The Meaning of Psalms 86:14 Explained

Psalms 86:14

KJV: O God, the proud are risen against me, and the assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul; and have not set thee before them.

YLT: O God, the proud have risen up against me, And a company of the terrible sought my soul, And have not placed Thee before them,

Darby: O God, the proud are risen against me, and the assembly of the violent seek after my soul, and they have not set thee before them.

ASV: O God, the proud are risen up against me, And a company of violent men have sought after my soul, And have not set thee before them.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

O God,  the proud  are risen  against me, and the assemblies  of violent  [men] have sought  after my soul;  and have not set  thee before them. 

What does Psalms 86:14 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 86:1-17 - A Prayer To The God Of Mercy
This psalm is largely composed of quotations. When the soul is in great need, it is not concerned with inventing new forms of address to God, but avails itself of well-known and well-worn phrases. Our Lord in Gethsemane "prayed the same words." The background of the psalm is faith which reckons on God's goodness. Thou art good, Psalms 86:5; thou art great, Psalms 86:10; thou art merciful and gracious, Psalms 86:15. Be sure to build prayer upon the revelation of God's nature as given by Christ.
Psalms 86:1-5. That we are indeed poor and needy is our strongest plea with God. That we are holy is true only so far as we present Christ as our righteousness. That we cry all the day is a plea which God honors. But the best of all is the plenteousness of His lovingkindness.
Psalms 86:6-13. Again, in this strophe, there is the cry of need; and faith is helped by remembering that God's power is sufficient. God is so great that He can include our little life in His microscopic care.
Psalms 86:14-17. We can readily imagine the rabble that beset the psalmist, for we are similarly beset; but nearer than they can come is the calm and holy inner presence of God. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 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

What do the individual words in Psalms 86:14 mean?

God the presumptuous have risen against me and a mob of violent [men] have sought my life and not have set You before them
אֱלֹהִ֤ים ׀ זֵ֘דִ֤ים קָֽמוּ־ עָלַ֗י וַעֲדַ֣ת עָ֭רִיצִים בִּקְשׁ֣וּ נַפְשִׁ֑י וְלֹ֖א שָׂמ֣וּךָ לְנֶגְדָּֽם

אֱלֹהִ֤ים ׀  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
זֵ֘דִ֤ים  the  presumptuous 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: זֵד  
Sense: arrogant, proud, insolent, presumptuous.
קָֽמוּ־  have  risen 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: קוּם 
Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.
עָלַ֗י  against  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
וַעֲדַ֣ת  and  a  mob 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: עֵדָה  
Sense: congregation, gathering.
עָ֭רִיצִים  of  violent  [men] 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: עָרִיץ  
Sense: awe-inspiring, terror-striking, awesome, terrifying, ruthless, mighty.
בִּקְשׁ֣וּ  have  sought 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: בָּקַשׁ  
Sense: to seek, require, desire, exact, request.
נַפְשִׁ֑י  my  life 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
וְלֹ֖א  and  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
שָׂמ֣וּךָ  have  set  You 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural, second person masculine singular
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
לְנֶגְדָּֽם  before  them 
Parse: Preposition-l, third person masculine plural
Root: נֶגֶד  
Sense: what is conspicuous, what is in front of adv.