Psalms 86:13
For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.
Original Language Analysis
כִּֽי
H3588
כִּֽי
Strong's:
H3588
Word #:
1 of 8
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
חַ֭סְדְּךָ
is thy mercy
H2617
חַ֭סְדְּךָ
is thy mercy
Strong's:
H2617
Word #:
2 of 8
kindness; by implication (towards god) piety; rarely (by opposition) reproof, or (subject.) beauty
עָלָ֑י
H5921
עָלָ֑י
Strong's:
H5921
Word #:
4 of 8
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
וְהִצַּ֥לְתָּ
toward me and thou hast delivered
H5337
וְהִצַּ֥לְתָּ
toward me and thou hast delivered
Strong's:
H5337
Word #:
5 of 8
to snatch away, whether in a good or a bad sense
נַ֝פְשִׁ֗י
my soul
H5315
נַ֝פְשִׁ֗י
my soul
Strong's:
H5315
Word #:
6 of 8
properly, a breathing creature, i.e., animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or ment
Cross References
Psalms 56:13For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?Psalms 57:10For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds.Luke 1:58And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her.Psalms 116:8For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.Psalms 16:10For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.Psalms 30:3O LORD, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.Job 33:28He will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light.1 Thessalonians 1:10And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.Psalms 88:6Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps.Job 33:24Then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom.
Historical Context
David repeatedly faced mortal danger—from Goliath, Saul's spear, enemy armies, Absalom's coup. Each deliverance confirmed God's chesed. Early Christians applied this verse to Christ's resurrection, seeing it as the ultimate deliverance from Sheol's depths.
Questions for Reflection
- From what specific "depths" has God's mercy delivered you in the past?
- How does remembering past deliverances strengthen faith during present trials?
- How does Christ's descent to death and resurrection fulfill this verse ultimately?
Analysis & Commentary
For great is thy mercy toward me (כִּי־חַסְדְּךָ גָדוֹל עָלָי, ki-chasdekha gadol alai)—Chesed means steadfast love, covenant loyalty, mercy; gadol means great, large, abundant. And thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell (וְהִצַּלְתָּ נַפְשִׁי מִשְּׁאוֹל תַּחְתִּיָּה, ve-hitzalta nafshi mi-she'ol tachtiyyah)—Hitzalta means you have delivered; she'ol tachtiyyah means the lowest Sheol, the depths of the grave.
This verse grounds praise (v. 12) in specific deliverance. God's chesed isn't abstract but experienced—he rescued David from death itself. "Lowest hell" (Sheol) represents not just physical death but the realm of the dead, separation from God. New Testament believers read this christologically: Jesus descended to the grave and rose, delivering all who trust him from ultimate death (Ephesians 4:8-9).