You have delivered me from the depths of Sheol.
Sheol in the Hebrew Bible is often understood as the realm of the dead, a place of darkness and separation from the living. The psalmist's deliverance from Sheol signifies rescue from death or extreme peril, showcasing God's power over life and death. This deliverance can be seen as a type of resurrection, prefiguring the ultimate victory over death through Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:55-57). The phrase also reflects the hope of redemption and eternal life, themes that are further developed in the New Testament. The deliverance from Sheol can be seen as a metaphor for salvation, where God rescues believers from spiritual death and grants them eternal life through faith in Christ.

David begins by spotlighting the sheer size of God’s love. It is not just “good” or “kind” but “great,” a word that reaches for the highest superlative he can muster.

• The psalmist is convinced this love is personal: “to me.” God’s covenant affection is never generic; it finds a name and a face.

• Psalm 103:11 echoes the thought: “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His loving devotion toward those who fear Him”.

• Lamentations 3:22–23 assures us that this devotion is new every morning, while Ephesians 2:4–5 shows the same love raising sinners to life with Christ.

• Because God’s love is anchored in His character, it remains steady when circumstances wobble. That certainty fuels David’s confidence to keep praying in the surrounding verses of Psalm 86.

Having affirmed love, David now celebrates rescue. “Delivered” is past tense—he is looking back at a completed act of salvation.

• Psalm 34:4 illustrates the pattern: “I sought the LORD, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears”.

• The rescue spans every arena of need:

– Physical dangers (Psalm 18:17).

– Emotional turmoil (Psalm 34:6).

– Spiritual bondage (Colossians 1:13, “He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness,”).

• Paul mirrors this confidence: “The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed” (2 Timothy 4:18). The past act of deliverance becomes the guarantee of future help.

“Sheol” represents the realm of death, the deepest pit imaginable. David testifies that God pulled him up from that apparent no-return zone.

• Psalm 30:3 offers a parallel praise: “O LORD, You brought me up from Sheol; You spared me from descending into the Pit”.

• Jonah cried “From the belly of Sheol I called for help” (Jonah 2:2), and God answered, proving deliverance can reach anywhere.

• The ultimate fulfillment bursts forth in Christ’s victory: “I was dead, and behold, I am alive forever and ever, and I hold the keys of Death and Hades” (Revelation 1:18).

• For every believer, rescue from Sheol foreshadows resurrection life: “Death has been swallowed up in victory” (1 Corinthians 15:54).

Psalm 86:13 weaves three inseparable truths: God’s love is immense and personal, His deliverance is already accomplished, and no depth—not even the grave—can bar His saving reach. The verse invites us to rest in that steadfast love, remember past rescues, and live in hope that the God who lifted David from Sheol holds the final word over every pit we face today.