Psalms 86:12-17

86:12 O Lord, my God, I will give you thanks with my whole heart!

I will honor your name continually! ¹ 

86:13 For you will extend your great loyal love to me, ² 

and will deliver my life ³  from the depths of Sheol. ⁴ 

86:14 O God, arrogant men attack me; ⁵ 

a gang ⁶  of ruthless men, who do not respect you, seek my life. ⁷ 

86:15 But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and merciful God.

You are patient ⁸  and demonstrate great loyal love and faithfulness. ⁹ 

86:16 Turn toward me and have mercy on me!

Give your servant your strength!

Deliver your slave! ¹⁰ 

86:17 Show me evidence of your favor! ¹¹ 

Then those who hate me will see it and be ashamed, ¹² 

for you, O Lord, will help me and comfort me. ¹³ 

[86:12]  ¹ tn Or “forever.”

[86:13]  ² tn Heb “for your loyal love [is] great over me.”

[86:13]  ³ tn Or “for he will have delivered my life.” The verb form indicates a future perfect here.

[86:13]  ⁴ tn Or “lower Sheol.”

[86:14]  ⁵ tn Heb “rise up against me.”

[86:14]  ⁶ tn Or “assembly.”

[86:14]  ⁷ tn Heb “seek my life and do not set you before them.” See Ps 54:3.

[86:15]  ⁸ tn Heb “slow to anger.”

[86:15]  ⁹ tn Heb “and great of loyal love and faithfulness.”

[86:16]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “the son of your female servant.” The phrase “son of a female servant” (see also Ps 116:16) is used of a son born to a secondary wife or concubine (Exod 23:12). In some cases the child’s father is the master of the house (see Gen 21:10, 13; Judg 9:18). The use of the expression here certainly does not imply that the Lord has such a secondary wife or concubine! It is used metaphorically and idiomatically to emphasize the psalmist’s humility before the Lord and his status as the Lord’s servant.

[86:17]  ¹¹ tn Heb “Work with me a sign for good.” The expression “work a sign” also occurs in Judg 6:17.

[86:17]  ¹² tn After the imperative in the preceding line (“work”), the prefixed verb forms with prefixed vav (ו) conjunctive indicate purpose or result.

[86:17]  ¹³ tn The perfect verbal forms are understood here as dramatic/rhetorical, expressing the psalmist’s certitude that such a sign from the Lord will be followed by his intervention. Another option is to understand the forms as future perfects (“for you, O Lord, will have helped me and comforted me”).