PsalmsChapter 85

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For the choirmaster. A psalm of the sons of Korah.

LORD, you showed favor to your land; you restored the fortunes of Jacob.

You took away the guilt of your people; you covered all their sin. Selah

You withdrew all your wrath; you turned from your burning anger.

Restore us, God of our salvation, and put away your indignation toward us.

Will you be angry with us forever? Will you prolong your anger through all generations?

Will you not revive us again, so that your people may rejoice in you?

Show us your steadfast love, LORD, and grant us your salvation.

Let me hear what God the LORD will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his faithful ones — but let them not turn back to folly.

Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him, that glory may dwell in our land.

Steadfast love and faithfulness have met; righteousness and peace have kissed.

Faithfulness springs up from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven.

The LORD himself will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase.

Righteousness goes before him and makes a path for his steps.

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Summary2

Chapter 85

Main Theme: A Korah psalm that is a prayer for national restoration and a vision of God's salvation where grace and truth meet.

Content: The psalm begins with thanksgiving for God's past forgiveness and restoration of Jacob (vv. 2-4). This is followed by a heartfelt plea for God to turn again toward His people and show His mercy (vv. 5-8). The psalmist listens for God's answer and receives a promise of peace for the faithful (vv. 9-10). The psalm culminates in a poetic vision where righteousness and peace kiss each other, and the land yields its harvest (vv. 11-14).

Key Words/Images:

Grace and truth meet (חֶסֶד־וֶאֱמֶת נִפְגָּשׁוּ): The central image where God's attributes unite in perfect harmony.
Righteousness and peace kiss each other: A poetic description of the messianic future where opposites are reconciled.
Truth springs from the earth: Expresses the hope that faithfulness will grow among people while righteousness looks down from heaven.
God's anger and forgiveness: The contrast between God's past grace and the current prayer for renewed forgiveness.

Historical context

Historical and Cultural Context for Psalm 85

Events and Customs

Psalm 85 is closely linked to a national restoration following a period of God’s judgment. The expression "you brought back the captives of Jacob" (שַׁבְתָּ שְׁבִית יַעֲקֹב, verse 2) likely points to the return from the Babylonian exile (538 B.C.). At the same time, the prayers in the psalm (verses 5–8) show that the community still faced difficulties, which fits well with the challenging rebuilding period described in Ezra and Nehemiah. Many scholars therefore date the psalm to the early Persian period, when the people had returned but were still struggling with poverty, drought, and opposition from neighboring nations.

Key Terms

The psalm contains several theologically charged Hebrew words that are central to its message. The word חֶסֶד (khesed, "steadfast love/faithful kindness") and אֱמֶת (emet, "faithfulness/truth") meet in verse 11, together with צֶדֶק (tsedek, "righteousness") and שָׁלוֹם (shalom, "peace/wholeness"). These four concepts are personified poetically—they meet and kiss each other—and represent God’s covenant qualities that together create perfect harmony between heaven and earth.

The expression כִסְלָה (kislah, "folly") in verse 9 is rare and denotes moral foolishness or self-deception. The warning not to "turn back to folly" suggests that the exile was understood as a consequence of earlier sin, and that the people are now urged to avoid repeating the same mistake.

Places

The reference to "our land" (אַרְצֵנוּ) in verses 10 and 13 emphasizes the strong connection between the people, the covenant, and the land of Israel. In Old Testament thought, the fertility of the land (verse 13: "our land will yield its increase") was directly linked to the spiritual condition of the people and God’s blessing. That "glory shall dwell in our land" (verse 10) reflects the hope that God’s presence would again fill the temple and the land, as the prophets Haggai and Zechariah proclaimed during the rebuilding period.

People1

Jacob1

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Key words8

Lord — Another designation for God, emphasizing his sovereignty and authority.
Grace — God's unconditional love and mercy shown to people, even though they do not deserve it.
Salvation — God's act of saving people from sin and its consequences, and giving them eternal life.
Truth — That which is real, correct, and in accordance with God's will and character.
Righteousness — God's just and moral standard, which he expects people to follow.
Peace — A state of harmony and well-being, both among people and between people and God.
Prayer — Communication between people and God, where one asks for help, gives thanks, or praises God.
Land — In this context, it refers to Israel, God's chosen people and their homeland.