Tap any verse number for what that verse means.
1Incline Your ear, O LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy.
2Preserve my soul, for I am godly. You are my God; save Your servant who trusts in You.
3Be merciful to me, O Lord, for I call to You all day long.
4Bring joy to Your servant, for to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
5For You, O Lord, are kind and forgiving, rich in loving devotion to all who call on You.
6Hear my prayer, O LORD, and attend to my plea for mercy.
7In the day of my distress I call on You, because You answer me.
8O Lord, there is none like You among the gods, nor any works like Yours.
9All the nations You have made will come and bow before You, O Lord, and they will glorify Your name.
10For You are great and perform wonders; You alone are God.
11Teach me Your way, O LORD, that I may walk in Your truth. Give me an undivided heart, that I may fear Your name.
12I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify Your name forever.
13For great is Your loving devotion to me; You have delivered me from the depths of Sheol.
14The arrogant rise against me, O God; a band of ruthless men seeks my life; they have no regard for You.
15But You, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness.
16Turn to me and have mercy; grant Your strength to Your servant; save the son of Your maidservant.
17Show me a sign of Your goodness, that my enemies may see and be ashamed; for You, O LORD, have helped me and comforted me.
Understand This
Psalm 86, explained
What Psalm 86 is saying
A deeply personal prayer of David, Psalm 86 is distinctive for its heavy reliance on phrases from earlier Scripture—nearly every line echoes Exodus, Deuteronomy, or earlier psalms—creating a mosaic of biblical prayer. The psalm's theological center is the declaration drawn from Exodus 34:6: 'You, O Lord, are a God compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness.' The request for an 'undivided heart' (yached levavi) is theologically significant.
The background behind it
The psalm's extensive quotation and adaptation of earlier texts suggests a liturgical prayer assembled from Israel's prayer tradition. Its attribution to David and its personal intensity indicate genuine individual petition, though its composite character has led some scholars to view it as representative communal prayer.
Themes running underneath
The psalm builds its theology through accumulated scriptural echo—each phrase carries the weight of its original context. The request for an 'undivided heart' acknowledges the human tendency toward divided loyalty and sees wholehearted devotion as a divine gift rather than human achievement. The affirmation of God's uniqueness among the gods reflects developing monotheistic theology.
Why it still matters
Psalm 86 models praying Scripture—letting the words of earlier revelation shape present petition. The prayer for an undivided heart remains profoundly relevant for believers navigating competing loyalties and fragmented spiritual attention.
Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible — used by permission, Bible Hub.