Psalm 86:1
New International Version
A prayer of David. Hear me, LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy.

New Living Translation
Bend down, O LORD, and hear my prayer; answer me, for I need your help.

English Standard Version
Incline your ear, O LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy.

Berean Standard Bible
A prayer of David. Incline Your ear, O LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy.

King James Bible
A Prayer of David. Bow down thine ear, O LORD, hear me: for I am poor and needy.

New King James Version
A Prayer of David. Bow down Your ear, O LORD, hear me; For I am poor and needy.

New American Standard Bible
A Prayer of David. Incline Your ear, LORD, and answer me; For I am afflicted and needy.

NASB 1995
A Prayer of David. Incline Your ear, O LORD, and answer me; For I am afflicted and needy.

NASB 1977
Incline Thine ear, O LORD, and answer me; For I am afflicted and needy.

Legacy Standard Bible
A Prayer of David. Incline Your ear, O Yahweh, and answer me; For I am afflicted and needy.

Amplified Bible
A Prayer of David. Incline Your ear, O LORD, and answer me, For I am distressed and needy [I long for Your help].

Christian Standard Bible
A prayer of David. Listen, LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
A Davidic prayer. Listen, LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy.

American Standard Version
A Prayer of David. Bow down thine ear, O Jehovah, and answer me; For I am poor and needy.

Contemporary English Version
Please listen, LORD, and answer my prayer! I am poor and helpless.

English Revised Version
A Prayer Of David. Bow down thine ear, O LORD, and answer me; for I am poor and needy.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
[A prayer by David.] Turn your ear [toward me], O LORD. Answer me, because I am oppressed and needy.

Good News Translation
Listen to me, LORD, and answer me, for I am helpless and weak.

International Standard Version
LORD, listen and answer me, for I am afflicted and needy.

Majority Standard Bible
A prayer of David. Incline Your ear, O LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy.

NET Bible
A prayer of David. Listen O LORD! Answer me! For I am oppressed and needy.

New Heart English Bible
[A Prayer by David.] Hear, LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy.

Webster's Bible Translation
A Prayer of David. Bow down thy ear, O LORD, hear me: for I am poor and needy.

World English Bible
A Prayer by David. Hear, Yahweh, and answer me, for I am poor and needy.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
A PRAYER OF DAVID. Incline, O YHWH, Your ear, "" Answer me, for I [am] poor and needy.

Young's Literal Translation
A Prayer of David. Incline, O Jehovah, Thine ear, Answer me, for I am poor and needy.

Smith's Literal Translation
A prayer to David. Incline, O Jehovah, thine ear: answer me, for I am poor and needy.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
A prayer for David himself. Incline thy ear, O Lord, and hear me: for I am needy and poor.

Catholic Public Domain Version
A Prayer of David himself. Incline your ear, O Lord, and hear me. For I am needy and poor.

New American Bible
A prayer of David. Incline your ear, LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and oppressed.

New Revised Standard Version
Incline your ear, O LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
INCLINE thine ear, O LORD; hear me, for I am poor and needy.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Incline your ear, LORD JEHOVAH, and answer me, because I am poor and afflicted!
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
A Prayer of David. Incline Thine ear, O LORD, and answer me; For I am poor and needy.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
A Prayer of David. O Lord, incline thine ear, and hearken to me; for I am poor and needy.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Tried But Trusting
1A prayer of David. Incline Your ear, O LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. 2Preserve my soul, for I am godly. You are my God; save Your servant who trusts in You.…

Cross References
Psalm 17:6
I call on You, O God, for You will answer me. Incline Your ear to me; hear my words.

Psalm 31:2
Incline Your ear to me; come quickly to my rescue. Be my rock of refuge, the stronghold of my deliverance.

Psalm 55:1-2
For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments. A Maskil of David. Listen to my prayer, O God, and do not ignore my plea. / Attend to me and answer me. I am restless in my complaint, and distraught

Psalm 102:1-2
A prayer of one who is afflicted, when he grows faint and pours out his lament before the LORD. Hear my prayer, O LORD; let my cry for help come before You. / Do not hide Your face from me in my day of distress. Incline Your ear to me; answer me quickly when I call.

Psalm 116:1-2
I love the LORD, for He has heard my voice—my appeal for mercy. / Because He has inclined His ear to me, I will call on Him as long as I live.

Isaiah 55:3
Incline your ear and come to Me; listen, so that your soul may live. I will make with you an everlasting covenant—My loving devotion promised to David.

2 Kings 19:16
Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, O LORD, and see. Listen to the words that Sennacherib has sent to defy the living God.

Nehemiah 1:6
let Your eyes be open and Your ears attentive to hear the prayer that I, Your servant, now pray before You day and night for Your servants, the Israelites. I confess the sins that we Israelites have committed against You. Both I and my father’s house have sinned.

Daniel 9:18
Incline Your ear, O my God, and hear; open Your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears Your name. For we are not presenting our petitions before You because of our righteous acts, but because of Your great compassion.

Exodus 22:27
because his cloak is the only covering he has for his body. What else will he sleep in? And if he cries out to Me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.

James 4:10
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.

