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Commentary on Psalms 86 verses 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, Psa 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, so good; neither are there any works like unto thy works, which is an undeniable proof that there is none like him; his own works praise him, and the best way we have of praising him is by acknowledging that there is none like him. 2. As the fountain of all being and the centre of all praise (Psa 86:9): "Thou hast made all nations, made them all of one blood; they all derive their being from thee, and have a constant dependence on thee, and therefore they shall come and worship before thee and glorify thy name." This was in part fulfilled in the multitude of proselytes to the Jewish religion in the days of David and Solomon, but was to have its full accomplishment in the days of the Messiah, when some out of every kingdom and nation should be effectually brought in to praise God, Rev 7:9. It was by Christ that God made all nations, for without him was not any thing made that was made, and therefore through Christ, and by the power of his gospel and grace, all nations shall be brought to worship before God, Isa 66:23. 3. As a being infinitely great (Psa 86:10): "Therefore all nations shall worship before thee, because as King of nations thou art great, thy sovereignty absolute and incontestable, thy majesty terrible and insupportable, thy power universal and irresistible, thy riches vast and inexhaustible, thy dominion boundless and unquestionable; and, for the proof of this, thou doest wondrous things, which all nations admire, and whence they might easily infer that thou art God alone, not only none like thee, but none besides thee." Let us always entertain great thoughts of this great God, and be filled with holy admiration of this God who doeth wonders; and let him alone have our hearts who is God alone. 4. As a being infinitely good. Man is bad, very wicked and vile (Psa 86:14); no mercy is to be expected from him; but thou, O Lord! art a God full of compassion, and gracious, Psa 86:15. This is that attribute by which he proclaims his name, and by which we are therefore to proclaim it, Exo 34:6, Exo 34:7. It is his goodness that is over all his works, and therefore should fill all our praises; and this is our comfort, in reference to the wickedness of the world we live in, that, however it be, God is good. Men are barbarous, but God is gracious; men are false, but God is faithful. God is not only compassionate, but full of compassion, and in him mercy rejoiceth against judgment. He is long-suffering towards us, though we forfeit his favour and provoke him to anger, and he is plenteous in mercy and truth, as faithful in performing as he was free in promising. 5. As a kind friend and bountiful benefactor to him. We ought to praise God as good in himself, but we do it most feelingly when we observe how good he has been to us. This therefore the psalmist dwells upon with most pleasure, Psa 86:12, Psa 86:13. He had said (Psa 86:9), All nations shall praise thee, O Lord! and glorify thy name. It is some satisfaction to a good man to think that others shall praise and glorify God, but it is his greatest care and pleasure to do it himself. "Whatever others do" (says David), "I will praise thee, O Lord my God! not only as the Lord, but as my God; and I will do it with all my heart; I will be ready to do it and cordial in it; I will do it with cheerfulness and liveliness, with a sincere regard to thy honour; for I will glorify thy name, not for a time, but for evermore. I will do it as long as I live, and hope to be doing it to eternity." With good reason does he resolve to be thus particular in praising God, because God had shown him particular favours: For great is thy mercy towards me. The fountain of mercy is inexhaustibly full; the streams of mercy are inestimably rich. When we speak of God's mercy to us, it becomes us thus to magnify it: Great is thy mercy towards me. Of the greatness of God's mercy he gives this instance, Thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell, from death, from so great a death, as St. Paul (Co2 1:10), from eternal death, so even some of the Jewish writers understand it. David knew he deserved to be cast off for ever into the lowest hell for his sin in the matter of Uriah; but Nathan assured him that the Lord had taken away his sin, and by that word he was delivered from the lowest hell, and herein God's mercy was great towards him. Even the best saints owe it, not to their own merit, but to the mercy of God, that they are saved from the lowest hell; and the consideration of that should greatly enlarge their hearts in praising the mercy of God, which they are obliged to glorify for evermore. So glorious; so gracious, a rescue from everlasting misery, justly requires the return of everlasting praise.
