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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Psalms 86:8-17

David is here going on in his prayer. I. He gives glory to God; for we ought in our prayers to praise him, ascribing kingdom, power, and glory, to him, with the most humble and reverent adorations. 1. As a being of unparalleled perfection, such a one that there is none like him nor any to be compared with him, Ps. 86:8. Among the gods, the false gods, whom the heathens worshipped, the angels, the kings of the earth, among them all, there is none like unto thee, O Lord! none so wise, so mighty,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 86:15

But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion ,.... Or merciful F20 רחום "misericors", Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, &c.; , in the most affectionate and tender manner, as a parent to its child, or particularly as a mother to the son of her womb; and is rich and plenteous in his mercy, and freely bestows it; and this was the support of the psalmist under his troubles from his enemies, that though they were cruel the Lord was merciful: and gracious ;... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 86:16

O turn unto me, and have mercy upon me ,.... For it seems the Lord had turned away from him, and had hid his face, and withheld the manifestation of his grace and mercy from him, and had not yielded him the help and assistance he expected; and therefore entreats that he would turn again to him, and show him his face and favour, and be merciful to him: give thy strength unto thy servant ; spiritual strength, strength in his soul, to exercise grace, perform duty, bear the cross, and stand... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 86:15

But thou, O Lord - What a wonderful character of God is given in this verse! אדני Adonai , the Director, Judge, and Support; - but instead of אדני Adonai , thirty-four of Kennicott's MSS. have יהוה Jehovah , the self-existent and eternal Being; - אל El , the strong God; רחום rachum , tenderly compassionate; חנון channun , the Dispenser of grace or favor; אפים ארך erech appayim , suffering long, not easily provoked; חמד רב rab chesed , abundant in blessings;... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 86:16

O turn unto me - He represents himself as following after God; but he cannot overtake him; and then he plays that he would turn and meet him through pity; or give him strength that he might be able to hold on his race. Give thy strength unto thy servant - The Vulgate renders, Daniel imperium tuum puero tuo, "Give thy empire to thy child." The old Psalter. Gyf empyre to thi barne, and make safe the son of thi hand mayden. Thi barne - thy tender child. Anglo-Saxon; thy knave; signifying... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 86:15

Verse 15 15.And thou, O Lord! art God, merciful, ready to forgive. By immediately passing on to the celebration of these divine attributes, he would intimate, that we have adequate strength and protection against the audacity and rage of the wicked, in the divine goodness, mercy, and faithfulness. Perhaps, also, from his feeling that the wicked were scourges in the hand of God, he set before himself the divine goodness and mercy, to allay the excess of terror with which he might be seized; for... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 86:16

Verse 16 16.Look to me, and have pity upon me. Here the Psalmist makes a more distinct application to himself of what he had said concerning the divine mercy and goodness. As God is merciful, he assures himself that his welfare will be the object of the divine care. The second verb in the verse, חנן, chanan, which I have rendered have pity, signifies to gratify, to do one a pleasure; and is intended to convey the idea, that the succor which God affords to his people proceeds from his free... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 86:1-17

Metrically, it seems to divide itself, like Psalms 85:1-13 ; into three strophes, two shorter, and one longer, the former being of five verses each, and the latter of seven. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 86:11-17

The third strophe is almost equally divided between prayer and praise, Psalms 86:11 , Psalms 86:16 , and Psalms 86:17 being devoted to the one; and Psalms 86:12 , Psalms 86:13 , and Psalms 86:15 to the other. Psalms 86:14 is of the nature of a complaint. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 86:15

But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion. The appeal is to God's own revelation of himself. He had declared that he was "merciful and gracious, long suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin" ( Exodus 34:6 , Exodus 34:7 ); he could not, therefore, desert the psalmist in his need. And gracious, long suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth (comp. above, Psalms 86:5 ; and see also Numbers 14:18 ; ... read more

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