The Meaning of Psalms 86:1 Explained

Psalms 86:1

KJV: {A Prayer of David.} Bow down thine ear, O LORD, hear me: for I am poor and needy.

YLT: A Prayer of David. Incline, O Jehovah, Thine ear, Answer me, for I am poor and needy.

Darby: {A Prayer of David.} Incline thine ear, Jehovah, answer me; for I am afflicted and needy.

ASV: Bow down thine ear, O Jehovah, and answer me; For I am poor and needy.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

{{A Prayer  of David.  }} Bow down  thine ear,  O LORD,  hear  me: for I [am] poor  and needy. 

What does Psalms 86:1 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 86:1-17 - A Prayer To The God Of Mercy
This psalm is largely composed of quotations. When the soul is in great need, it is not concerned with inventing new forms of address to God, but avails itself of well-known and well-worn phrases. Our Lord in Gethsemane "prayed the same words." The background of the psalm is faith which reckons on God's goodness. Thou art good, Psalms 86:5; thou art great, Psalms 86:10; thou art merciful and gracious, Psalms 86:15. Be sure to build prayer upon the revelation of God's nature as given by Christ.
Psalms 86:1-5. That we are indeed poor and needy is our strongest plea with God. That we are holy is true only so far as we present Christ as our righteousness. That we cry all the day is a plea which God honors. But the best of all is the plenteousness of His lovingkindness.
Psalms 86:6-13. Again, in this strophe, there is the cry of need; and faith is helped by remembering that God's power is sufficient. God is so great that He can include our little life in His microscopic care.
Psalms 86:14-17. We can readily imagine the rabble that beset the psalmist, for we are similarly beset; but nearer than they can come is the calm and holy inner presence of God. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 86

1  David strengthens his prayer by the consciousness of his religion
5  By the goodness and power of God
11  He desires the continuance of former grace
14  Complaining of the proud, he craves some token of God's goodness

What do the individual words in Psalms 86:1 mean?

A Prayer of David Bow down Yahweh Your ear hear me for poor and needy I [am]
תְּפִלָּ֗ה לְדָ֫וִ֥ד הַטֵּֽה־ יְהוָ֣ה אָזְנְךָ֣ עֲנֵ֑נִי כִּֽי־ עָנִ֖י וְאֶבְי֣וֹן אָֽנִי

תְּפִלָּ֗ה  A  Prayer 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: תְּפִלָּה  
Sense: prayer.
לְדָ֫וִ֥ד  of  David 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
הַטֵּֽה־  Bow  down 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: נָטָה 
Sense: to stretch out, extend, spread out, pitch, turn, pervert, incline, bend, bow.
יְהוָ֣ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אָזְנְךָ֣  Your  ear 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֹזֶן  
Sense: ear, as part of the body.
עֲנֵ֑נִי  hear  me 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: לְעַנּׄות 
Sense: to answer, respond, testify, speak, shout.
עָנִ֖י  poor 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: עָנִי  
Sense: poor, afflicted, humble, wretched.
וְאֶבְי֣וֹן  and  needy 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: אֶבְיׄון  
Sense: in want, needy, chiefly poor, needy person.
אָֽנִי  I  [am] 
Parse: Pronoun, first person common singular
Root: אֲנִי  
Sense: I (first pers.