Psalms 86:15

Psa 86:15 But thou, O Lord, [art] a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.

Ver. 15. But thou, O Lord, art a God full, &c.] These are part of those thirteen attributes of Almighty God, set down and proclaimed by himself, Exo 24:6. Middoth, the Rabbis call them, that is, properties.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

15. (Psa 86:15) And thou, Lord, (art) a God merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth. He here appeals to God's description of himself as warranting his prayer for mercy. See Exo 34:6, and the imitations or quotations of it by Joel (Joe 2:13) and Jonah (Jon 4:2). See also Psa 85:10.

Joseph Addison Alexander, The Psalms Translated and Explained (1850) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

86:15 God has mercy on his people (51:1); he is gracious (25:6), slow to get angry (103:8; 145:8), and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness (Hebrew khesed and ’emeth; 143:1). This verse repeats a theme first expressed in Exod 34:7; Num 14:18 (cp. Pss 103:8; 145:8; Neh 9:17; Joel 2:13; Jon 4:2).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 15. But thou, O Lord] What a wonderful character of God is given in this verse! אדני Adonai, the Director, Judge, and Support; - but instead of אדני Adonai, thirty-four of Kennicott's MSS. have יהוה Jehovah, the self-existent and eternal Being; - אל El, the strong God; רחום rachum, tenderly compassionate; חנון channun, the Dispenser of grace or favour; ארך אפים erech appayim, suffering long, not easily provoked; רב חמד rab chesed, abundant in blessings; and אמת emeth, faithful and true. Such is the God who has made himself more particularly known to us in Christ. The scanty language of our ancestors was not adequate to a full rendering of the original words: [---Anglo-Saxon---]. "And thu driht God gemildsiend , and mildheort, gethyldig and mucel mildheortnysse and sothfaest. - And thou, Lord God, art mild, and mildhearted, patient, and of much mildheartedness, and soothfast," - steady in truth.

In the old Psalter the language is but little improved: And thou Lorde God mercier, and mercyful, sufferand, and of mykel mercy, and sothefast.

The word mercier is interpreted, doand dede of mercy.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

15. And thou, O Lord! art God, merciful, ready to forgive. By immediately passing on to the celebration of these divine attributes, he would intimate, that we have adequate strength and protection against the audacity and rage of the wicked, in the divine goodness, mercy, and faithfulness. Perhaps, also, from his feeling that the wicked were scourges in the hand of God, he set before himself the divine goodness and mercy, to allay the excess of terror with which he might be seized; for this is the true and the only source of comfort, that although God chastise us he does not forget his mercy. This sentence, as is well known, is taken from Exodus 34:6, where we meet with a very remarkable description of the nature of God. First, he is called merciful; in the next place, ready to forgive, which he manifests by compassionating our distresses. In the third place, he is described as long-suffering; for he is not angry whenever an offense is committed against him, but pardons us according to the greatness of his loving-kindness. In short, he is said to be abundant in mercy and truth; by which I understand, that his beneficence is continually exercised, and that he is always true. He is indeed no less worthy to be praised on account of his rigour, than on account of his mercy; but as it is our wilful obstinacy alone which makes him severe, compelling him, as it were, to punish us, the Scriptures, in representing him as by nature merciful and ready to forgive, teach us, that if he is at any time rigorous and severe, this is, as it were, accidental to him. I am speaking, it is true, in popular language, and such as is not strictly correct; but still, these terms by which the divine character is described amount in effect to this, That God is by nature so gracious and ready to forgive, that he seems to connive at our sins, delays the infliction of punishment, and never proceeds to execute vengeance unless compelled by our obstinate wickedness. Why the truth of God is joined with his mercy has been considered in another place. As even those who are most generous sometimes desire to retract the promises which they have made, repenting of their too great facility, we who are accustomed unreasonably to judge of God by ourselves, distrust his promises. God therefore declares, that he is unlike men, because he is as firm to his purpose in abundantly performing whatever he has promised, as he is distinguished for promising liberally.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

15. Word for word from Exo_34:6. With his proud and merciless enemies he contrasts the revealed character of God, as the ground of the prayer which follows. Though he may have deserved punishment, God cannot surely abandon him to them.

longsuffering] Or, slow to anger (R.V.).

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion,.... Or merciful (t), in the most affectionate and tender manner, as a parent to its child, or particularly as a mother to the son of her womb; and is rich and plenteous in his mercy, and freely bestows it; and this was the support of the psalmist under his troubles from his enemies, that though they were cruel the Lord was merciful:

and gracious; so he has been in eternity, as appears by his election of grace, by the covenant of his grace, and the provisions of it in his Son; and so he is in time, as is manifest from his kindness in Christ Jesus, from his justification, pardon, adoption, effectual calling and salvation of his people, which are all of grace;

longsuffering; not only to wicked men, but to his chosen ones; which longsuffering of his is salvation to them; he bears with them, and waits to be gracious to them, to bring them to repentance, and save them, Pe2 3:9,

plenteous in mercy; or goodness; See Gill on Psa 86:5, and truth: in fulfilling promises; see Exo 34:6, to which these words refer.

(t) "misericors", Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, &c.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion ... - See the notes at Psa 86:5. The words rendered “long-suffering” mean that there was and would be delay in his anger; that it was not soon excited; that he did not act from passion or sudden resentment; that he endured the conduct of sinners long without rising up to punish them; that he was not quick to take vengeance, but bore with them patiently. On this account the psalmist, though conscious that he was a sinner, hoped and pleaded that God would save him.

