Psalms 86 · Verse 16

Psalms 86:16

O turn unto me, and have mercy upon me; give thy strength unto thy servant, and save the son of thine handmaid.
Psalms 86:16, King James Version

Psalms 86:16 in other translations

BSBTurn to me and have mercy; grant Your strength to Your servant; save the son of Your maidservant.
WEBTurn to me, and have mercy on me! Give your strength to your servant. Save the son of your servant.
ASVOh turn unto me, and have mercy upon me; Give thy strength unto thy servant, And save the son of thy handmaid.
YLTLook unto me, and favour me, Give Thy strength to Thy servant, And give salvation to a son of Thine handmaid.
DARBYTurn toward me, and be gracious unto me; give thy strength unto thy servant, and save the son of thine handmaid.
BBEO be turned to me and have mercy on me: give your strength to your servant, and your salvation to the son of her who is your servant.
WebsterO turn to me, and have mercy upon me; give thy strength to thy servant, and save the son of thy handmaid.

What does Psalms 86:16 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
16. son ... handmaid--homeborn servant (compare Lu 15:17).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 16 O turn unto me - He represents himself as following after God; but he cannot overtake him; and then he plays that he would turn and meet him through pity; or give him strength that he might be able to hold on his race. Give thy strength unto thy servant - The Vulgate renders, Daniel imperium tuum puero tuo, "Give thy empire to thy child." The old Psalter. Gyf empyre to thi barne, and make safe the son of thi hand mayden. Thi barne - thy tender child. Anglo-Saxon; thy knave; signifying either a serving man or a male child. As many servants were found to be purloiners of their masters' property, hence the word knave, became the title of an unprincipled servant. The term fur, which signifies a thief in Latin, for the same reason became the appellative of a dishonest servant. Quid domini facient, audent cum talia Fures? When servants (thieves) do such things, what may not be expected from the masters? Virg. Ecl. 3:16. So Plautus, speaking of a servant, Aulul. 2:46, says: Homo es trium literarum, "Thou art a man of three letters," i.e., Fur, a thief. The word knave is still in use, but is always taken in a bad sense. The paraphrase in the old Psalter states the handmaid to be the kirk, and the son of this handmaid to be a true believer.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Psalms 86:8-17

Our God alone possesses almighty power and infinite love. Christ is the way and the truth. And the believing soul will be more desirous to be taught the way and the truth. And the believing soul will be more desirous to be taught the way and the truth of God, in order to walk therein, than to be delivered out of earthly distress. Those who set not the Lord before them, seek after believers' souls; but the…

Read the full comment on Psalms 86:8-17 →

Psalms 86:16 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

פְּנֵ֥הpe.NehturnH6437
אֵלַ֗י'e.Laito meH413
וְחָ֫נֵּ֥נִיve.cho.Ne.niand show favor to meH2603
תְּנָֽה\־te.nah-give !H5414
עֻזְּךָ֥'u.ze.Khastrength yourH5797
לְעַבְדֶּ֑ךָle.'av.De.khato servant yourH5650
וְ֝הוֹשִׁ֗יעָהve.ho.Shi.'ahand save !H3467
לְבֶן\־le.ven-<to> [the] son ofH1121
אֲמָתֶֽךָ\׃'a.ma.Te.khamaidservant yourH519

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Psalms 86:16

  • Ephesians 6:10

    Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

  • Philippians 4:13

    I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

  • Isaiah 40:29-31

    He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

  • Psalms 116:16

    O Lord, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds.

  • Psalms 25:16

    Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me; for I am desolate and afflicted.

  • Colossians 1:11

    Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;

  • Ephesians 3:16

    That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

  • Psalms 138:3

    In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul.

  • Psalms 119:94

    I am thine, save me; for I have sought thy precepts.

  • Psalms 28:7-8

    The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him. The Lord is their strength, and he is the saving strength of his anointed.

  • Zechariah 10:12

    And I will strengthen them in the Lord; and they shall walk up and down in his name, saith the Lord.

  • Psalms 90:13

    Return, O Lord, how long? and let it repent thee concerning thy servants.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
turn.
25:16; 69:16; 90:13; 119:132
give.
28:7,8; 84:5; 138:3; Isa 40:29-31; 45:24; Zec 10:12; Eph 3:16; 6:10
Php 4:13; Col 1:11
the son
116:16; 119:94; Lu 1:38

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Psalms 86:15

    But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.

  • Psalms 86:16

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

  • Psalms 86:17

    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.

Read all of Psalms 86

Psalms 86:16 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Mírame, y ten misericordia de mí: da tu fortaleza á tu siervo, y guarda al hijo de tu sierva.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Tourne-toi vers moi, et use de grâce envers moi; donne ta force à ton serviteur, et sauve le fils de ta servante.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Wende dich zu mir und sei mir gnädig! gewähre deinem Knechte deine Kraft und rette den Sohn deiner Magd!