Psalms 86:8 · Bible study
Psalms 86:8 Commentary: Study: The Lord Among the Gods
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Who are the 'gods' in Psalm 86:8? This study explores the meaning of elohim, the incomparability of Yahweh, and the verse's place in prayer.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Yahweh is incomparable among any beings called gods, and His deeds are without parallel.
- Key words: elohim (gods/divine beings), kein (there is none), kemo (like, according to), ma'aseh (deeds/works).
- Main debate: Whether 'the gods' refers to real spiritual beings (angels, demons) or merely to human-made idols.
- Theological theme: The uniqueness and sovereignty of God over all competing powers.
- Best use: A prayer of confession that reinforces trust; an apologetic for the exclusivity of Yahweh.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
O Lord, there is none like You among the gods, nor any works like Yours.
WEB World English Bible 2000
There is no one like you among the gods, Lord, nor any deeds like your deeds.
KJV King James Version 1769
Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto thy works.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
There is none like unto thee among the gods, O Lord; Neitherare there any workslike unto thy works.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
There is none like Thee among the gods, O Lord, And like Thy works there are none.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Among thegods there is none like unto thee, Lord, and there is nothing like unto thy works.
Translations in other languages (9 available)
Oh Señor, ninguno hay como tú entre los dioses, ni obras que igualen tus obras.
Não há semelhante a ti entre os deuses, ó Senhor; e nem obras como as tuas.
Nul n’est comme toi parmi les dieux, Seigneur,
Herr, dir ist keiner gleich unter den Göttern, und ist niemand, der tun kann wie du.
Onder de goden is niemand U gelijk, Heere! en er zijn geen gelijk Uw werken.
Non v’è nessuno pari a te fra gli dèi, o Signore, né vi sono alcune opere pari alle tue.
Nie masz żadnego podobnego tobie między bogami, o Panie! i nie masz takowych spraw, jako są twoje.
主啊，諸神之中 沒有 可比你的；你的作為 也無可比。
There is no god like you, O Lord; there are no works like your works.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Psalms 86:8
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators broadly agree that this verse declares Yahweh's absolute uniqueness. Drawing from Exodus 15:11, the psalmist asserts that no being considered divine, whether by Israel's neighbors or by heavenly courts, can compare. Barnes notes that 'among all those which are worshipped as gods there is no one that can hear and save.' Clarke adds that 'none that trusted in an idol ever had help in time of need.' Gill extends the reference to include angels and human magistrates, but still affirms that none is like the Lord. The second line, 'nor any deeds like your deeds,' grounds this uniqueness in God's mighty acts of creation, deliverance and judgment. The Cambridge Bible observes that the verse comforts the psalmist with God's ability to answer prayer, following the earlier emphasis on His willingness (v.5). Together, these points build a confession that makes prayer itself possible: because Yahweh alone is incomparable, He alone can be trusted in trouble.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Idolatrous gods only: Barnes and Clarke; the verse is a polemic against false worship (cf. Isa 40:18–25).
- Real spiritual beings: Gill's first option; the divine council tradition (Ps 89:6, Deut 32:8).
- Human rulers: Gill's second option; earthly judges called 'gods' (Ps 82:1).
What is clear: All views agree that Yahweh is absolute and that no other being—whether real or imagined—can claim His power or worship.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of the 'gods' | The term 'elohim' here refers to beings that are not the true God, whether imagined or real. | Some Christians hold that these are human-made idols without real existence (Barnes, Clarke). Others maintain they may include actual spiritual beings (angels or demons) who are still subordinate to Yahweh (Gill, divine council view). |
| Nature of God's works | God's deeds, creation, deliverance, judgment, are unique and unmatched. | Interpreters differ on which deeds are primary: the exodus miracle (Exod 15:11), the wonders of creation (Ps 136:4), or the ongoing acts of providence. |
| Universal worship | The verse looks forward to worldwide recognition of Yahweh (v.9). | Some see this as a future eschatological event; others as a present mission of the church gathering the nations. |
| Relationship to Christ | New Testament writers apply similar language (no other name) to Jesus (Acts 4:12). | Whether the verse is directly Messianic or only indirectly points to God's ultimate revelation in Christ. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Psalm 86 calls itself a prayer of David, though some scholars see later editing in its mosaic of scriptural echoes. Keil and Delitzsch show that nearly every phrase borrows from earlier psalms and the Law. Verse 8 is a clear citation of the Song of the Sea (Exodus 15:11), a foundational moment when Israel saw God's power over Pharaoh and the 'gods' of Egypt.
The word translated 'gods' is elohim (H0430), a plural noun that in the Old Testament can refer to the true God (with singular verbs), to angels (Psalm 8:5), to human judges (Psalm 82:1), or to the idols of the nations. In this verse the plural verb form is absent, so the meaning depends on context. The majority of commentators, including Barnes and Clarke, read it as a reference to the false gods of surrounding peoples, idols that cannot see, hear, or act. Others, like Gill, allow that it may include real spiritual beings (angels) or earthly rulers, but the point remains: none of them has the power or the deeds of Yahweh.
The verse sits within a wider section (vv.8, 10) that unexpectedly turns from personal petition to a vision of universal worship. 'All nations whom you have made shall come and worship before you, Lord' (v.9). This missionary horizon is remarkable in an individual lament. It ties God's incomparability to His ultimate plan: the recognition of His glory by every people. The immediate historical context, David's own troubles with enemies (vv.14, 17), makes the confession more poignant. When pressed by the proud, the psalmist does not shrink to a small god. He recalls the God who parted seas and judges nations, and he stakes his life on that God alone.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for this verse. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts, and the ancient versions (Septuagint, Syriac, Targum) render the verse consistently.
Reception History
In Jewish tradition, this verse reinforced the exclusivity of God over the nations' deities. The early church read it as a testimony to Christ's divinity, since no other being could bear the same incomparability. It has been sung in hymns (e.g., 'There's No One Like Our God') and used in missionary preaching to challenge the claims of local gods. During the Reformation, Calvin and others saw in it a ground for Christian confidence: the God who alone can save hears His people. In modern contexts, the verse continues to comfort believers facing pluralistic pressures, reminding them that their God is not one option among many.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- No one like our God in person. Among every being called 'god,' Yahweh stands alone in holiness, power, and mercy. This excludes all rivals, imagined or real.
- No works like His works. Creation, the exodus, the resurrection, God's deeds are without parallel. They are not just bigger, but different in kind: they save, forgive, and draw the nations.
- Therefore we pray with confidence. Because there is no one like Him, He can answer. No trouble is too deep for the God who does wonders.
Five-point outline
- Yahweh's person is incomparable (v.8a).
- Yahweh's deeds are incomparable (v.8b).
- This truth grounds confident prayer (v.7).
- This truth looks toward the nations' worship (v.9).
- This truth calls for wholehearted, united devotion (v.11).
Illustration hooks
- A friend who has tried every self-help solution, money, relationships, achievement, and found none of them can save in a crisis. Only calling on the true God brings help.
- Parenting a teenager who thinks your advice is no better than their friends'. The verse reminds us that God is not just 'one voice among many', He is the only one who can truly deliver.
Questions your congregation is asking
- If I'm surrounded by pressures, how do I know God really can handle the situation?
- Does the Bible teach that other gods are real, or are they just statues?
- How does this verse help me when I feel like God is silent?
Leading a Discussion
This verse turns our attention from our troubles to God's unmatched power and character. Use these questions to open up the text together.
Discussion questions
- Read Psalm 86:8 aloud. What does this verse say about God? What does it say about other beings called 'gods'?
- Why do you think the psalmist includes this confession in the middle of a prayer for personal deliverance?
- How does Exodus 15:11 (which this verse echoes) help explain what 'deeds like your deeds' means?
- The next verse (v.9) says all nations will worship God. How does that connect to the claim that there is no one like Him?
- What are the 'gods' that people in your community trust in instead of Yahweh? How does this verse expose their emptiness?
- How can you practice the confession of this verse in your daily life, especially when you are afraid or anxious?
- How does this verse shape the way you pray for people who don't yet know Christ?
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)
| Exodus 15:11 | Who is like you, Yahweh, among the gods? Who is like you, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? |
| Deuteronomy 3:24 | “Lord Yahweh, you have begun to show your servant your greatness, and your strong hand. For what god is there in heaven or in earth that can do works like yours, and mighty acts like yours? |
| Deuteronomy 4:34 | Or has God tried to go and take a nation for himself from among another nation, by trials, by signs, by wonders, by war, by a mighty hand, by an outstretched arm, and by great terrors, according to all that Yahweh your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes? |
| Psalms 89:6 | For who in the skies can be compared to Yahweh? Who among the sons of the heavenly beings is like Yahweh, |
| Psalms 89:8 | Yahweh, God of Armies, who is a mighty one, like you? Yah, your faithfulness is around you. |
| Psalms 136:4 | to him who alone does great wonders, for his loving kindness endures forever; |
| Isaiah 40:18 | To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare to him? |
| Isaiah 40:25 | “To whom then will you liken me? Who is my equal?” says the Holy One. |
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
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke stresses the total contrast between God and idols: God saves, upholds, and directs, while idols can do nothing and must themselves be carried by their worshippers. No one who prayed to an idol ever received help, but God answers those who call on Him.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes draws a sharp contrast between the believer and the worshiper of false gods: the one has a God who hears and can save, the other has none. In trouble, the true child of God has a throne of grace always accessible, while those who do not profess God have no one to call on. God's works in creation and providence prove His power to save, something no false god can offer.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible notes a shift in the psalmist's thinking: having reflected on God's willingness to answer prayer, he now comforts himself with God's ability. Drawing on Exodus 15:11, he declares that no other so-called god possesses such power, strength that all nations will one day acknowledge.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note stresses that God stands utterly alone, not only in who He is but in what He does. No being called a god can match either His nature or His mighty works. The point is twofold: God's identity and His actions are both beyond comparison.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill identifies three groups the verse calls "gods" — angels, human rulers, and pagan deities — and argues that none of them can compare to the Lord. His point is that God stands utterly alone in His perfect attributes and in the greatness of His works.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB stresses the literal meaning of the phrase "nothing like thy works" — the comparison is not simply that other gods' deeds are inferior, but that they have none whatsoever. The supposed gods are utterly empty-handed, with no works to their name.
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
Matthew Henry highlights how David, even while making requests, first stops to ascribe glory to God as a being of unmatched perfection. He notes the argument from God's works: no one else does such deeds, which proves that no one else compares.