Psalms 85

KJV · Chapter 85/150

1Lord, thou hast been favourable unto thy land: thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob.

2Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah.

3Thou hast taken away all thy wrath: thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger.

4Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease.

5Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations?

6Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?

7Shew us thy mercy, O Lord, and grant us thy salvation.

8I will hear what God the Lord will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly.

9Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land.

10Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.

11Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven.

12Yea, the Lord shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase.

13Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

The people recall that God has already forgiven their land in the past and now ask for a new restoration; the psalm ends with a beautiful image of mercy, truth, righteousness, and peace meeting and embracing one another.

Explanation

Likely written after the return from the Babylonian exile, when the people, though back in the land, still faced hardships and needed deeper spiritual renewal. The closing verses (10-13) form one of the most admired poetic images in the Hebrew Bible: four qualities of God personified, meeting in harmony. The application today is that past forgiveness does not remove the need to keep seeking God continually — restoration is a process, not a one-time event.

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