Psalms 86:7 · Bible study
Psalms 86:7 Commentary: Confidence in God's Answer
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why does the psalmist trust God will answer? A study of the Hebrew verbs and the basis for confident prayer in trouble.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The psalmist pledges to cry to God in distress because he is certain God will answer, based on God’s character and past faithfulness.
- Key words: call (קָרָא, qara), a deliberate, often loud cry for help; answer (עָנָה, anah), God’s active response. The Hebrew imperfects express ongoing readiness.
- Main debate: Minimal; a few read “you will answer” as a statement of present experience, while most see a future certainty grounded in promise.
- Theological theme: Confident prayer as a habit of faith, rooted in God’s nature as a hearer of prayer and covenant keeper.
- Best use: Teaching on the grounds of prayer-assurance, personal lament with trust, and the connection between God’s character and our cries.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
In the day of my distress I call on You, because You answer me.
WEB World English Bible 2000
In the day of my trouble I will call on you, for you will answer me.
KJV King James Version 1769
In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee; For thou wilt answer me.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
In a day of my distress I call Thee, For Thou dost answer me.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
In the day of my distress I will call upon thee, for thou wilt answer me.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
The dwelling in thee is as it were of all rejoicing.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
En el día de mi angustia te llamaré: porque tú me respondes.
No dia de minha angústia clamarei a ti, pois tu me responderás.
Je t’ invoque au jour de ma détresse,
In der Not rufe ich dich an; du wollest mich erhören.
In den dag mijner benauwdheid roep ik U aan, want Gij verhoort mij.
Io t’invoco nel giorno della mia distretta, perché tu mi risponderai.
Wzywam cię w dzień ucisku mego; bo mię ty wysłuchasz.
И поющие и играющие, - все источники мои в тебе.
我在患難 之日 要求告你，因為 你必應允我。
In the day of my trouble I send up my cry to you; for you will give me an answer.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Psalms 86:7
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this verse captures the psalmist's settled habit of turning to God in trouble and his firm confidence that God will answer. Barnes notes the Hebrew forms imply a steady purpose, “I do it now; I have done it; I will do it”, not merely a single act but a pattern of dependence. Gill points to the reasoning: the psalmist draws this assurance from God’s promise (Psalm 50:15) and from his own experience (Psalm 138:3). Clarke ties the confidence directly to God’s character as good, merciful, and ready to forgive. Calvin sees the verse as part of David’s battle against carnal reason, setting God’s goodness and power in opposition to his distress. Across the traditions, the core is clear: the psalmist’s certainty rests on who God is and on a proven track record of faithful response.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The psalmist expresses a firm, habitual trust that God will answer when he calls in trouble.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Basis of confidence | The psalmist’s confidence rests on God’s character (good, forgiving, merciful) and on his proven pattern of answering prayer. | Some emphasize the immediate experience of God’s past help (Gill), while others highlight the theological attribute of God’s readiness to forgive (Clarke). The difference is one of emphasis, not contradiction. |
| Timing of the answer | God will answer when the psalmist calls, the answer is certain. | A few read the Hebrew as a present tense (“you answer me now”), while most take it as future (“you will answer”). Both have support in the imperfect, but the surrounding context (v.5 as a grounding for this claim) favors a confident expectation. |
| The nature of “call” | The verb קָרָא implies a verbal, often public cry for help directed to God specifically. | Some see this as an act of formal prayer (the Davidic habit of fixed prayer times), while others view it as an instinctive, desperate cry. The psalm permits both readings. |
| The identity of “trouble” | The trouble is real and external, likely persecution or military threat, given the psalm’s later references (v.14). | Traditional readings (e.g., Gill) also include internal troubles: corruption, temptation, spiritual dryness. The text does not specify, so interpreters apply it broadly. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Psalm 86 carries the title “A Prayer of David,” placing it within the tradition of personal laments where the king or individual pours out need before God. The verse belongs to the opening section (vv.1, 7), a series of urgent petitions grounded in God’s character. The “day of my trouble” likely refers to a specific crisis, perhaps during David’s flight from Saul, Absalom’s rebellion, or another season of acute danger. In Israelite prayer language, the verb קָרָא (qara, “call”) often signals a loud cry for help, sometimes public, and certainly urgent. The Hebrew imperfect forms (אֶקְרָא, “I will call”; תַעֲנֵנִי, “you will answer”) can express a present confidence as well as a future expectation; the psalmist speaks as if the answer is as certain as the call.
The literary context reinforces this assurance. Verse 5 declares God “good, ready to forgive, abundant in lovingkindness to all who call on you.” That theological foundation explains why the psalmist dares to pray so boldly. The surrounding verses (3, 6) describe continual, daily prayer, “all day long”, suggesting not a panic-stricken cry but a sustained relationship. In the ancient Near East, where other nations appealed to mute idols (1 Kings 18:26), Israel’s psalmist expressed a radical confidence: the Lord hears and answers. This verse, then, is not merely a sentiment but a confession embedded in covenant faith.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for Psalm 86:7. The Hebrew text (Masoretic) is stable, and the ancient versions (Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate) read consistently with the standard Hebrew. A few minor orthographic differences appear in some medieval manuscripts, but none affect meaning.
