Psa 86:14 | KingComments | STEP | The “arrogant” are the proud people, the show-offs ( ). Prophetically we can think of the Assyrians ( ). David is surrounded by such people. He points God to them. It is “a band of violent men” who want to kill him. It’s a whole mob, not just a few. These people, he tells God, “have not set You before them”. They have no regard for God, but pursue their own interests. People like David stand in their way. Therefore, he must be eliminated. Opposite to these band of violent men David places the “Lord”, Adonai, the sovereign Ruler ( ). Compared to Him those boasters and evil doers are dwarfed. They do not keep Him in mind, but he knows the Lord as “a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and truth” (cf. ). This is the name that the LORD revealed in grace to Moses in Exodus 34 ( ). He appeals to Him to turn to him, asking again to be “gracious” to him ( ). He asks not only for protection from the arrogant and violent of , but also for the strength of God to stand firm against them. He makes this appeal to God’s power again as “Your servant”. David also points to his mother as a pleading ground for his redemption when he asks God: “Save the son of Your servant.” The name of his father, Jesse, is mentioned several times. The reference to his mother is one of two references we have to her in Scripture ( ; ). That David calls her “Your handmaid” means that she was a God-fearing woman, who served God and taught him in the things of God. David had a God-fearing mother ( ) and from his mother’s womb he was brought up God-fearing (cf. ). Possibly he is also thinking back to his birth and that God set him apart from his mother’s womb for Himself and His people and watched over him (cf. ; ). That he mentions her in this prayer may be because he remembers how he used to seek and find comfort from her in his distress. In the last verse of the psalm, he speaks about the comfort he will receive from the LORD. Someone who gives comfort can sympathize, which gives relief from the pressure and pain that someone may experience. At the end of his prayer, which, as we have seen, consists of several prayers, he asks God to show him “a sign for good” ( ). By this David asks for such a visible action of God in his favor that God’s hand must be recognized in it. It means an intervention of God through which David is saved and his enemies are defeated. Nor is the sign intended for himself, but for his haters. When they see that sign, they will be ashamed, when He, the LORD, has “helped” and “comforted” him. David does not doubt the help and comfort of God. The help he will receive from God is a comfort to him after all the affliction and need in the day of his trouble.

‏ Psalms 86:14

Help and Comfort

The “arrogant” are the proud people, the show-offs (Psa 86:14). Prophetically we can think of the Assyrians (Isa 36:4-10). David is surrounded by such people. He points God to them. It is “a band of violent men” who want to kill him. It’s a whole mob, not just a few. These people, he tells God, “have not set You before them”. They have no regard for God, but pursue their own interests. People like David stand in their way. Therefore, he must be eliminated.

Opposite to these band of violent men David places the “Lord”, Adonai, the sovereign Ruler (Psa 86:15). Compared to Him those boasters and evil doers are dwarfed. They do not keep Him in mind, but he knows the Lord as “a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and truth” (cf. Psa 86:5). This is the name that the LORD revealed in grace to Moses in Exodus 34 (Exo 34:6-7).

He appeals to Him to turn to him, asking again to be “gracious” to him (Psa 86:16). He asks not only for protection from the arrogant and violent of Psa 86:14, but also for the strength of God to stand firm against them. He makes this appeal to God’s power again as “Your servant”.

David also points to his mother as a pleading ground for his redemption when he asks God: “Save the son of Your servant.” The name of his father, Jesse, is mentioned several times. The reference to his mother is one of two references we have to her in Scripture (Psa 86:16; Psa 116:16). That David calls her “Your handmaid” means that she was a God-fearing woman, who served God and taught him in the things of God.

David had a God-fearing mother (Psa 22:9) and from his mother’s womb he was brought up God-fearing (cf. 2Tim 1:5). Possibly he is also thinking back to his birth and that God set him apart from his mother’s womb for Himself and His people and watched over him (cf. Jer 1:5; Gal 1:15).

That he mentions her in this prayer may be because he remembers how he used to seek and find comfort from her in his distress. In the last verse of the psalm, he speaks about the comfort he will receive from the LORD. Someone who gives comfort can sympathize, which gives relief from the pressure and pain that someone may experience.

At the end of his prayer, which, as we have seen, consists of several prayers, he asks God to show him “a sign for good” (Psa 86:17). By this David asks for such a visible action of God in his favor that God’s hand must be recognized in it. It means an intervention of God through which David is saved and his enemies are defeated.

Nor is the sign intended for himself, but for his haters. When they see that sign, they will be ashamed, when He, the LORD, has “helped” and “comforted” him. David does not doubt the help and comfort of God. The help he will receive from God is a comfort to him after all the affliction and need in the day of his trouble.