Psalms 86

A Prayer of David. The title satisfies us that David was the author of this. Psalm; which the collector of this third book found, I suppose, after the other two were made up and published, and so placed it here, among those which belong to the same subject. For though it was composed by David, when he was so persecuted, either by Saul or Absalom, that he was stripped of all he had, and left in a most forlorn condition, (ver. 1.) yet Theodoret thinks it was made with a prospect of the attempt which the Assyrians made upon Jerusalem, and the hope which ITezekiah then placed in God for deliverance. Which notion, it is likely, he had from the Jews; who say, that this prayer was made use of by Hezekiah in the time of that sore distress: for the first words of this Psalm are the same with his in 2 Kings xix. 1G. and the eighth and • ninth verses may very fitly be accommodated to that history (as I have there observed), but the rest a great deal • better to David.

Psalms 86:1

JLSoW down thine ear, O Lord, hear me: for J am poor and needy. There cannot be a fitter object of thy mercy, O Lord, than thy poor supplicant, who beseeches thee graciously to condescend to his request; for else he is utterly undone, being quite destitute of all human help.

Psalms 86:2

Preserve my soul, for I am holy: O thou my God, save thy servant that trusteth in thee. And yet my life is in imminent danger, unless thou dost preserve it; as many reasons make me hope thou wilt: for, as thou the righteous judge hast been long my benefactor, and I am perfectly innocent of that my enemies charge me withal, so I myself have been a reliever of others in their need; and besides, am a faithful servant of thine, who depends entirely upon thee, and hath no confidence in any thing but only thy almighty goodness.

Psalms 86:3

Be merciful tinto me, O Lord: for I cry unto thee daily. Whose merciful help I have also implored with most importunate and incessant prayers; which is another reason of my hope, that thou wilt take compassion upon me, O Lord.

Psalms 86:4

Rejoice the soul of thy servant: for unto tliee, O Lord, do I lift up my souL. And turn the present sorrow ef thy servant into joy and gladness: for I have placed my hope entirely in thee, O Lord; and expect nothing but from thee alone. “>

Psalms 86:5

For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee. Who art no less bountiful (which is another exceeding great encouragement to me) than I am indigent; ready also to pardon those that have offended thee: yea, to shew abundant kindness to every one of them, in his greatest distress; when, with unfeigned dcyotion, he calls upon thee. Ver. G. Give ear, O Lord, unto my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications.] As I now do, O Lord, most humbly beseeching thee, with repeated entreaties, to give a favourable answer to these prayers and supplications; whereby I deprecate thy displeasnre, and sue unto thee for favour.

Psalms 86:7

In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me. Which I beseech thee let me the rather obtain, because my distress is so great and so urgent, that thy power will now be the more magnified in delivering me: as heretofore thou hast been wont to do, upon such earnest petitions as these are unto thee.

Psalms 86:8

Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto thy tvorksJ. For nothing is too hard for thee; nor art thou unwilling to do more kindnesses for us, because thou hast done so many already: but, as appears by thy unparalleled works, dost incomparably excel (whatsoever strangers think, 2 Kings xviii. 15.) all those that are worshipped in the world as gods; who are not able so much as to help and preserve themselves.

Psalms 86:9

All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy vame. Which shall move all our neighbouring nations, (2 Chron. xxxii. 23.) as all the rest shall do in the days of that great King which we expect, (Rom. xv. 9.) to acknowledge thee, Lord, to be their Creator; and with humble veneration to submit themselves unto thee, and to honour thee with their highest praises.

Psalms 86:10

For thou art great, and doest wondrous things: thou art God alone. For they shall clearly see, by the magnificence of thy marvellous works, that thou art infinitely superior to all those powers whom they adore: and that, in truth, there is no God, but thou thyself alone.

Psalms 86:11

Teach me thy way, O Lord; I will tvalk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name. Which I so firmly believe, that I desire nothing more than to be perfectly instructed in all thy will; which I -will sincerely observe: knit my heart, O Lord, in such pious affections to thee, that it may never in the least dissent from thee; nor be disturbed with any vain cares, but entirely bent to study this alone — what is pleasing unto thee.

Psalms 86:12

I will praise thee, O Lord, my God, with all my heart; and I will glorify thy name for evermore. Whom 1 am bound to praise, both as the supreme Lord of all, and as my most bountiful benefactor, with all the powers of my soul: and, accordingly, I do now most thankfully acknowledge thee; and will never cease to honour thee, aud to do thee service, as long as I have any being.

Psalms 86:13

For great is thy mercy towards me; and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell. For the benefits thou hast bestowed on me are as inestimable as they are innumerable: I owe my very life to thee, which hath been often snatched out of the extremest dangers; wherein I had inevitably perished, if thou hadst not mercifully delivered me, (1 Sam, xxiii. &“c.)

Psalms 86:14

O 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. Behold, 6 God, a new opportunity to glorify that mercy; for proud and ambitious