in an otherwise Asaph/ Korah section. It is a "Prayer of David" — intensely personal, weaving together phrases from other psalms and from Exodus 34:6 (the divine self-revelation to Moses). David's prayer is saturated with Scripture — nearly every verse echoes earlier biblical language. This makes it a model of how to pray: using God's own revealed words back to Him. The psalm moves between petition and praise, with v.11 ("unite my heart to fear thy name") as its theological center.
Structure:
  • Cry for Help Based on Need (vv.1-5)
  • Confidence in God's Responsiveness (vv.6-7)
  • God's Incomparability Among the Gods (vv.8-10)
  • Prayer for an Undivided Heart (v.11)
  • Praise for Past Deliverance (vv.12-13)
  • Description of Enemies (v.14)
  • God's Character Declared (v.15)
  • Final Petition (vv.16-17)

Map & Geography

  • No specific geographic locations are referenced in this chapter.

Reflection

  • 1. God is READY to forgive (v.5). You don't need to convince Him. He is not grudging or reluctant. His disposition toward those who call on Him is generous mercy. Come boldly.
  • 2. Pray for an undivided heart (v.11). The greatest spiritual danger is not atheism but divided loyalty. Ask God to unite your scattered desires into singular devotion. A united heart is the foundation of all spiritual growth.
  • 3. Pray Scripture back to God (v.15). David uses God's own words (Exodus 34:6) as the basis of his prayer. This is how to pray powerfully: remind God of who He has revealed Himself to be. His character is your strongest argument.
  • 4. "Teach me thy way" precedes "I will walk in thy truth" (v.11). Knowledge before obedience. You can't walk a path you haven't learned. Ask to be taught FIRST — then commit to walking.