Mazmur 86:1-7

Psalm 86 ¹ 

A prayer of David.

86:1 Listen ²  O Lord! Answer me!

For I am oppressed and needy.

86:2 Protect me, ³  for I am loyal!

O my God, deliver your servant, who trusts in you!

86:3 Have mercy on me, ⁴  O Lord,

for I cry out to you all day long!

86:4 Make your servant ⁵  glad,

for to you, O Lord, I pray! ⁶ 

86:5 Certainly ⁷  O Lord, you are kind ⁸  and forgiving,

and show great faithfulness to all who cry out to you.

86:6 O Lord, hear my prayer!

Pay attention to my plea for mercy!

86:7 In my time of trouble I cry out to you,

for you will answer me.

Mazmur 86:14-17

86:14 O God, arrogant men attack me; ⁹ 

a gang ¹⁰  of ruthless men, who do not respect you, seek my life. ¹¹ 

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

You are patient ¹²  and demonstrate great loyal love and faithfulness. ¹³ 

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

Give your servant your strength!

Deliver your slave! ¹⁴ 

86:17 Show me evidence of your favor! ¹⁵ 

Then those who hate me will see it and be ashamed, ¹⁶ 

for you, O Lord, will help me and comfort me. ¹⁷ 

[86:1]  ¹ sn Psalm 86. The psalmist appeals to God’s mercy as he asks for deliverance from his enemies.

[86:1]  ² tn Heb “turn your ear.”

[86:2]  ³ tn Heb “my life.”

[86:3]  ⁴ tn Or “show me favor.”

[86:4]  ⁵ tn Heb “the soul of your servant.”

[86:4]  ⁶ tn Heb “I lift up my soul.”

[86:5]  ⁷ tn Or “for.”

[86:5]  ⁸ tn Heb “good.”

[86:14]  ⁹ tn Heb “rise up against me.”

[86:14]  ¹⁰ tn Or “assembly.”

[86:14]  ¹¹ tn Heb “seek my life and do not set you before them.” See Ps 54:3.

[86:15]  ¹² tn Heb “slow to anger.”

[86:15]  ¹³ tn Heb “and great of loyal love and faithfulness.”

[86:15]  sn The psalmist’s confession of faith in this verse echoes Exod 34:6.

[86:16]  ¹⁴ 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]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “Work with me a sign for good.” The expression “work a sign” also occurs in Judg 6:17.

[86:17]  ¹⁶ tn After the imperative in the preceding line (“work”), the prefixed verb forms with prefixed vav (ו) conjunctive indicate purpose or result.

[86:17]  ¹⁷ 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”).