Psalms 86:16 · Clearspring

Your notes

Private to you. Anything you write on this verse, here or while reading, shows up here and in My study.

Other translations

WEBBE

Turn to me, and have mercy on me! Give your strength to your servant. Save the son of your servant.

BSB

Turn to me and have mercy; grant Your strength to Your servant; save the son of Your maidservant.

KJV

O turn unto me, and have mercy upon me; give thy strength unto thy servant, and save the son of thine handmaid.

ASV

Oh turn unto me, and have mercy upon me; Give thy strength unto thy servant, And save the son of thy handmaid.

BBE

O be turned to me and have mercy on me: give your strength to your servant, and your salvation to the son of her who is your servant.

Original Hebrew

Look up a word

Tap a word to see what it means and everywhere else it's used.

פְּנֵה pe·neh turn H6437 אֵלַי 'e·lai to me H413 וְחָנֵּנִי ve·cho·ne·ni and show favor to me H2603 תְּנָה־ te·nah- give H5414 עֻזְּךָ 'u·ze·kha strength your H5797 לְעַבְדֶּךָ le·'av·de·kha to servant your H5650 וְהוֹשִׁיעָה ve·ho·shi·'ah and save H3467 לְבֶן־ le·ven- (to) [the] son of H1121 אֲמָתֶךָ 'a·ma·te·kha maidservant your H519

The early church

If therefore You are "true," "Look upon me, and have mercy upon me: give power unto Your servant." Because You are "true," "give power unto Your servant" [Psalm 86:16]. Let the time of patience pass away, the time of judgment come. How, "give power"? The Father judges no man, but has committed all judgment unto the Son. [John 5:22] He rising again will come even to earth Himself to judge: He will appear terrible who appeared despicable. He will show His power, who showed His patience; on the Cross was patience; in the judgment will be power. For He will appear as Man judging, but in glory: because "as you saw Him go," said the Angels, "so He will come." [Acts 1:11] His very form shall come to judgment; therefore the ungodly also shall see Him: for they shall not see the form of God. For blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. [Matthew 5:8] ...In the vision of the Father there is also the vision of the Son: and in the vision of the Son there is also the vision of the Father. Therefore He adds a consequence, and says: "Do you not know that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me?" [John 14:10] that is, both in Me seen the Father is seen, and in the Father seen the Son too is seen. The vision of the Father and the Son cannot be separated: where nature and substance is not separated, there vision cannot be separated. For that you may know that the heart ought to be made ready for that place, to see the Divinity of the Father and Son and Holy Spirit, in which though not seen we believe, and by believing cleanse the heart that there may be able to be sight: the Lord Himself says in another place, "He that has My commands and keeps them, he it is that loves Me: and he that loves Me shall be loved by My Father: and I will love him, and will manifest Myself unto him." [John 14:21] Did they not see Him, with whom He was talking? They both saw Him, and did not see Him? They saw something, they believed something: they saw Man, they believed in God. But in the Judgment they shall see the same Lord Jesus Christ as Man, together with the wicked: after the Judgment, they shall see God, apart from the wicked.

Augustine of Hippo · d. 430Expositions on the Psalms

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 8–17

Our God alone possesses almighty power and infinite love. Christ is the way and the truth. And the believing soul will be more desirous to be taught the way and the truth. And the believing soul will be more desirous to be taught the way and the truth of God, in order to walk therein, than to be delivered out of earthly distress. Those who set not the Lord before them, seek after believers' souls; but the compassion, mercy, and truth of God, will be their refuge and consolation. And those whose parents were the servants of the Lord, may urge this as a plea why he should hear and help them. In considering David's experience, and that of the believer, we must not lose sight of Him, who though he was rich, for our sakes became poor, that we through his poverty might be rich.

Read Matthew Henry on Psalm 86 →

Spurgeon · Verse 16

O turn unto me. As though the face of God had been before averted in anger, the suppliant pleads for a return of conscious favour. One turn of God's face will turn all our darkness into day. And have mercy upon me, that is all he asks, for he is lowly in heart; that is all he wants, for mercy answereth all a sinner's needs. Give thy strength unto thy servant. Gird me with it that I may serve thee, guard me with it that I may not be overcome. When the Lord gives us his own strength we are sufficient for all emergencies, and have no cause to fear any adversaries. And save the son of thine handmaid. He meant that he was a home born servant of God. As the sons of slaves were their master's property by their birth, so he gloried in being the son of a woman who herself belonged to the Lord. What others might think a degrading illustration he uses with delight, to show how intensely he loved the Lord's service; and also as a reason why the Lord should interpose to rescue him, seeing that he was no newly purchased servant, but had been in the house from his very birth.

Read Spurgeon on Psalm 86 →

Cross-references

18

Topics

Desire