Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 86:5
For thou, Lord, [art] good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.
5. ready to forgive ] The exact word is found only here, but for the thought see Psa 130:4; and for the whole verse cp. Exo 34:6 f.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
For thou, Lord, art good … – This is another reason why God should hear his prayer; and it is a reason which may be properly urged at all times, and by all classes of persons. It is founded on the benevolence of God; on the fullness of his mercy to all that invoke his name. We should call in vain on a God who was not merciful and ready to forgive; but in the divine character there is the most ample foundation for such an appeal. In his benevolence; in his readiness to forgive; in the plenitude of his mercy, God is all that a penitent sinner could wish him to be. For if such a sinner should endeavor to describe what he would desire to find in God as a ground of appeal in his prayers, he could not express his feelings in language more full and free than God has himself employed about his own readiness to pardon and save. The language of the Bible on this subject would express, better than any language which he could himself employ, what in those circumstances he would wish to find God to be.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 5. For thou, Lord, art good] I found my expectations of help on thy own goodness through which thou art always ready to forgive. And I found it also on thy well-known character, to which all thy followers bear testimony, viz., that “thou art plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.”
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Herewith he relieveth himself under the sense of his guilt, whereby he had brought his present calamities upon himself.
Them that call upon thee, to wit, in truth, as it is explained Psa 145:18, or with an upright heart; for if a man regard iniquity in his heart, God will not hear him, Psa 66:18.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
5-7. unto all . . . that call upontheeor, “worship Thee” (Psa 50:15;Psa 91:15) however undeserving(Exo 34:6; Lev 11:9-13).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
For thou, Lord, art good,…. Essentially and independently good, from whom every good and perfect gift comes; good in himself, and good to others; good to all, in a providential way; and good to his own special people in a way of grace: this is asserted by Christ, Mt 19:17
and ready to forgive; there is forgiveness with him, and it is to be had without difficulty; he has largely provided for it; he is forward unto it, he freely giving it; it is according to the riches of his grace; he does abundantly pardon; no sooner is it asked but it is had; this David knew by experience, Ps 32:5,
and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee; in truth, in sincerity, in a right way, through Christ, and faith in him; to such not only the Lord shows himself merciful, but is rich and abundant in mercy; he has a multitude of tender mercies, and abounds in his grace and goodness, and in the donation of it to his people; all which encourage their faith and hope in their petitions to him.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
5 For thou, O Lord! art good and propitious. (483) We have here a confirmation of the whole preceding doctrine, derived from the nature of God. It would avail the afflicted nothing to have recourse to him, and to lift up their desires and prayers to heaven, were they not persuaded that he is a faithful rewarder of all who call upon him. The point upon which David now insists is, that God is bountiful and inclined to compassion, and that his mercy is so great, as to render it impossible for him to reject any who implore his aid. He calls God propitious, or ascribes to him the attribute of pardoning sin, which is a modification of his goodness. It were not enough for God to be good in general, did he not also extend to sinners his forgiving mercy, which is the meaning of the word סלה, salach. Farther, although David magnifies the plenteousness of God’s mercy, yet he immediately after represents this plenteousness as restricted to the faithful who call upon him, to teach us that those who, making no account of God, obstinately chafe upon the bit, deservedly perish in their calamities. At the same time, he uses the term all, that every man, without exception, from the greatest to the least, may be encouraged confidently to betake himself to the goodness and mercy of God.
(483) “ Quia illis ad manum est deprecatio.” — Lat. “ Car ils ont en main la priere et recognoissance de leur faute.” — Fr.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(5) For thou.Up to this time the psalmist has only put forward his needs in various aspects as a plea for Gods compassion. Now, not without art, he clenches his petition by an appeal to the nature itself of the Divine Being. The originals of the expressions in this verse will be found in Exo. 20:6; Exo. 34:6-9; Num. 14:18-19.
Ready to forgive.The Hebrew word occurs nowhere else in the form found here. Etymologically it means remitting. The LXX. have , a word for which perhaps our considerate is the nearest equivalent, implying that legal right is overlooked and suspended in consideration of human weakness. Wis. 12:18 gives a good description of this Divine attribute.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
5. Good, and ready to forgive God’s goodness is an attribute of his nature; his forgiveness is a modification, or special exercise, of his goodness. The first is generic, the second specific.
Plenteous in mercy His “mercy” is an emanation of his goodness, directed to man as a sinful and suffering being, through the abundant or manifold operation of which, forgiveness is bestowed.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Psa 86:5 For thou, Lord, [art] good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.
Ver. 5. For thou, Lord, art good, &c. ] Lord, I am hell, but thou art heaven, said that martyr; faith wrappeth herself up in the promise, and goeth boldly to God by prayer.
And plenteous in mercy
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
plenteous. Compare Exo 34:6.
mercy = lovingkindness, or grace.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
thou: Psa 86:15, Psa 25:8, Psa 36:7, Psa 52:1, Psa 69:16, Psa 119:68, Psa 130:7, Psa 145:8, Psa 145:9, Exo 34:6, Joe 2:13, 1Jo 4:8, 1Jo 4:9
ready: Neh 9:17, Isa 55:7, Dan 9:9, Mic 7:18
plenteous: Psa 103:8, Psa 130:4, Psa 130:7, Joe 2:13, Rom 5:20, Rom 5:21, Eph 1:6-8, Eph 2:4
unto all: Psa 145:18, Jer 33:3, Eze 36:33, Eze 36:37, Luk 11:9, Luk 11:10, Joh 4:10, Act 2:21, Rom 10:12, Rom 10:13
Reciprocal: Gen 18:32 – I will not Gen 19:16 – the Lord Deu 4:31 – the Lord 2Sa 24:14 – for his 1Ki 8:52 – in all that 1Ch 21:13 – great 2Ch 30:9 – the Lord 2Ch 30:18 – The good 2Ch 33:13 – he was entreated Job 33:24 – Then Psa 32:5 – forgavest Psa 100:5 – For the Psa 109:21 – thy mercy Psa 111:4 – gracious Psa 116:5 – Gracious Psa 119:76 – merciful Psa 119:156 – are thy Isa 63:7 – according to his Jer 3:12 – for I am Jon 4:2 – thou art Zec 9:17 – how great is his goodness Mat 7:7 – and it Mat 7:11 – how Mat 18:27 – moved Mat 22:4 – and all Mar 10:18 – that is Luk 7:13 – he Luk 15:20 – But Rom 2:4 – riches Rom 15:5 – the God 2Co 1:3 – the Father of mercies Eph 1:7 – the forgiveness Tit 3:5 – according Jam 5:11 – the Lord is 1Pe 1:3 – which 1Pe 5:10 – the God
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
86:5 For thou, Lord, [art] good, and {d} ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.
(d) He confesses that God is good to all but only merciful to poor sinners.