II. He prays earnestly for mercy and grace from God. He complains of the restless and implacable malice of his enemies against him (Psa 86:14): "Lord, be thou for me; for there are many against me." He then takes notice of their character; they were proud men that looked with disdain upon poor David. (Many are made persecutors by their pride.) They were violent men, that would carry all before them by force, right or wrong. They were terrible formidable men (so some), that did what they could to frighten all about them. He notices their number: There were assemblies of them; they were men in authority and met in councils and courts, or men for conversation, and met in clubs; but, being assembled, they were the more capable of doing mischief. He notices their enmity to him: "They rise up against me in open rebellion; they not only plot, but they put their plots in execution as far as they can; and the design is not only to depose me, but to destroy me: they seek after my life, to slay me; after my soul, to damn me, if it lay in their power." And, lastly, He notices their distance and estrangement from God, which were at the bottom of their enmity to David: "They have not set thee before them; and what good can be expected from those that have no fear of God before their eyes? Lord, appear against them, for they are thy enemies as well as mine." His petitions are,
1.For the operations of God's grace in him, Psa 86:11. He prays that God would give him, (1.) An understanding heart, that he would inform and instruct him concerning his duty: "Teach me thy way, O Lord! the way that thou hast appointed me to walk in; when I am in doubt concerning it, make it plain to me what I should do; let me hear the voice saying, This is the way," Isa 30:21. David was well taught in the things of God, and yet was sensible he needed further instruction, and many a time could not trust his own judgment: Teach me thy way; I will walk in thy truth. One would think it should be, Teach me thy truth, and I will walk in thy way; but it comes all to one; it is the way of truth that God teaches and that we must choose to walk in, Psa 119:30. Christ is the way and the truth, and we must both learn Christ and walk in him. We cannot walk in God's way and truth unless he teach us; and, if we expect he should teach us, we must resolve to be governed by his teachings, Isa 2:3. (2.) An upright heart: "Unite my heart to fear thy name. Make me sincere in religion. A hypocrite has a double heart; let mine be single and entire for God, not divided between him and the world, not straggling from him." Our hearts are apt to wander and hang loose; their powers and faculties wander after a thousand foreign things; we have therefore need of God's grace to unite them, that we may serve God with all that is within us, and all little enough to be employed in his service. "Let my heart be fixed for God, and firm and faithful to him, and fervent in serving him; that is a united heart."
2.For the tokens of God's favour to him, Psa 86:16, Psa 86:17. Three things he here prays for: - (1.) That God would speak peace and comfort to him: "O turn unto me, as to one thou lovest and hast a kind and tender concern for. My enemies turn against me, my friends turn from me; Lord, do thou turn to me and have mercy upon me; it will be a comfort to me to know that thou pitiest me." (2.) That God would work deliverance for him, and set him in safety: "Give me thy strength; put strength into me, that I may help myself, and put forth thy strength for me, that I may be saved out of the hands of those that seek my ruin." He pleads relation: "I am thy servant; I am so by birth, as the son of thy handmaid, born in thy house, and therefore thou art my rightful owner and proprietor, from whom I may expect protection. I am thine; save me." The children of godly parents, who were betimes dedicated to the Lord, may plead it with him; if they come under the discipline of his family, they are entitled to the privileges of it. (3.) That God would put a reputation on him: "Show me a token for good; make it to appear to others as well as to myself that thou art doing me good, and designing further good for me. Let me have some unquestionable illustrious instances of thy favour to me, that those who hate me may see it, and be ashamed of their enmity to me, as they will have reason to be when they perceive that thou, Lord, hast helped me and comforted me, and that therefore they have been striving against God, opposing one whom he owns, and that they have been striving in vain to ruin and vex one whom God himself has undertaken to help and comfort." The joy of the saints shall be the shame of their persecutors.
"Show me a sign for good" [Psalm 86:17]. What sign, but that of the Resurrection? The Lord says: "This wicked and provoking generation seeks after a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of the Prophet Jonah." [Matthew 12:39] Therefore in our Head a sign has been shown already for good; each one of us also may say, "Show me a sign for good:" because at the last trumpet, at the coming of the Lord, both "the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." [1 Corinthians 15:52] This will be a sign for good. "That they who hate me may see it, and be ashamed." In the judgment they shall be ashamed unto their destruction, who will not now be ashamed unto their healing. Now therefore let them be ashamed: let them accuse their own ways, let them keep the good way: because none of us lives without being ashamed, unless he first be ashamed and live anew. Now God grants them the approach of a healthy shame, if they despise not the medicine of confession: but if they will not now be ashamed, then they shall be ashamed, when "their iniquities shall convince them to their face." How shall they be ashamed? When they shall say, "These are they whom we had sometimes in derision, and a parable of reproach. We fools counted their life madness: how are they numbered among the children of God! What has pride profited us?" Then shall they say this: let them say it now, and they say it to their health. For let each one turn humbly to God, and now say, What has my pride profited me? And hear from the Apostle, "For what glory had ye in those things of which you are now ashamed?" [Romans 6:21] You see that there is even now a wholesome shame while there is a place of penitence: but then one which will be late, useless, fruitless....