1 Peter 5:6-7
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, so that in due time He may exalt you. / Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

Matthew 7:7-8
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. / For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

Luke 18:13-14
But the tax collector stood at a distance, unwilling even to lift up his eyes to heaven. Instead, he beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner!’ / I tell you, this man, rather than the Pharisee, went home justified. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Romans 10:12-13
For there is no difference between Jew and Greek: The same Lord is Lord of all, and gives richly to all who call on Him, / for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”


Treasury of Scripture

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

A Prayer of David.

Psalm 102:1
A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complaint before the LORD. Hear my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come unto thee.

Psalm 142:1
Maschil of David; A Prayer when he was in the cave. I cried unto the LORD with my voice; with my voice unto the LORD did I make my supplication.

Bow

Psalm 31:2
Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock, for an house of defence to save me.

Isaiah 37:17
Incline thine ear, O LORD, and hear; open thine eyes, O LORD, and see: and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent to reproach the living God.

Daniel 9:18
O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name: for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies.

for I am

Psalm 10:14
Thou hast seen it; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thy hand: the poor committeth himself unto thee; thou art the helper of the fatherless.

Psalm 34:6
This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.

Psalm 40:17
But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.

Jump to Previous
Afflicted Bow David Ear Ears Hear Incline Need Needy Open Poor Prayer Voice
Jump to Next
Afflicted Bow David Ear Ears Hear Incline Need Needy Open Poor Prayer Voice
Psalm 86
1. David strengthens his prayer by the consciousness of his religion
5. By the goodness and power of God
11. He desires the continuance of former grace
14. Complaining of the proud, he craves some token of God's goodness














Incline Your ear
The phrase "Incline Your ear" is a poetic expression that signifies a request for God's attentive listening. The Hebrew root for "incline" is "natah," which means to stretch out or bend. This imagery suggests a personal and intimate action from God, as if He is bending down to listen closely to the psalmist's plea. In the ancient Near Eastern context, this reflects the relationship between a supplicant and a king, where the king's willingness to listen was a sign of favor and grace. For believers, it is a reminder of God's accessibility and His readiness to hear the cries of His people.

O LORD
The term "LORD" in all capital letters is a translation of the Hebrew "YHWH," the sacred and personal name of God revealed to Moses in Exodus 3:14. This name signifies God's eternal existence and His covenantal faithfulness. By invoking this name, the psalmist is appealing to God's character and His promises. It is a call to the God who is both transcendent and immanent, the Creator who is also intimately involved with His creation.

and answer me
The plea "and answer me" reflects a deep desire for a response from God. The Hebrew word "anah" means to respond or reply, indicating that the psalmist is not only seeking God's attention but also His intervention. This reflects a faith that God is not silent or indifferent but is actively engaged in the lives of His people. It is a call for divine action, rooted in the belief that God is both willing and able to respond to the needs of His children.

for I am poor and needy
The description "poor and needy" highlights the psalmist's humble and desperate condition. The Hebrew words "ani" (poor) and "ebyon" (needy) convey a state of vulnerability and dependence. In the biblical context, these terms often describe those who are materially impoverished or oppressed, but they also carry a spiritual dimension, representing those who recognize their need for God's grace and mercy. This acknowledgment of need is a prerequisite for receiving God's help, as it reflects a heart that is open to His provision and guidance. It serves as a reminder that in our weakness, God's strength is made perfect (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Verses 1-5. - Prayer, the predominant note of the entire psalm, holds almost exclusive possession of the first strophe, only passing into praise when the last verse is reached, where the petitioner reminds God of his loving kindness and readiness to forgive. Verse 1. - Bow down thine ear, O Lord, hear me (comp. Psalm 31:2; Proverbs 22:17). For I am poor and needy; or, "I am afflicted and in misery." Poverty in the ordinary sense is scarcely intended.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
A Prayer
תְּפִלָּ֗ה (tə·p̄il·lāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8605: Intercession, supplication, a hymn

of David.
לְדָ֫וִ֥ד (lə·ḏā·wiḏ)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1732: David -- perhaps 'beloved one', a son of Jesse

Incline
הַטֵּֽה־ (haṭ·ṭêh-)
Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 5186: To stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend

Your ear,
אָזְנְךָ֣ (’ā·zə·nə·ḵā)
Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 241: Broadness, the ear

O LORD,
יְהוָ֣ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

and answer me,
עֲנֵ֑נִי (‘ă·nê·nî)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular | first person common singular
Strong's 6030: To answer, respond

for
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

I
אָֽנִי׃ (’ā·nî)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 589: I

am poor
עָנִ֖י (‘ā·nî)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 6041: Poor, afflicted, humble

and needy.
וְאֶבְי֣וֹן (wə·’eḇ·yō·wn)
Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 34: In want, needy, poor


Links
Psalm 86:1 NIV
Psalm 86:1 NLT
Psalm 86:1 ESV
Psalm 86:1 NASB
Psalm 86:1 KJV

Psalm 86:1 BibleApps.com
Psalm 86:1 Biblia Paralela
Psalm 86:1 Chinese Bible
Psalm 86:1 French Bible
Psalm 86:1 Catholic Bible

OT Poetry: Psalm 86:1 A Prayer by David (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 85:13
Top of Page
Top of Page