Psalm 86 – Skeptic's Annotated Bible answered

A response and reply to the notes on Psalm 86 in the Skeptic's Annotated Bible (SAB).

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King James Version

SAB comment

My comment


1 Bow down thine ear, O LORD, hear me: for I am poor and needy.

2 Preserve my soul; for I am holy: O thou my God, save thy servant that trusteth in thee.

Rev.15:4 says that only God is holy. But the psalmist (David?) thinks that he is holy too.
Is only God holy?
The word that is translated here with holy should have been translated with pious. It is in that meaning the word “holy” should be taken and this verse therefore cannot be compared with Rev. 15:4. Indeed, only God is holy.
What the psalmist does here is call upon God for help, comparing his own behavior to that of his enemies. He is poor and needy, he is pious, he cries to the Lord, but the assemblies of violent men are seeking to kill him, verse 15.
See Lev. 19:2 where a different word is used that is translated with holy, but the meaning there is also different.

3 Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto thee daily.

4 Rejoice the soul of thy servant: for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.

5 For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.

Is God merciful?
Yes God is merciful, even those who make it their life's work to mock him are not destroyed instantaneously, but given time to repent.

6 Give ear, O LORD, unto my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications.

7 In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me.

8 Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto thy works.

"Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord" How many gods are there?
The psalmist does not say here there are other gods. He actually says there are none. There are no gods, so called by the heathen, like God. And it would be a logical contradiction to have more than one God that is almighty and omniscient as a second such God would mean there couldn't be a first such God. There cannot be an almighty God if there is another almighty God.

9 All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy name.

10 For thou art great, and doest wondrous things: thou art God alone.

11 Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.

12 I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore.

13 For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.

14 O God, the proud are risen against me, and the assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul; and have not set thee before them.

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

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

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.

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