Psalm 86 7

Psalm 86:7 kjv

In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me.

Psalm 86:7 nkjv

In the day of my trouble I will call upon You, For You will answer me.

Psalm 86:7 niv

When I am in distress, I call to you, because you answer me.

Psalm 86:7 esv

In the day of my trouble I call upon you, for you answer me.

Psalm 86:7 nlt

I will call to you whenever I'm in trouble,
and you will answer me.

Psalm 86 verses

Psalm 86 7 Meaning

Psalm 86:7 expresses a foundational declaration of faith by King David: In every time of his profound distress, he firmly resolves to call upon the Lord, confident and certain that the Lord, in His unchanging character, will always answer his supplications. It links the believer's act of desperate appeal directly to God's promised responsiveness, making the divine answer the very basis of the call.

Psalm 86 7 Context

Psalm 86 is a prayer of David, clearly identifiable as a personal lament or supplication (verse 1: "A Prayer of David"). It is penned from a position of deep personal distress ("trouble," "enemies," "adversaries" – Ps 86:14). David expresses profound need, pleading for mercy, guidance, and deliverance. His petition is not rooted in his own merit, but in God's intrinsic character – His goodness, steadfast love, and readiness to forgive (Ps 86:5, 15). The verse (86:7) serves as a declaration of David's resolute trust and firm expectation amidst these challenging circumstances. He anchors his appeal to God in the certain knowledge of God's responsiveness, contrasting this with the impotence of idols mentioned in the surrounding verses.

Psalm 86 7 Word analysis

• In the day of my trouble (בְּיוֹם צָרָה֙ - bi-yom tsarah):
  • בְּיוֹם (bi-yom): "in the day." Yom often refers to a specific time or period, not strictly a 24-hour day. Here it signifies "when the time of trouble comes" or "during the season of my affliction." It highlights a continuous or recurrent state of adversity.
  • צָרָה֙ (tsarah): "trouble," "distress," "anguish," "affliction." Derived from the root tsarar, meaning "to be narrow," "to confine," or "to bind tightly." This implies a situation of extreme pressure, a feeling of being hemmed in with no way out, causing intense anguish and desperation. It is a comprehensive term for all forms of hardship and adversity that can plague a human life, including internal spiritual struggles, external persecutions, physical ailments, or profound sorrow. This word appears frequently in Psalms to describe the believer's lived experience in a fallen world.
• I will call upon You (אֶקְרָאֶ֔ךָ - 'eqra'eka):
  • אֶקְרָאֶ֔ךָ ('eqra'eka): "I will call upon You." The verb qara' means "to call," "to call out," or "to cry out." The first-person common singular imperfect tense denotes a resolute determination and expectation. It is not "if I call," but "when I call" – expressing an absolute, confident resolve and commitment. This action implies a direct and personal appeal, often indicating desperation, dependence, and reverence.
  • You (ךָ - -eka): The suffix clearly identifies the direct object as God Himself. This specifies the sole object of David's reliance, reinforcing the exclusivity of his trust in the Lord amidst a world filled with other supposed deities who cannot hear or answer.
• for You will answer me (כִּ֥י תַעֲנֵֽנִי׃ - ki ta'aneni):
  • כִּ֥י (ki): "for," "because," "surely," or "indeed." This conjunction provides the reason or the basis for David's resolve to call upon God. It demonstrates his profound certainty that his prayer will not go unheard. His decision to call is grounded in the assurance of God's character and responsiveness.
  • תַעֲנֵֽנִי (ta'aneni): "You will answer me." The verb 'anah means "to answer," "to respond," "to attend to." This is also in the imperfect tense, signifying future action, but here expressing certain conviction and divine promise. It underscores God's attribute as a God who actively hears and responds to the pleas of His people. The personal suffix "-ni" ("me") emphasizes God's direct and individual attention to David's petition. This certainty sets the prayer apart from vague hopes, showing absolute reliance on God's covenant faithfulness.

Word-group analysis

• "In the day of my trouble I will call upon You": This phrase highlights the essential human response to hardship for the believer. It is a natural, faithful reflex. David acknowledges the reality of suffering (tsarah) but immediately positions prayer (qara') as his only appropriate and effective recourse, directed specifically to God. This isn't a speculative or conditional statement but a declaration of his settled spiritual habit and conviction.
• "for You will answer me": This declares the divine certainty that undergirds David's prayer life. The ki ("for" or "because") signifies that his calling is not a desperate shot in the dark, but a confident act based on the absolute knowledge of God's character as a God who hears and answers. It expresses God's faithfulness and omnipresent, personal care for His children, reinforcing the profound theological truth of His active involvement in the lives of those who call on Him.

Psalm 86 7 Bonus section

• This verse embodies a unique tension and powerful synthesis of human desperation and divine faithfulness. It's a prayer of both anguish and absolute assurance, where the certainty of the answer drives the resolve to call.
• The phrase "You will answer me" speaks to the personal nature of God's interaction with His people. He does not merely hear the prayers of the multitude, but responds individually to those who seek Him with sincere hearts.
• While God always answers (i.e., responds), the nature of the answer is always according to His perfect will and timing. Sometimes the answer is "yes," sometimes "no," and sometimes "wait." But it is always an answer born of His wisdom and love, often strengthening the supplicant even in the trouble (2 Cor 12:8-9).
• The contrast with the impotence of idols, who "have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not; they have ears, but they hear not" (Ps 115:5-6), is implicitly emphasized here. David's God is living, active, and responsive.

Psalm 86 7 Commentary

Psalm 86:7 succinctly encapsulates the bedrock of Davidic, and indeed all biblical, prayer: the unwavering confidence in a responsive God amidst overwhelming personal difficulty. David does not express a mere hope that God might answer, but a firm conviction that God will answer him. This certainty is not rooted in his own deservingness or piety, but in the faithful and gracious character of God Himself (as celebrated throughout Psalm 86, particularly verses 5 and 15).

The "day of trouble" represents the inevitable afflictions and hardships that believers face. Rather than allowing these pressures to lead to despair or doubt, David uses them as the precise impetus for earnest prayer. His declaration to "call upon You" signifies active reliance, a turning away from all other false hopes and directly to the sovereign Lord. The accompanying assurance, "for You will answer me," is the spiritual engine of this commitment. It reveals that the efficacy of prayer rests not on human strength or eloquence, but entirely on God's nature as a prayer-hearing and prayer-answering God, Who delights to commune with His children and intervene on their behalf. This verse, therefore, is an enduring encouragement for believers to pray fervently and persistently, even in their deepest trials, trusting in the unchanging faithfulness of their divine Helper.