The Meaning of Psalms 86:16 Explained

Psalms 86:16

KJV: O turn unto me, and have mercy upon me; give thy strength unto thy servant, and save the son of thine handmaid.

YLT: Look unto me, and favour me, Give Thy strength to Thy servant, And give salvation to a son of Thine handmaid.

Darby: Turn toward me, and be gracious unto me; give thy strength unto thy servant, and save the son of thine handmaid.

ASV: Oh turn unto me, and have mercy upon me; Give thy strength unto thy servant, And save the son of thy handmaid.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

O turn  unto me, and have mercy  upon me; give  thy strength  unto thy servant,  and save  the son  of thine handmaid. 

What does Psalms 86:16 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 86:16 mean?

Oh turn to me and have mercy on me Give Your strength to Your servant and save the son of Your maidservant
פְּנֵ֥ה אֵלַ֗י וְחָ֫נֵּ֥נִי תְּנָֽה־ עֻזְּךָ֥ לְעַבְדֶּ֑ךָ וְ֝הוֹשִׁ֗יעָה לְבֶן־ אֲמָתֶֽךָ

פְּנֵ֥ה  Oh  turn 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: פֹּונֶה 
Sense: to turn.
אֵלַ֗י  to  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
וְחָ֫נֵּ֥נִי  and  have  mercy  on  me 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: חָנַן 
Sense: to be gracious, show favour, pity.
תְּנָֽה־  Give 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
עֻזְּךָ֥  Your  strength 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: עֹז  
Sense: might, strength.
לְעַבְדֶּ֑ךָ  to  Your  servant 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
וְ֝הוֹשִׁ֗יעָה  and  save 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: יָשַׁע 
Sense: to save, be saved, be delivered.
לְבֶן־  the  son 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
אֲמָתֶֽךָ  of  Your  maidservant 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אָמָה  
Sense: maid-servant, female slave, maid, handmaid, concubine.