Psalms 86:15 Meaning and Explanation
“But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, long suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →When trouble is pressing, fear can make the strength or malice of other people seem decisive. Psalm 86:15 redirects the prayer toward the One to whom David is praying. The verse grounds his hope in who the Lord is, giving reasons to continue seeking help even while danger remains.
David answers the threat of proud and violent people by looking to the Lord's own character: compassionate, gracious, patient, rich in mercy, and faithful in truth.
The Context of Psalms 86:15
Psalm 86 is a prayer of David. He begins as one poor and needy, asking the Lord to hear, preserve, forgive, and give joy. He confesses that the Lord alone is great and that all nations made by him will worship before him. David then asks to be taught God's way and recounts mercy already shown in deliverance. In verses 14-17, the prayer turns to a present threat: proud and violent men seek his life and disregard God. Verse 15 stands between that accusation and David's renewed request for mercy, strength, help, and comfort.
What Does Psalms 86:15 Mean?
The opening word, "But," matters. David has just named people who are proud, violent, and heedless of God. Their conduct is real, yet it does not define the final reality of his prayer. He turns directly to "thou, O Lord." The descriptions that follow are joined together: God is full of compassion, gracious, long suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth. David does not appeal to a vague hope that circumstances may improve. He appeals to the Lord's settled character. Compassion sees suffering; grace gives favor; long suffering bears with human sin; mercy meets misery; truth means that God's help is faithful and dependable.
This confession also gathers up themes already present in the psalm. David has asked for mercy, forgiveness, an answer in trouble, teaching, deliverance, and comfort. Verse 15 explains why such requests are fitting. The Lord's abundance of mercy is not exhausted by the repeated cries of his servant. His truth gives substance to David's confidence that he will answer. In the wider Scriptures, this language recalls God's self-declaration after Israel's grave sin with the golden calf. David therefore prays with words shaped by God's revealed name and ways. The verse holds together God's holiness and his ready mercy without treating either as unimportant.
A strong canonical echo appears in the Lord's proclamation of his name to Moses, and Psalm 86 receives that testimony as present help. David is not merely recalling a distant event; he asks the compassionate and faithful God to turn toward him now. The chapter also looks beyond David's own danger: all nations whom God has made will worship him. His mercy and truth therefore have a reach greater than one crisis, while remaining personal enough for a threatened servant. Christians may also hear this portrait alongside the Gospels' repeated witness that Jesus was moved with compassion, while keeping the psalm's first emphasis clear: the Lord himself is the refuge David calls upon.
Bible Verses Related to Psalms 86:15
“And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,”
- Exodus 34:6
“And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not.”
- Nehemiah 9:17
“The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.”
- Psalm 103:8
“And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.”
- Joel 2:13
Where Psalms 86:15 Echoes in Scripture
Exodus 34:6 is the especially strong echo. There the Lord proclaims his own name to Moses with closely matching words about compassion, graciousness, long suffering, mercy, and truth. Psalm 86:15 places that revealed character inside David's urgent prayer. The echo shows that his confidence rests in what God has made known about himself, not in David's ability to control the danger around him.
How to Apply Psalms 86:15 Today
In a season of conflict, illness, uncertainty, or regret, we can let this verse shape the first truths we bring before God. We may name the danger honestly, as David does, and then rehearse the Lord's compassion, grace, patience, mercy, and truth. This can steady our prayers when answers are delayed. It also forms our dealings with others: those who seek God's mercy have reason to grow in patience, truthful speech, and compassion. We need not pretend that harm is harmless. We can place real wrong and real need before the God whose mercy is abundant.
Reflection & Prayer
Where has a present pressure made the actions of others seem larger than the character of God? Consider praying slowly through the descriptions in this verse, connecting each one with a specific need. Suggested prayer: "O Lord, turn me again toward thy compassion, grace, patience, mercy, and truth. Give us help and teach us thy way in the trouble before us. Amen."