Commentary - Psalm 86:1-7

Bird's-eye view

Psalm 86 is a prayer of David, and it is a prayer that is thoroughly saturated with theology. This is not the prayer of a man trying to figure God out; it is the prayer of a man who knows God, and who is therefore praying on the basis of that knowledge. David is in distress, he is afflicted and needy, but his petitions are not wild shots in the dark. They are carefully aimed arguments, grounded in two fundamental realities: his own desperate condition and God's glorious character. He brings his need to the only one who can meet it, and he does so with the confidence of a son, a servant, and a saint.

In these first seven verses, David establishes the pattern for the entire psalm. He moves back and forth between petition (what he wants God to do) and argumentation (why God should do it). He appeals to his weakness, his covenant status as a "holy one," his trust, and his constancy in prayer. But the ultimate foundation for his confidence is not in himself, but in God. He calls because he knows the one he is calling upon is good, forgiving, and overflowing with covenant love to all who call upon Him. This is how a Christian argues with God.

Outline

Context In Psalms

This psalm is unique in Book III of the Psalter (Psalms 73-89) as the only one attributed to David. It has the feel of a mosaic, with phrases and themes that echo other psalms and other portions of Scripture. But this is not plagiarism; it is the mark of a man whose mind is saturated with the Word of God. When he prays, he prays Scripture back to God. This psalm is a model of what it means to have a biblical prayer life. It is not about originality, but about fidelity. David is not trying to invent new ways to impress God; he is standing on the old promises, using the old language of the covenant to plead his case in his present distress.

Key Issues

Verse by Verse Commentary

v. 1 Incline Your ear, O Yahweh, and answer me; For I am afflicted and needy.

The prayer begins with a plea for God's attention. "Incline Your ear." This is the posture of a child speaking to a father, asking him to lean down and listen. David is not demanding an audience; he is requesting one. And what is the basis of his request? It is not his strength, his merit, or his resume. The basis of his appeal is his weakness. "For I am afflicted and needy." In the economy of the world, need is a liability. In the economy of grace, need is your ticket of admission. God brings affliction into our lives to teach us this very lesson, to show us that we cannot handle anything on our own. David understands this. He doesn't try to hide his poverty; he leads with it. This is the logic of the gospel. We come to God not because we are worthy, but because He is gracious and we are desperate.

v. 2 Keep my soul, for I am a holy one; O You my God, save Your slave who trusts in You.

This verse seems, at first glance, to contradict the previous one. How can a man be both "needy" and a "holy one"? This is where we must understand the nature of covenant identity. The word for "holy one" here is hasid, which comes from the root word hesed, or covenant love. A hasid is not someone who is sinlessly perfect, but rather one who is an object of God's covenant loyalty. David is saying, "Keep me, because I belong to You. I am one of Yours." Our identity as Christians is not based on our performance, but on our position in Christ. We are made holy through our union with Him. David then reinforces this by calling himself God's "slave" or servant. This is not a title of degradation but of honor and relationship. He belongs to God's household. And the defining characteristic of this slave is that he "trusts in You." Faith is the instrument that lays hold of God's promises. So David's argument is this: "Save me because I am in covenant with you, I serve you, and I am trusting you to be who you say you are."

v. 3 Be gracious to me, O Lord, For to You I call all day long.

The plea for grace is constant because the need for grace is constant. And David's prayer life reflects this. He calls upon God "all day long." This is not a frantic, unbelieving pestering. It is the persistent, ongoing communion of a soul that knows its dependence. True prayer is not just for emergencies. It is the background music of a life lived before the face of God. It is the steady rhythm of a heart that beats in time with the purposes of God. David's persistence is evidence of his faith, not a lack of it. He keeps calling because he knows someone is on the other end of the line.

v. 4 Make glad the soul of Your slave, For to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

The ultimate goal of David's prayer is not just deliverance from his troubles, but joy in God. He wants his soul to be made glad. And notice the active part he plays in this. He asks God to make him glad, and at the same time, he says, "to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul." This is a crucial aspect of the Christian life. We are not passive recipients of God's grace. We are called to actively orient our hearts, minds, and affections toward Him. To lift up the soul is to refuse to be downcast. It is to consciously direct your inner man away from your circumstances and toward the living God. It is an act of worshipful defiance against despair. God is the source of all gladness, but we must turn our faces toward Him to receive it.

v. 5 For You, Lord, are good, and by nature forgiving, And abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon You.

