86:1(A Prayer of David.) Bow down a thine ear, O LORD, hear
me: for I [am] poor and needy.
(a) David, when persecuted by Saul, prayed this way,
leaving the same to the Church as a monument, how to
seek relief against their miseries.
86:2 Preserve my soul; for I [am] b holy: O thou my God, save
thy servant that trusteth in thee.
(b) I am not an enemy to them, but I pity them even though
they are cruel to me.
86:3 Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I c cry unto thee daily.
(c) Which was a fair token that he believed that God would
deliver him.
86:5 For thou, Lord, [art] good, and d ready to forgive; and
plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.
(d) He confesses that God is good to all but only merciful
to poor sinners.
86:6 Give ear, O LORD, unto my prayer; and e attend to the
voice of my supplications.
(e) By crying and calling continually he shows how we must
not be weary, even though God does not immediately
grant our request but that we must earnestly and often
call on him.
86:8 Among the gods [there is] none like unto thee, O Lord;
neither f [are there any works] like unto thy works.
(f) He condemns all idols as they can do nothing to declare
that they are gods.
86:9 All nations whom thou hast made shall come and g worship
before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy name.
(g) This proves that David prayed in the Name of Christ the
Messiah of whose kingdom he here prophecies.
86:11h Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth:
unite my heart to fear thy name.
(h) He confesses himself ignorant till God has taught him,
and his heart variable and separate from God, till God
join it to him, and confirm it in his obedience.
86:13 For great [is] thy mercy toward me: and thou hast
delivered my soul from i the lowest hell.
(i) That is, from most great danger of death: out of which
none but the almighty hand of God could deliver him.
86:14 O God, the proud are risen against me, and the assemblies
of violent [men] have k sought after my soul; and have
not set thee before them.
(k) He shows that there can be no moderation or equity
where proud tyrants reign, and that the lack of God's
fear is as a privilege to all vice and cruelty.
86:16 O turn unto me, and have mercy upon me; give thy strength
unto thy servant, and save the l son of thine handmaid.
(l) He boasts not of his own virtues, but confesses that
God of his free goodness has always been merciful to
him, and given him power against his enemies, as to
one of his own household.
