Psalms 86

Prayer, praise, lament, kingship, justice, suffering, worship, wisdom, anger, hope, and Israel's poetic life with God.

Psalms 86

WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE

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1
Hear, Yahweh, and answer me,
for I am poor and needy.
2
Preserve my soul, for I am godly.
You, my God, save your servant who trusts in you.
3
Be merciful to me, Lord,
for I call to you all day long.
4
Bring joy to the soul of your servant,
for to you, Lord, do I lift up my soul.
5
For you, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive,
abundant in loving kindness to all those who call on you.
6
Hear, Yahweh, my prayer.
Listen to the voice of my petitions.
7
In the day of my trouble I will call on you,
for you will answer me.
8
There is no one like you among the gods, Lord,
nor any deeds like your deeds.
9
All nations you have made will come and worship before you, Lord.
They shall glorify your name.
10
For you are great, and do wondrous things.
You are God alone.
11
Teach me your way, Yahweh.
I will walk in your truth.
Make my heart undivided to fear your name.
12
I will praise you, Lord my God, with my whole heart.
I will glorify your name forever more.
13
For your loving kindness is great toward me.
You have delivered my soul from the lowest Sheol.
14
God, the proud have risen up against me.
A company of violent men have sought after my soul,
and they don’t hold regard for you before them.
15
But you, Lord, are a merciful and gracious God,
slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness and truth.
16
Turn to me, and have mercy on me!
Give your strength to your servant.
Save the son of your servant.
17
Show me a sign of your goodness,
that those who hate me may see it, and be shamed,
because you, Yahweh, have helped me, and comforted me.

Where this chapter fits

Psalms belongs to Israel's wisdom/poetic tradition, where literary form matters as much as historical setting.

Chapter numbers were added long after the biblical books were written.

Read this chapter together with what comes immediately before and after it.

ANCIENT TEXT, MODERN QUESTIONS

Historical claims should be compared with historical evidence.

Scientific claims should be compared with science.

Moral claims should be examined morally.

Theological claims require theological and philosophical argument.

Don't skip the hard parts.

What does the chapter actually say?

Identify the explicit claims before importing later doctrine or assumptions.

What kind of literature is this?

Narrative, poetry, prophecy, law, letters, wisdom, and apocalypse communicate differently.

What historical evidence matters?

Ask whether names, places, institutions, events, customs, and chronology can be independently investigated.

What are the strongest competing interpretations?

Compare serious Jewish, Christian, academic, and skeptical readings rather than caricatures.

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