Thou hast taken away all thy wrath: thou hast turned [thyself] from the fierceness of thine anger.
Thou hast taken away {H622}{H8804)} all thy wrath {H5678}: thou hast turned {H7725}{H8689)} thyself from the fierceness {H2740} of thine anger {H639}.
withdrawn all your wrath, turned from your fierce anger.
You withheld all Your fury; You turned from Your burning anger.
Thou hast taken away all thy wrath; Thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger.
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Psalms 106:23
Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy [them]. -
Deuteronomy 13:17
And there shall cleave nought of the cursed thing to thine hand: that the LORD may turn from the fierceness of his anger, and shew thee mercy, and have compassion upon thee, and multiply thee, as he hath sworn unto thy fathers; -
Jonah 3:9
Who can tell [if] God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not? -
Isaiah 12:1
¶ And in that day thou shalt say, O LORD, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me. -
Isaiah 6:7
And he laid [it] upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. -
Psalms 78:38
But he, [being] full of compassion, forgave [their] iniquity, and destroyed [them] not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath. -
Exodus 32:22
And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord wax hot: thou knowest the people, that they [are set] on mischief.
Psalm 85:3 (KJV) declares God's gracious act of removing His wrath and turning away from the fierceness of His anger. This verse serves as a foundational statement of divine mercy and forgiveness, establishing a hopeful tone within a psalm that is otherwise a heartfelt prayer for national restoration.
Context of Psalm 85:3
Psalm 85 is a communal prayer, likely composed after a period of significant national distress or divine judgment, such as the Babylonian exile or a similar time of hardship. The psalmist begins by recalling God's past acts of favor towards His people Israel, specifically mentioning how God "hast been favourable unto thy land" (Psalm 85:1) and "hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people" (Psalm 85:2). Verse 3 continues this remembrance of God's past mercy, setting the stage for the community's plea for renewed favor and complete restoration in the subsequent verses.
Key Themes and Messages
Linguistic Insights
The Hebrew terms used in this verse convey powerful meaning:
Practical Application
Psalm 85:3 offers profound comfort and hope for believers today. It reminds us that: