Psalms 86:2 - Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

Bible Comments

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

Preserve my soul, for I am holy - (cf. Psalms 86:16, end.) "Holy" - rather, 'pious' х chaaciyd (H2623). So the Septuagint, hosios (G3741)]; as the parallelism favours, 'save thy servant that trusteth in thee;' gracious, and 'godly.' So the same Hebrew is translated, Psalms 4:3. The Vulgate and Ethiopic favour the English version ('sanctus'). In the full sense, "for I am holy" can only apply to the Antitypical David, Messiah, "the Holy One of God" (Psalms 16:10; Acts 2:27; Mark 1:24). The term belongs to Him not so much as being God, the infinitely Holy One х Hagios (G40)], as it applies to Him as the faultlessly pious [hosios] Son of man, ever 'trusting' in the Father. Thrice in the three verses (Psalms 86:2-4) He speaks of His "soul:" "Preserve my soul ... Rejoice the soul of thy servant ... unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul." So at His agony in Gethsemane, "My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death." The earnest prayers here answer to His "strong crying and tears unto Him that was able to save Him from death" (Hebrews 5:7).

Psalms 86:2

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