Psalms 86:11

Teach me thy way - Instruct me in the steps I should take; for without thy teaching I must go astray.

Unite my heart - יחד לבבי yached lebabi, join all the purposes, resolutions, and affections of my heart together, to fear and to glorify thy name. This is a most important prayer. A divided heart is a great curse; scattered affections are a miserable plague. When the heart is not at unity with itself, the work of religion cannot go on. Indecision of mind and division of affections mar any work. The heart must be one, that the work may be one. If this be wanting, all is wrong. This is a prayer which becomes the mouth of every Christian.

Teach me thy way, O Lord - That is, in the present emergency. Show me what thou wouldst have me to do that I may obtain thy favor, and thy gracious help.

I will walk in thy truth - I will live and act in accordance with what thou dost declare to be true. Whatever that may be, I will pursue it, having no will of my own.

Unite my heart to fear thy name - That is, to worship, obey, and honor thee.

(a) The end which he desired to secure was that he might truly fear God, or properly reverence and honor him;

(b) the means which he saw to be necessary for this was that his "heart" might be "united" in this one great object; that is, that his heart might be single in its views and purposes; that there might be no distracting purposes; that one great aim might be always before him.

The word rendered "unite" - יחד yāchad - occurs as a verb only in three places. In Genesis 49:6, it is rendered united: "Unto their assembly, mine honor, be not thou united." In Isaiah 14:20, it is translated joined: "Thou shalt not be joined with them." The adverb - יחד yachad, occurs often, and is rendered together, Genesis 13:6; Genesis 22:6, Genesis 22:8,Genesis 22:19; Genesis 36:7; et saepe. The idea is that of union, or conjunction; of being together; of constituting one; and this is accomplished in the heart when there is one great ruling object before the mind which nothing is allowed to interfere with. It may be added, that there is no more appropriate prayer which a man can offer than that his heart may have such a unity of purpose, and that nothing may be allowed to interfere with that one supreme purpose.

86:11 Truth - In the way of thy precepts, which are true and right in all things. My heart - Knit my whole heart to thyself.