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The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

Psalms 86:1-17

Psalm PSALM—NOTE ON Psalms 86:1. This is an individual lament in a situation in which “a band of insolent men seek my life” (v. Psalms 86:14). The psalm confesses that the Lord is “good and forgiving” (v. Psalms 86:5), acknowledging that the singer’s own sins may have contributed to his enemies’ plans. The psalmist explicitly grounds his request in Exodus 34:6, a fundamental confessional statement of the OT (Psalms 86:15; see vv. Psalms 86:5, Psalms 86:13). This is the only psalm of David in Book 3 of the Psalms.

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See also Psalms 86:1-17 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    PSALM LXXXVI _The psalmist prays to God for support, from a conviction that_ _he is merciful, good, ready to forgive, and that there is none_ _like him_, 1-8; _all nations shall bow before him bec...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    BOW DOWN THINE EAR, O LORD, HEAR ME - See the notes at Psalms 5:1. FOR I AM POOR AND NEEDY - This is the reason here assigned why God should hear him. It is not a plea of merit. It is not that there w...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    Psalms 86 A Prayer _ 1. The prayer of the poor and needy one (Psalms 86:1)_ 2. The praise of His Name (Psalms 86:10) This Psalm has for an inscription “A prayer of David.” We can hear in it the vo...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    LXXXVI. THE PRAYER OF A GODLY MAN IN AFFLICTION. This Ps. is little more than a cento from the rest of the Psalter. PSALMS 86:1. The Psalmist prays for succour, pleading God's mercy and his own piet...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    TITLE.. PRAYER. An Intercession, or Hymn. Compare Psalms 72:20, referring to the whole of Book II. Hebrew. _Tephillah._ See App-63. OF DAVID. The only Psalm in this third book ascribed to David. Refe...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _Bow down_&c. A common form of invocation. Cp. Psalms 17:6; Psalms 31:1; Isaiah 37:17; &c. _hear me_ Answer me (Psalms 55:2). for I am

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    A series of petitions, each supported by the ground on which the Psalmist pleads for a hearing....

