John Calvin Commentary Psalms 86:16

"Oh turn unto me, and have mercy upon me; Give thy strength unto thy servant, And save the son of thy handmaid." — Psalms 86:16 (ASV)

Look to me, and have pity upon me. Here the Psalmist makes a more distinct application to himself of what he had said concerning divine mercy and goodness. As God is merciful, he assures himself that his welfare will be the object of divine care. The second verb in the verse, חנן, chanan, which I have translated as have pity, signifies to gratify, to do someone a pleasure; and is intended to convey the idea that the succor God affords to His people proceeds from His free goodness.

Finally, the Psalmist concludes that the only way he can be preserved is by divine aid, which he seeks to obtain by prayer; and thus he confesses his utter destitution of any strength of his own. In applying to himself the appellation of God’s servant, and the son of his handmaid, he does not boast of his own services but urges as a plea, for obtaining greater favor at the divine hand, the long line of his ancestors, and the continual course of God’s grace; setting forth that he was from his mother’s womb a household-servant of God and, so to speak, born one of His servants in His house—a point of which we have already spoken elsewhere.

The last verse contains an additional confirmation of the statement that he was, in a way, forsaken by God. He would not have desired to be favored with some token of divine favor if he had not been driven to despair on all sides, and if divine favor had not been hidden from him to test his patience.

It was a proof of extraordinary steadfastness to maintain the conflict with this temptation and to do this so successfully, as not to cease to discern light in the midst of darkness. He desires that his enemies may be put to shame, because they assailed his simplicity with mockery and scoffing, as if he had acted foolishly by trusting in God.

The miserable and distressing condition in which the Church was placed after the Babylonian captivity was apt to sink the minds of the godly into despondency; and, accordingly, the Holy Spirit here promises her restoration in a wonderful and incredible manner, so that nothing would be more desirable than to be counted among her members.