Psalms 86:9 (KJV)

What does Psalms 86:9 mean?

Psalms 86:9 looks beyond the speaker’s own people to a time when all the peoples God has made will acknowledge and honor him. The speaker addresses God directly and expresses confidence that people from every nation will come before him in worship.

Following the comparison with other gods in verse 8, the speaker pictures the nations gathering in the Lord’s presence. The words “thy name” point to the Lord himself, the one being honored.

The Hebrew behind Psalms 86:9

• “nations” — גּוֹיִם (goyim): The word can mean peoples or nations. It draws attention to groups of people, not merely to the lands where they live.
• “worship” — שָׁחָה (shachah): The word often carries the sense of bowing down. It gives the scene a physical picture of people showing honor before the Lord.
• “glorify” — כָּבַד (kavad): The word can carry the sense of giving weight or honor. Here the nations give honor to the Lord’s name.

Why Psalms 86:9 matters

• The verse connects the nations’ worship with God as their maker. The phrase “whom thou hast made” describes the peoples who will come.
• The speaker’s view of the Lord reaches beyond a personal request. In verse 10, the reason given is that the Lord is great and does “wondrous things.”