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Psalm 86:14
God, the proud have risen up against me. A company of violent men have sought after my soul, and they don’t hold regard for you before them.
12I will praise you, Lord my God, with my whole heart. I will glorify your name forever more.
13For your loving kindness is great toward me. You have delivered my soul from the lowest Sheol.
14God, the proud have risen up against me. A company of violent men have sought after my soul, and they don’t hold regard for you before them.
15But you, Lord, are a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness and truth.
16Turn to me, and have mercy on me! Give your strength to your servant. Save the son of your servant.
Notice
“A company of violent men” makes the danger concrete: the speaker brings a threat to his life before the God his attackers disregard.
Questions to write on. Each one opens a new entry with this verse already attached.
What stands out to you about addressing God when the attackers have no regard for him?
Write on thisWhat would you want to name before God with the same candor this speaker uses?
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Where else Scripture says this
12 passages readers most often link with this verse, and the thread each one shares with it.
This verse's connections, by chapterThe Bible's strongest chapter linksHover or tap a book to trace it
Psalm 54:3For strangers have risen up against me. Violent men have sought after my soul. They haven’t set God before them. Selah.Both prayers describe violent men seeking the speaker’s life and refusing to keep God before them.
Psalm 22:16For dogs have surrounded me. A company of evildoers have enclosed me. They have pierced my hands and feet.Both speakers face a hostile company; Psalm 86 names the pursuit of his life, while Psalm 22 describes surrounding attackers and pierced limbs.
Psalm 18:48He rescues me from my enemies. Yes, you lift me up above those who rise up against me. You deliver me from the violent man.Both mention people rising against the speaker and violent men; Psalm 18 speaks of the deliverance Psalm 86 needs.
2 Samuel 22:3God is my rock in whom I take refuge; my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge. My savior, you save me from violence.Violence is the shared danger: Psalm 86 reports it to God, while Samuel’s song praises God for saving the speaker from it.
Psalm 31:20In the shelter of your presence you will hide them from the plotting of man. You will keep them secretly in a dwelling away from the strife of tongues.Both concern danger from other people, though Psalm 31 describes shelter from plotting and hostile speech rather than an explicit threat to life.
Matthew 27:1–2Now when morning had come, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death.Both describe a group intent on someone’s death: violent men pursue the speaker, and chief priests and elders take counsel against Jesus.
Matthew 26:3–4Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people were gathered together in the court of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas.Both describe a group gathered together; the psalm names violent intent, while Matthew’s verse here identifies the leaders and their meeting place.
Ezekiel 8:12Then he said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in his rooms of imagery? For they say, ‘The …Both describe disregard for God: the attackers have no regard for him, and Ezekiel’s elders claim that the Lord does not see.
2 Samuel 16:20–17:1Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give your counsel what we shall do.”The connection is limited: Absalom seeks advice, while the psalm describes attackers; neither excerpt identifies a shared event.
Ezekiel 9:9Then he said to me, “The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perversion; for …Both connect violence with disregard for God; Ezekiel describes bloodshed among people who claim the Lord does not see.
2 Samuel 17:14Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel.” For the LORD had ordained to defeat the …Both concern human conflict in relation to God, though Samuel names Absalom and describes God defeating counsel without identifying the psalm’s attackers.
Acts 4:27–28“For truly, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you …Both address God about gathered opponents: a violent company threatens the psalm’s speaker, and rulers and peoples gather against Jesus.
Where this verse fits
Injustice and anger. fear for the future.
One step
Something small to carry out of this verse
Encouragement
The speaker names violence without softening it and brings the danger into prayer. His attackers’ disregard for God does not silence his appeal to God.
Now put it in your words.
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Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).