English · ASV

Psalms 85

Listen to this chapter
0:00 0:00

Remembering God's Past Deliverance 1–3

1
Jehovah, thou hast been favorable unto thy land; Thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob. ​
2
Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people; Thou hast covered all their sin. [Selah ​
3
Thou hast taken away all thy wrath; Thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger.

A Plea for Present Restoration 4–7

4
Turn us, O God of our salvation, And cause thine indignation toward us to cease. ​
5
Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? Wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations?
6
Wilt thou not quicken us again, That thy people may rejoice in thee? ​
7
Show us thy lovingkindness, O Jehovah, And grant us thy salvation.

The Assurance of God's Peace 8–13

8
I will hear what God Jehovah will speak; For he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: But let them not turn again to folly. ​
9
Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him, That glory may dwell in our land. ​
10
Mercy and truth are met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed each other. ​
11
Truth springeth out of the earth; And righteousness hath looked down from heaven.
12
Yea, Jehovah will give that which is good; And our land shall yield its increase. ​
13
Righteousness shall go before him, And shall make his footsteps a way to walk in. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Psalms 85

Verse 1

brought back the captivity of Jacob — The psalm is headed for the sons of Korah. 'Favourable' is ratsah, to be pleased with; 'captivity' is shebuth, and 'brought back' is shub, the verb that returns as 'turn' in vv.4 and 8. The LORD says the same by Jeremiah, 'I will bring again the captivity of Jacob's tents' (Jer 30:18), and Ps 14:7 uses the phrase of Zion's salvation.

Verse 2

forgiven the iniquity… covered all their sin — 'Forgiven' is nasa, to lift and carry away; 'covered' is kasah. The pair is the one in Ps 32:1, 'whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered', which Paul quotes of the man God justifies (Rom 4:7). Selah marks a pause after the two verbs of pardon.

Verse 4

Turn us, O God of our salvation — The people who were turned back in v.1 now ask to be turned again, as in the refrain of Ps 80:3, 7 and Lam 5:21. 'Cause thine anger toward us to cease' uses parar, to break or make void, so the anger (kaas) is broken off. 'God of our salvation' is yesha, also named in v.9.

Verse 6

Wilt thou not revive us again — Chayah is to make alive, the word of 'revive thy work in the midst of the years' (Hab 3:2) and of the LORD who dwells with the contrite 'to revive the spirit of the humble' (Isa 57:15). The purpose given is 'that thy people may rejoice in thee' (samach), the joy lost under his anger.

Verse 8

he will speak peace unto his people — 'God the LORD' joins El with the divine name. 'Speak peace' is dabar shalom, and the 'saints' (chasid) are those he loves; Zech 9:10 says the King 'shall speak peace unto the heathen', and Paul that Christ 'preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh' (Eph 2:17). 'Folly' (kislah) is found only here and in Job 4:6.

Verse 9

that glory may dwell in our land — 'Salvation' (yesha) is 'nigh' (qarov) to those who fear him, and 'glory' (kabod) comes to 'dwell' (shakan) in the land. Isaiah has both: 'I bring near my righteousness… and my salvation shall not tarry' (Isa 46:13). John says of Christ, 'dwelt among us… we beheld his glory' (John 1:14).

Verse 10

Mercy and truth are met together — Chesed (covenant mercy) and emeth (truth) 'met' (pagash), and tsedeq (righteousness) and shalom (peace) 'kissed' (nashaq). Ps 89:14 pairs them again, 'mercy and truth shall go before thy face'. Paul shows both at the cross, where God is 'just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus' (Rom 3:26).

Verse 12

the LORD shall give that which is good — 'Good' is tov, 'increase' is yebul, the produce of the ground. The promise matches Ps 67:6, 'Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us', and Ps 84:11, 'no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly'. The land's yield follows the forgiveness of vv.2–3.

Verse 13

Righteousness shall go before him — Tsedeq is the word of v.10. It walks (halak) in front of the LORD and 'sets' (sum) the people in the track of his 'steps' (paam). Ps 89:14 has 'mercy and truth shall go before thy face', and Isa 58:8 promises 'thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward'.