Plenteous in ... truth - That is, in faithfulness. When thou hast made a promise, thou wilt faithfully keep it.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

To wit, to thy people, and to me in particular; and therefore thou wilt forget and forgive my manifold sins, for which thou mightest justly reject me, and make me to know thy breach of promise; and therefore thou wilt save me from my cruel enemies.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Ver. 15. But thou, O Lord. What a contrast! We get away from the hectorings and blusterings of proud but puny men to the glory and goodness of the Lord. We turn from the boisterous foam of chafing waves to the sea of glass mingled with fire, calm and serene. "Art a God full of compassion, and gracious, long suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth." A truly glorious doxology, in which there is not one redundant word. As we have before observed, it is mainly transcribed from Ex 34:6. Here is compassion for the weak and sorrowing, grace for the undeserving, longsuffering for the provoking, mercy for the guilty, and truth for the tried. God's love assumes many forms, and is lovely in them all. Into whatsoever state we may be cast, there is a peculiar hue in the light of love which will harmonize with our condition; love is one and yet sevenfold, its white ray contains the chromatic scale. Are we sorrowful? We find the Lord full of compassion. Are we contending with temptation? His grace comes to our aid. Do we err? He is patient with us. Have we sinned? He is plenteous in mercy. Are we resting on his promise? He will fulfil it with abundant truth.

Ver. 15. Thou, O Lord, Adonai, art a God; El, the strong God, full of compassion; the same words as Moses useth. Instead of Jehovah, Adonai is used, "O Lord"; but then El, strong God, is the same word.

The meaning is, let all the strength and power thou the strong God hast in thee be for my advantage. Now, is it not a bold request to say, Lord, wilt thou give me all thy strength to help me? A very bold request indeed; but his mercy moves him to grant it. Thus then petition him: Thou art a God merciful and gracious, give thy strength to me! Thou, O God, givest all thy attributes up to thy children, to serve their advantage, as well as to serve thy own glory; give me thy strength! Thomas Goodwin.

Ver. 15. Full of compassion. The original word Rachum is very emphatical; it signifies such tenderness as parents have toward their children when their bowels yearn within them. "Critical and Practical Exposition of the Pentateuch." 1748.

Ver. 15. The shades of the light of love. Compassion upon suffering, grace towards unworthiness, long suffering to provocation, mercy towards sin, truth towards the promise.

Psalms 86:16*

Charles H. Spurgeon's The Treasury of David (1869–1885) — public domain. Psalms only. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

15. But thou, O Lord, art… full of compassion—In contrast with the godless characters who had seized the reins of power. This ascription—the glory of the divine character—is a re-iteration of Exo_34:6

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion. The appeal is to God"s own revelation of himself. He had declared that he was "merciful and gracious, long suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin"; (Exo_34:6, Exo_34:7) he could not, therefore, desert the psalmist in his need. And gracious, long suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth. (comp. above, ver. 5; and see also Num_14:18 Joe_2:13Jo Joe 4:2)

God"s graciousness.

"Full of compassion, and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy and truth" The term "gracious," as applied to God, brings in ideas of tenderness, gentleness, considerateness, in dealing with those who are frail and weak. It is like "pitiful," but does not imply conditions of special poverty or distress. "Gracious" fits into God"s ordinary ways with ordinary people. If we used the term of our fellow men, we should single out those who were sympathetic and sweet mannered and gentle toned. It brings in a somewhat fresh, and a very attractive, view of God, thus to associate the word "gracious" with him. The precise shades of meaning that may be attached to the term will come to view upon a study of the following passages: Exo_22:27, "And it shall come to pass, when he crieth unto me, that I will hear; for I am gracious;" Exo_34:6, "And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious;" 2Sa_12:22, "Who can tell whether God will be gracious to me, that the child may live?" Neh_9:17, "A God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful;" Psa_4:1, margin, "Be gracious unto me, and hear my prayer;" Isa_30:18, "And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you;" Jon_4:2, "For I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil." Evidently the term is used to express God"s relations with sinners, as distinct from his relations with sin; and it especially describes the Divine response to penitent sinners. "Grace," as favour, mercy, was the highest blessing under the Old Testament dispensation. Joseph, in the fulness of his feelings on seeing his brother Benjamin, cried, "God be gracious to thee, my son!" The synonyms of the term "gracious" may be found suggestive kindly, beneficent, benignant, condescending, pleasing. Bring out the point that not only does God save and sanctify, but he saves and sanctifies in a gentle, considerate, and delightful way. Put into a figure, he never "breaks the bruised reed, or quenches the smoking flax. R.T.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

and abundant in covenant faithfulness and trustworthiness

God constantly being faithful and trustworthy is spoken of as if faithfulness and trustworthiness were objects of which God has a large quantity. The two abstract nouns can be translated as adjectives. AT: "always faithful to your covenant and very worthy of people trusting you" (See: Metaphor and Abstract Nouns)

Turn toward me

Asking God to consider him is spoken of as if he wanted God to turn and look at him. (See: Metaphor)

give your strength to your servant

The abstract noun "strength" can be stated as a verb or an adjective. AT: "strengthen your servant" or "make your servant strong" (See: Abstract Nouns)

your servant ... the son of your servant woman

The writer is speaking about himself in the third person. (See: First, Second, or Third Person)

be put to shame

This can be stated in active form. AT: "they will be ashamed" (See: Active or Passive)

translationWords

lord

mercy

grace

God

anger

covenant faithfulness

trust

turn

servant

save

son

sign

favor

shame

Yahweh

comfort

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.