Reception History
Psalm 86:7 has been cherished across Christian traditions as a compact expression of prayer confidence. The church fathers often cited it alongside Psalm 50:15 to teach that God invites our cries in affliction. In the Middle Ages, it appeared in devotional works on prayer as an example of how the psalmist “calls” with assurance. During the Reformation, Calvin used this verse to argue that faith in God’s goodness is the antidote to carnal fear. The verse also has a place in the liturgy of the hours, where it serves as a refrain for trust. Jewish tradition includes it in the Peshukei D’Zimra (verses of song) as a prayer for times of distress. Its simplicity and depth make it a perennial favorite for hymns and personal meditation.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The time of prayer. “In the day of my trouble”, not when trouble is past, but right in the middle. The psalmist does not wait for clearer circumstances.
- The action of prayer. “I will call on you”, the Hebrew (קָרָא) implies a deliberate, vocal cry. It is a choice, not a reflex. Barnes calls it a “fixed purpose.”
- The confidence in prayer. “For you will answer me”, the ground of assurance is not the psalmist’s worthiness but God’s character (v.5) and past faithfulness (Psalm 50:15).
Five-point outline
- Distress drives the psalmist to God, not away from him.
- The call is personal and persistent, “I call on you.”
- Confidence is rooted in God’s revealed nature: good, forgiving, full of mercy (v.5, alongside the verse).
- Past experience confirms the pattern: God has answered before, so he will answer again.
- The result is a testimony that encourages others, the public nature of “call on you” invites the congregation to join.
Illustration hooks
- A child crying out in a crowded store: the child calls because he trusts his parent is nearby and listening. The psalmist’s trouble feels just as disorienting, but the confidence is the same.
- A patient calling a doctor with a worsening symptom: the call is made because the doctor has helped before. The psalmist’s “you will answer” is built on a history of healing.
- An athlete calling to a coach for guidance during a crucial play: the call is habitual, trained. The psalmist has trained his soul to cry out in trouble as his first instinct.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How can I be sure God hears me when everything feels urgent?
- Does God answer every prayer, or only some?
- What do I do when I call and it seems like silence?
Leading a Discussion
The psalmist speaks with remarkable certainty: “In the day of my trouble I will call on you, for you will answer me.” This confidence does not come from pretending problems away. It comes from knowing who God is and remembering what he has done. The small group can explore the foundation of that assurance and what it means for their own prayers.
Discussion questions
- Read Psalm 86:1, 7 as a group. What words or phrases stand out to you about how the psalmist approaches God?
- What does “in the day of my trouble” suggest about when the psalmist prays? Is there a time when you are most tempted to not pray?
- Barnes notes that the Hebrew implies a habit: “I have done it; I do it; I will do it.” How does a habit of prayer change how you face trouble?
- The psalmist says “I will call on you, for you will answer me.” Where does that “for” come from, what is the reason? Look at verse 5 and Psalm 50:15.
- What difference does it make that God is described as “good, ready to forgive, abundant in lovingkindness” (v.5) rather than distant or indifferent?
- Can you think of a time when you prayed and later saw God’s answer? How does that memory affect your prayer today?
- How can this verse help someone who is discouraged by unanswered prayer? What would you say to them from this psalm?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Psalms 17:6 | I have called on you, for you will answer me, God. Turn your ear to me. Hear my speech. |
| Psalms 18:6 | In my distress I called on Yahweh, and cried to my God. He heard my voice out of his temple. My cry before him came into his ears. |
| Psalms 34:4 | I sought Yahweh, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears. |
| Psalms 34:6 | This poor man cried, and Yahweh heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. |
| Psalms 50:15 | Call on me in the day of trouble. I will deliver you, and you will honor me.” |
| Psalms 55:16 | As for me, I will call on God. Yahweh will save me. |
| Psalms 55:18 | He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me, although there are many who oppose me. |
| Psalms 77:1 | For the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm by Asaph. My cry goes to God! Indeed, I cry to God for help, and for him to listen to me. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes two grounds for confidence that God will answer: God's own character as good, merciful, and ready to forgive, and the psalmist's prayer offered fervently and in God's prescribed way. Assurance comes not from human merit but from God's nature and the right approach to Him.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes emphasizes that the psalmist speaks of a settled habit, not a one-time cry. Making God a refuge in every trouble becomes the ground of confidence, because a man who steadily relies on God can be sure God will hear and answer.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The psalmist's confidence in being heard rests not on his own merit but on the nature of God himself. Because the Lord alone is the true God, the psalmist is certain of an answer, and he looks ahead to the day when all nations will acknowledge this.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note draws attention to the psalmist's confident logic: he will call on God in trouble because God hears him. The emphasis is on the reason for prayer — not mere desperation but a settled assurance that God listens and will respond.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill catalogues the many sources of a believer's trouble: from their own corruptions, from the world's persecution, from Satan's temptations, and from God's own afflicting hand. He then notes that Christ himself faced such times of trouble and called on the Father, who always answered him. This pattern grounds the believer's confidence that God will likewise answer their prayers.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch observe that this psalm borrows its language from earlier Scriptures, yet they find its distinctive value in the unallegorical prediction that all nations will one day recognize the incomparable Lord. They also note the petition in verse 11 asks God to concentrate the heart wholly on one thing, not merely keep it near.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange sees this psalm as a late composite work, built from familiar phrases found in the Law, Psalms, and Prophets, yet displaying some original treatment. He argues that the claim to be holy refers to the covenant relationship, not personal piety, and that the prayer for an undivided heart asks God to unite all the psalmist's powers toward one goal.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that this psalm is strikingly plain in language compared to others, lacking poetic flair. He argues this is fitting, because prayer is not meant to display wit. Every part should be directed to God, with the soul lifted up to him in faith and holy desire.