Here we come to the bedrock, the theological foundation upon which the entire prayer is built. Why can David pray with such confidence? Why does he bother to lift up his soul at all? "For You, Lord, are good." This is the fundamental premise. God is good, by definition. His goodness is not an abstract quality; it is active and personal. He is "by nature forgiving." The Hebrew here suggests He is ready, even eager, to forgive. And He is "abundant in lovingkindness." This is that great covenant word, hesed. It is steadfast, loyal, unending, covenantal love. And this character is not a secret. It is available "to all who call upon You." This is a universal promise with a specific condition. The floodgates of God's goodness, forgiveness, and love are opened to those who call. This is why we pray. We do not pray to convince a reluctant deity to be nice. We pray because our God has revealed Himself to be good, forgiving, and loving, and He has invited us to come and receive.

v. 6 Give ear, O Yahweh, to my prayer; And give heed to the voice of my supplications!

David returns to his initial petition, but with renewed intensity. The repetition is not a sign of doubt, but of earnestness. He is pressing his case. Having laid out the theological basis for his prayer in verse 5, he now comes back and says, "Therefore, listen!" This is how a believer is to pray. We are to take God's own promises and character and present them back to Him as the grounds for our requests. We are not just asking, we are arguing, and we are using God's own words as our evidence.

v. 7 In the day of my distress I shall call upon You, For You will answer me.

This final verse of our section is a triumphant declaration of faith. It moves from petition to settled conviction. Notice the logic: "I shall call upon You, for You will answer me." The certainty of the answer is the motivation for the call. This is not wishful thinking. This is the confidence that comes from knowing the character of God as described in verse 5. David knows that when he is in trouble, he has a refuge. He has a God who hears and answers. This is the blessed assurance that undergirds all true Christian prayer. We do not pray into a void; we pray to a Father who has promised to hear and a Savior who has secured our access to the throne of grace.

Key Words

Hesed, "Lovingkindness"

Hesed is one of the most important words in the Old Testament. It is notoriously difficult to translate with a single English word. It encompasses concepts of love, loyalty, mercy, faithfulness, and goodness. It is not primarily an emotion, but an action, a commitment. It is God's covenant faithfulness, His unbreakable promise to be for His people. When David says God is "abundant" in hesed, he is saying that God's covenant loyalty is not just a fact, but an overflowing, inexhaustible fountain.

Hasid, "Holy One"

A hasid is one who is a recipient of God's hesed. It is often translated as "saint," "godly one," or "holy one." It does not describe a person who has achieved moral perfection on their own. Rather, it describes a person's status because of their relationship with God. They are set apart because God has set His covenant love upon them. Our holiness is derivative; it comes from God's choice to make us His own in Christ.

Application

This passage is a master class in Christian prayer. First, we learn to approach God on the basis of our need, not our strength. Our weakness is the very thing that qualifies us for His grace. Don't hide your afflictions from God; present them to Him as the reason you have come.

Second, we must pray from our identity in Christ. Like David, we are God's "holy ones," not because of our own righteousness, but because we have been set apart by the blood of the covenant. We are His servants, and our trust is in Him. Pray with the confidence that comes from knowing who you are in Him.

Third, our prayers must be grounded in the character of God. The most effective prayers are those that are filled with theology. Remind yourself, and remind God, that He is good, forgiving, and abundant in lovingkindness. Stand on His promises. Argue from His character. This is not to manipulate God, but to align our hearts with His revealed will.

Finally, this kind of prayer leads to unshakable confidence. We can face the "day of distress" with the settled assurance that when we call, He will answer. This is not a guarantee that He will answer in the way we expect or on our timetable, but it is a rock-solid promise that He will answer in a way that is consistent with His perfect goodness and for our ultimate joy.