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SUMMARY
Psalms 86:17 culminates David's fervent prayer, articulating his deep reliance on God amidst severe opposition and distress. It expresses a profound plea for a clear, undeniable demonstration of divine favor and intervention, intended not only as a personal reassurance but also as a public vindication of God's faithfulness before his adversaries. David's confidence in this request is firmly rooted in his extensive personal history of the Lord's consistent and compassionate aid.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Psalms 86:17 effectively employs several literary techniques to convey its powerful message. There is a clear Parallelism between David's request for a "token for good" and its desired public outcome, where the initial petition is directly linked to the subsequent impact on his adversaries. The verse also demonstrates a strong Cause and Effect relationship: David's confidence in asking for a present "token" that will lead to his enemies' shame is because God has consistently "holpen" and "comforted" him in the past. David's prayer is also a profound Appeal to Ethos (God's character) and Pathos (David's emotional state). By recalling God's consistent help and comfort, David appeals to God's faithful and compassionate nature as the basis for His continued intervention. Simultaneously, his plea for a "token" in the face of hatred conveys his vulnerability and earnest desire for divine vindication, evoking a sense of urgency and distress. Finally, the verse presents a stark Contrast between the enemies' present arrogance and their anticipated future shame, highlighting God's ultimate triumph over opposition and the ultimate vindication of His righteous servant.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Psalms 86:17 profoundly underscores God's character as a faithful Vindicator and Comforter. David's prayer is not merely for personal relief but for God's glory to be publicly displayed through His intervention. It reveals that God's faithfulness to His people often involves a public demonstration of His power, serving as a testimony to both believers and unbelievers. This verse connects to the broader biblical theme of divine justice, where God ultimately rights wrongs and brings shame upon those who oppose His righteous purposes, ensuring that His name is glorified through the vindication of His servants. It also speaks to the enduring nature of God's covenant loyalty, reminding believers that His past faithfulness is a guarantee of His future help, solidifying their trust in His unchanging character.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Psalms 86:17 offers profound encouragement for believers navigating trials and opposition today. Like David, we are invited to pray with boldness, not presumptuously, but with a deep trust rooted in God's proven character. When facing challenges, whether from external adversaries, spiritual attacks, or internal doubts, we can confidently ask God for clear, undeniable signs of His working in our lives. This verse also serves as a powerful reminder to intentionally recall and meditate on God's past faithfulness—how He has "holpen" and "comforted" us in previous seasons of difficulty. This practice builds a robust foundation of trust, strengthening our faith for present and future challenges. Furthermore, when unfairly treated, maligned, or opposed for our faith, we can pray for God to reveal His righteousness and silence accusers, trusting that He will ultimately bring justice and shame upon those who oppose His truth. This aligns with the biblical principle of leaving vengeance to the Lord, knowing that His vindication is perfect and timely. The verse reminds us that God is not only our private Comforter but also our public Vindicator, whose glory is revealed through His unwavering faithfulness to His people.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Is David asking for a miracle or a test of God in this verse?
Answer: David is not asking for a test of God's power or willingness to act. Instead, his plea for a "token for good" is a confident request, rooted in his deep trust and past experience of God's faithfulness. He desires a clear, undeniable demonstration of God's favor and intervention, not out of doubt, but for the public glory of God and his own vindication before his enemies. It's a prayer for God to make His presence and power evident, serving as a testimony to all, much like the signs God gave throughout salvation history, as seen in Exodus 4:8.
What does it mean for David's enemies to "be ashamed"?
Answer: In this context, "be ashamed" refers to the public humiliation, confusion, and ultimate defeat of David's enemies when they witness God's clear intervention and favor on David's behalf. It signifies a reversal of fortunes, where those who mocked, opposed, or sought to harm God's servant are exposed as wrong, powerless, and ultimately disgraced. It's about God's justice being visibly enacted, silencing the accusations and vindicating the righteous, as is often prayed for in the Psalms (e.g., Psalm 35:4).
How does this verse apply to believers today who might not face physical enemies but spiritual opposition or public scorn for their faith?
Answer: The principle of Psalms 86:17 extends powerfully to the spiritual battles and public challenges believers face today. We can pray for God to reveal His power and truth in our lives and circumstances, silencing the accusations of the spiritual enemy and demonstrating His faithfulness to a watching world. This might manifest as visible peace in trials, unexpected provision, clear guidance, or the transformation of lives, all serving as a "token for good" that testifies to God's reality and power, shaming those who doubt or oppose the gospel message. This echoes the call to "let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven," as taught in Matthew 5:16.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Psalms 86:17, with its earnest plea for a "token for good" and the foundational trust in God's past help and comfort, finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. He is the supreme "token" of God's favor and love towards humanity, the visible manifestation of the invisible God, as John 1:14 declares, "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us." God "shewed" us His ultimate "good" in sending His Son, demonstrating His love for us while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8). The ultimate "shaming" of those who hate God and oppose His purposes occurred at the cross and resurrection, where Christ triumphed over principalities and powers, making a public spectacle of them (Colossians 2:15). His resurrection is the undeniable "token" that God has "holpen" and "comforted" humanity, conquering sin and death, and offering eternal life to all who believe (1 Corinthians 15:54-57). In Christ, believers find their ultimate help, comfort, and vindication, as He is the "God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God" (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).