Psalms 86:10 (KJV)

What does Psalms 86:10 mean?

Psalms 86:10 gives the speaker’s reason for addressing God with praise: God’s greatness is shown in remarkable deeds, and God alone is God. The verse joins what God does with who God is.

The verse begins with “For,” linking it to the expectation in verse 9 that all nations will worship before God. The speaker addresses God directly as “thou,” turning that expectation into a statement of praise.

The Hebrew behind Psalms 86:10

• “wondrous things” — פָּלָא (palaʾ): This word carries the sense of things that are extraordinary or beyond ordinary human ability. It describes deeds that inspire wonder, rather than merely things that are unusual.
• “God” — אֱלֹהִים (elohim): This Hebrew word can refer to God or to gods, depending on the setting. Here, the surrounding words address one God and say that God alone is God.

Why Psalms 86:10 matters

• The praise reaches beyond one nation. Verse 9 speaks of “all nations,” and verse 10 gives a reason for their worship.
• God’s greatness and deeds belong together in the speaker’s praise. The words “great” and “doest wondrous things” appear side by side before the closing statement, “thou art God alone.”