  • Charles Simeon's Horae Homileticae

    DISCOURSE: 644 A PRAYING SPIRIT EXEMPLIFIED Psalms 86:1. Bow down thine ear, O Lord! hear me; for I am poor and needy. Preserve my soul; for I am holy O thou my God, save thy servant that trusteth in...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    _David strengtheneth his prayer by the conscience of his religion, by the goodness and power of God: he desireth the continuance of former grace: complaining of the proud, he craveth some token of God...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    PSALMS 86 DESCRIPTIVE TITLE Prayer of a Tried and Faithful Servant of Jehovah. ANALYSIS The Psalmist prays to be Heard and Answered and for his Life to be Preserved because of his Need (Psalms 86:1...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    Bow down thine ear, O LORD, hear me: for I am poor and needy. Psalms 86:1.-God's grace to His trusting people their ground of expecting deliverance (Psalms 86:1); His omnipotence to help, so that a...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    HEAR] RV 'answer.' POOR AND NEEDY] see Psalms 40:17; Psalms 70:5....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    This is a Psalm of general supplication for help in trouble, and breathes a devout spirit of gratitude and confidence towards God. Specially remarkable is the hope of Psalms 86:9 that God will be univ...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    Psalms 73:89 _GORDON CHURCHYARD_ BITS AND PIECES PSALMS 86 They said to Jesus, "Teach us to pray". He said, "Ask and you will receive. Look and you will find. Knock and it will open to you". (Fro...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    תְּפִלָּ֗ה לְ דָ֫וִ֥ד הַטֵּֽה ־יְהוָ֣ה אָזְנְךָ֣...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    Psalms 86:1 THIS psalm is little more than a mosaic of quotations and familiar phrases of petition. But it is none the less individual, nor is the psalmist less heavily burdened, or less truly beseech...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    A PRAYER TO THE GOD OF MERCY Psalms 86:1 This psalm is largely composed of quotations. When the soul is in great need, it is not concerned with inventing new forms of address to God, but avails itsel...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    This psalm is peculiar in many ways. Its first peculiarity is that the name of God which dominates is Adonahy, or Lord, which indicates absolute Lordship, and by the use of which the singer shows his...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    "A Prayer of David." Bow down (a) thine ear, O LORD, hear me: for I [am] poor and needy. (a) David, when persecuted by Saul, prayed this way, leaving the same to the Church as a monument, how to seek...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    Mountains. So far the Jews extend the title, supposing that the subject of this canticle was concerning Sion, Moria, &c. Others think that, thereof, refers to a part of the psalm which has been lost,...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    CONTENTS The royal Prophet is at his devotions; and in beholding David, surely we must not overlook him, of whom David was so eminent a type. We find strong faith joined with earnest prayer in the op...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    I pause at the close of these verses, though thereby a chasm is made in the prayer, to call the Reader's attention to what this petitioner said in it, where the great argument made use of is, that he...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    1._Incline thy ear, O Jehovah! _Neither the inscription nor the contents of this psalm enable us to conclude with certainty what dangers David here complains of; but the psalm in all probability refer...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    Psalms 86. This psalm is the meek yet confiding and confident appeal of a soul conscious of its godly feelings towards Jehovah and looking to the results of relationship with Him. We have had Jehovah...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    BOW DOWN THINE EAR, O LORD, HEAR ME,.... This is spoken of God after the manner of men, who, when they listen and attentively hearken to what is said to them, stoop and bow the head, and incline the e...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    Psalms 86:1 «A Prayer of David. » Bow down thine ear, O LORD, hear me: for I [am] poor and needy. _A prayer_] Left for a form, for a help to devotion, as was also Psa 102:1 title. Ver. 1. _Bow down...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _Bow down thine ear, O Lord_ When God hears our prayers he is fifty said to _bow down his ear_ to them, for it is great condescension in him even to take notice of such mean creatures as we are, and m...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    DAVID'S PRAYER IN THE MIDST OF PERSECUTION. A prayer of David, the only hymn by the great king and prophet which was included by the collectors in this book of the psalter. We find here the same term...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    Bow down Thine ear, in the attitude of the very closest attention, O LORD, HEAR ME; FOR I AM POOR AND NEEDY. Cf Psalms 40:17....

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1-7 Our poverty and wretchedness, when felt, powerfully plead in our behalf at the throne of grace. The best self-preservation is to commit ourselves to God's keeping. I am one whom thou favourest, h...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    PSALM 86 When he was in some deep distress, either from Saul, or by Absalom, or upon some other occasion. David strengtheneth himself in prayer by the truth of his religion, PSALMS 86:1, and by God's...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Psalms 86:1 Prayer H8605 David H1732 down H5186 (H8685) ear H241 LORD H3068 hear H6030 (H8798) poor...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Psalms 86:1 The fulness and variety of these petitions deserve careful consideration. Notice: I. The invocations. Five times in these verses of the text does the Psalmist invoke God, and that by thr...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: The malice of enemies deplored. God's goodness pleaded in prayer for mercy. CHARACTERS: God, David. CONCLUSION: The best self preservation is to commit ourselves to God's keeping and by fa...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Title. _A prayer of David._ All antiquity, and all the versions, support this title. Psalms 86:2. _I am holy,_ I have not done any wrong to Saul, nor to Absalom, nor indeed to any of the families whi...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Bow down Thine ear, O Lord, hear me: for I am poor and needy._ MAN AND THE GREAT GOD I. Man in a variety of aspects. 1. What every man is. “Poor and needy.” Morally this is the case with every man...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    INTRODUCTION _Superscription_.—“_A Prayer of David_.” Although this Psalm is not placed with the great body of David’s Psalms (1–70), there is no sufficient ground for disputing his authorship of it....

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION THIS is the prayer of an afflicted and humble soul in a time of persecution (Psalms 86:14), intermixed with outbursts of praise (Psalms 86:5, Psalms 86:8,...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Psa 86:1-17 we have another psalm of David. David said, Bow down thine ear, O LORD, hear me: for I am poor and needy. Preserve my soul; for I am holy: O thou my God, save thy servant that is trusting...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    Daniel 9:18; Isaiah 37:17; Isaiah 66:2; James 1:10; James 1:9;...

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