“But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering , and plenteous in mercy and truth.”
My Notes
What Does Psalms 86:15 Mean?
David restates the divine self-portrait from Exodus 34:6 — the most repeated characterization of God in the Old Testament: full of compassion, gracious, longsuffering, plenteous in mercy and truth.
"Full of compassion" — not occasionally compassionate. Full. Compassion is not one trait among many. It fills God. It defines him.
"Gracious" — giving what is not deserved. The grace is not earned. It flows from God's character, not from the recipient's merit.
"Longsuffering" — patient beyond what is reasonable. Enduring provocation far longer than anyone has a right to expect. The suffering is long because the love is deep.
"Plenteous in mercy and truth" — both in abundance. Not mercy at the expense of truth or truth at the expense of mercy. Plenteous in both. The combination is uniquely divine.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Which attribute — compassion, grace, longsuffering, mercy, or truth — do you most need to encounter today?
- 2.How does God being 'full' of compassion differ from being occasionally compassionate?
- 3.What does longsuffering — suffering long with people — reveal about God's love?
- 4.How does your picture of God compare with this self-portrait?
Devotional
But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious. Full. Not partially compassionate. Not occasionally gracious. Full. The compassion fills every corner of who God is.
Longsuffering. Patient. Enduring. The word implies suffering — God suffers long with people who provoke him. The patience is not indifference. It is love that bears what it does not have to.
Plenteous in mercy and truth. Both. In abundance. Mercy without truth is sentimental. Truth without mercy is harsh. God carries both — plentifully, simultaneously, without one diminishing the other.
David quotes the self-portrait God gave Moses at Sinai. This is not David's opinion about God. It is God's own description of himself, repeated and affirmed across centuries.
The description has not changed. The God David knew is the God you know. Full of compassion. Gracious. Longsuffering. Plenteous in mercy and truth. Every attribute is current. Every quality is active. The portrait was painted at Sinai and it has not faded.
Is this the God you relate to? Or have you constructed a version with less compassion, less patience, less mercy? David says: this is who God actually is. Full. Gracious. Long. Plenteous. That is your God.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion,.... Or merciful (t), in the most affectionate and tender manner, as a…
But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion ... - See the notes at Psa 86:5. The words rendered “long-suffering” mean…
David is here going on in his prayer.
I. He gives glory to God; for we ought in our prayers to praise him, ascribing…
Word for word from Exo 34:6. With his proud and merciless enemies he contrasts the revealed character of God, as the…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture