The Meaning of Psalms 86:17 Explained

Psalms 86:17

KJV: Shew me a token for good; that they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed: because thou, LORD, hast holpen me, and comforted me.

YLT: Do with me a sign for good, And those hating me see and are ashamed, For Thou, O Jehovah, hast helped me, Yea, Thou hast comforted me!

Darby: Shew me a token for good, that they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed; for thou, Jehovah, hast helped me and comforted me.

ASV: Show me a token for good, That they who hate me may see it, and be put to shame, Because thou, Jehovah, hast helped me, and comforted me.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Shew  me a token  for good;  that they which hate  me may see  [it], and be ashamed:  because thou, LORD,  hast holpen  me, and comforted  me. 

What does Psalms 86:17 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 86:17 mean?

Show me a sign for good that may see [it] those who hate me and be ashamed because You Yahweh have helped me and comforted me
עֲשֵֽׂה־ עִמִּ֥י א֗וֹת לְט֫וֹבָ֥ה וְיִרְא֣וּ שֹׂנְאַ֣י וְיֵבֹ֑שׁוּ כִּֽי־ אַתָּ֥ה יְ֝הוָ֗ה עֲזַרְתַּ֥נִי וְנִחַמְתָּֽנִי

עֲשֵֽׂה־  Show 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
עִמִּ֥י  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: עִם  
Sense: with.
א֗וֹת  a  sign 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: אֹות  
Sense: sign, signal.
לְט֫וֹבָ֥ה  for  good 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular
Root: טָבַב 
Sense: good, pleasant, agreeable.
וְיִרְא֣וּ  that  may  see  [it] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
שֹׂנְאַ֣י  those  who  hate  me 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: שָׂנֵא  
Sense: to hate, be hateful.
וְיֵבֹ֑שׁוּ  and  be  ashamed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: בֹּושׁ 
Sense: to put to shame, be ashamed, be disconcerted, be disappointed.
כִּֽי־  because 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
יְ֝הוָ֗ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
עֲזַרְתַּ֥נִי  have  helped  me 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: עָזַר  
Sense: to help, succour, support.
וְנִחַמְתָּֽנִי  and  comforted  me 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: נָחַם  
Sense: to be sorry, console oneself, repent, regret, comfort, be comforted.