Psalms 86:4

Rejoice the soul of thy servant: for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. REJOICE THE SOUL OF THY SERVANT: FOR UNTO THEE, O LORD, DO I LIFT UP MY SOUL - quoted from Psalms 25:1. The small print is used in the English version "Lord" for the Hebrew 'Adonaay (H136) (seven times in this psalm), not exclusively applied to God. LORD in capitals stands for Yahweh (H3068), the exclusive name of God (four times in this psalm)....

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, hast set apart for thyself, and made partaker of sanctifying grace. It is a great encouragement to prayer, to feel that we have received the converting grace of God, have learned to trust in him, and to be his servants. We may expect comfort from God, when we keep up our communion with God. God's goodness appears in two things, in giving and forgiving. Whatever others do, let us call upon God, and commit our case to him; we shall not seek in vain....

Verse Psalms 86:4. _REJOICE THE SOUL OF THY SERVANT_] I want spiritual blessings; I want such consolations as thou dost impart to them that love thee; I present that soul to thee which I wish thee to console....

REJOICE THE SOUL OF THY SERVANT - Cause me to rejoice; to wit, by thy gracious interposition, and by delivering me from danger and death. FOR UNTO THEE, O LORD, DO I LIFT UP MY SOUL - Compare the notes at Psalms 24:4. The idea is that of arousing himself, or exerting himself, as one does who makes strenuous efforts to obtain an object. He was not languid, or indifferent; he did not put forth merely weak and fitful efforts to find God, but he bent his whole powers to that end; he arouses himself thoroughly to seek the divine help. Languid and feeble efforts in seeking after God will be attended with no success. In so great a matter - when so much depends on the divine favor - when such great interests are at stake - the whole soul should be roused to one great and strenuous effort; not that we can obtain his favor by force

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, Psalms 86:15) and thankfulness (Psalms 86:12, Psalms 86:13). It is assigned in the title to David, and contains nothing, either in matter or style, to make the ascription unlikely. Still, most modern critics regard the psalm as probably of a later date, and consider it the work

REJOICE THE SOUL OF THY SERVANT,.... With the discoveries of love, of pardoning grace, and mercy, before made sad with sin or sufferings; and with the light of God's countenance, before troubled with the hidings of his face: this may be applied to Christ, in sorrowful circumstances, who was made full of joy with his Father's countenance, Matthew 26:37 FOR UNTO THEE, O LORD, DO I LIFT UP MY SOUL: in prayer, as the Targum adds; and it denotes the devotion, fervency, heartiness, and sincerity, of his prayer; the doing of it with a true heart, the lifting up of the heart with the hands unto God, Lamentations 3:41 or by way of offering unto the Lord, not the body only, but the soul or heart also; or as a depositum committed into his hands; so Christ lifted up his eyes, and his hear

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 voice of the Son of David, our Lord, pleading in the place of humiliation, and also the pleadings of the remnant saints. The prophetic element enters in with Psalms 86:9. “All nations whom Thou hast made shall come and worship before thee O Lord.” This will be the glorious result of His humiliation. Into the many and precious details of this Psalm we cannot enter. The name of the Lord (Adonai) is found seven times in this Psalm

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 piety. For piety, see Psalms 4:3. PSALMS 86:8. The incomparable greatness of God, which all nations will in the end acknowledge. PSALMS 86:11. Prayer for Divine guidance and for a token that God is on his side, not on that of his more prosperous foes. PSALMS 86:11. TO FEAR: read, to them that fear. The LXX reads

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

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 thee! Be merciful unto me, O Lord! for I cry unto thee daily. Rejoice the soul of thy servant: for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee._ TRUE and genuine piety cannot always be certainly known by men’s intercourse with their fellow-creatures. Appearances may be so plausible, that they cannot, except by Him who searcheth the heart, be distinguished from realities. But in their intercourse with the Deity, the truth or falsehood of their profession may be clearly discerned. The most refined hypocrite may, by examining the state of his soul in his private devotions, obtain th