A common misinterpretation of Psalm 86:13 views 'lowest hell' as referring to eternal damnation or hellfire in the afterlife, imposing a New Testament concept of punishment onto the Old Testament Sheol, which here symbolizes the grave or extreme mortal danger rather than postmortem judgment; this overlooks the psalm's context as David's personal plea and testimony of temporal deliverance amid enemies and affliction.
Psalms 86:13
King James Version (1769)
13 For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.
In Psalm 86:13, David praises God for His profound mercy that extends to rescuing the soul from the deepest depths of death or the grave, highlighting a core truth of divine deliverance and compassion in times of peril, affirming that God's steadfast love actively intervenes to preserve life and offer redemption from ultimate despair.