Psalms 86:2

2 diligit Dominus portas Sion super omnia tabernacula Iacob

Psalms 86:2 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 86:2

Preserve my soul
Or life, which Saul sought after; and this prayer was heard: David was often remarkably preserved by the Lord from his attempts upon him; and so was the soul or life of Christ preserved in his infancy from Herod's malice; in the wilderness from wild beasts, and from perishing with hunger; and often from the designs of the Jews, to take away his life before his time; and he was supported in death, preserved from corruption in the grave, and raised from thence: instances there are of his praying for the preservation of his life, with submission to the will of God, in which he was heard, ( Matthew 26:39 Matthew 26:49 ) ( John 12:27 ) ( Hebrews 5:7 ) . The Lord is not only the preserver of the lives of men in a temporal sense, but he is the preserver of the souls of his people, their more noble part, whose redemption is precious; he keeps them from the evil of sin, and preserves them safe to his kingdom and glory; yea, their whole soul, body, and spirit, are preserved by him blameless, unto the coming of Christ:

for I am holy;
quite innocent, as to the crime that was laid to his charge by Saul and his courtiers; or was kind, beneficent, and merciful, to others, and to such God shows himself merciful, they obtain mercy: or was favoured of God, to whom he had been bountiful, on whom he had bestowed many mercies and blessings; and therefore desires and hopes that, to the rest of favours, this of preservation might be added; or, as he was a sanctified person, and God had begun his work of grace in him, he therefore entreats the Lord would preserve him, and perfect his own work in him: some, as Aben Ezra observes, would have the sense to be,

``keep my soul until I am holy:''

so Arama interprets it,

``keep me unto the world to come, where all are holy:''

the character of an Holy One eminently and perfectly agrees with Christ, as well as the petition; see ( Psalms 16:1 Psalms 16:10 ) .

O thou, my God, save thy servant that trusteth in thee;
both temporally and spiritually: the arguments are taken from covenant interest in God, which is a strong one; from relation to him as a servant, not by nature only, but by grace; and from his trust and confidence in him; all which, as well as the petition, agree with Christ; see ( Psalms 22:1 Psalms 22:8 Psalms 22:10 Psalms 22:20 Psalms 22:21 ) ( Isaiah 42:1 ) .

Psalms 86:2 In-Context

1 filiis Core psalmus cantici fundamenta eius in montibus sanctis
2 diligit Dominus portas Sion super omnia tabernacula Iacob
3 gloriosa dicta sunt de te civitas Dei diapsalma
4 memor ero Raab et Babylonis scientibus me ecce alienigenae et Tyrus et populus Aethiopum hii fuerunt illic
5 numquid Sion dicet homo et homo natus est in ea et ipse fundavit eam Altissimus
The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.