Psalm Chapter 85 KJV
King James Version, Holy Bible
1 Lord, thou hast been favourable 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.
4 Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger 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 revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?
More Psalms Chapter 85 (Old Testament, King James Bible)
7 Shew us thy mercy, O Lord, and grant us thy salvation.
8 I 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.
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 shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven.
12 Yea, the Lord shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase.
13 Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps.
Key Takeaways from This Psalm:
Psalm 85:10
Verse: חֶסֶד וָאֱמֶת נִפְגָּשׁוּ
Transliteration: Chesed va’emet nifgashu
English: “Steadfast love and faithfulness meet; righteousness and peace kiss each other.”
Focus Word: אֱמֶת (Emet)
- Root: א-מ-ת (Aleph-Mem-Tav)
- Meaning: “Truth,” “faithfulness,” “reliability.”
- Deeper Insight: Emet conveys God’s unwavering fidelity and moral integrity, essential for divine-human relationship.
Biblical Scholars On This Chapter:
| Scholar (Institution & Dates) | Work | View on Psalm 85 |
|---|---|---|
| Thomas Scott (University of Edinburgh, 1747–1821) | Commentary on the Holy Bible | The Psalm envisions reconciliation between God and His people, bringing peace and renewal. |
| John Owen (University of Oxford, 1616–1683) | A Commentary on the Psalms | God’s mercy and truth meeting is central to spiritual restoration. |
| George Buchanan (St Andrews / Paris, 1506–1582) | Commentaries on the Psalms | God’s favor is portrayed as both historical and ethical, encouraging faithful obedience. |
| Philip Doddridge (Northampton Academy, 1702–1751) | Family Expositor | Emphasizes gratitude for divine forgiveness and the hope it produces. |
| John Brown (Edinburgh, 1722–1787) | Self-Interpreting Bible | The Psalm affirms the harmony between God’s justice and compassion, inspiring trust. |
| Scholar & Work | View |
|---|---|
| John Calvin – Commentary on the Psalms | Calvin sees the psalm as a prayer for renewed divine favor after chastisement. Past mercies inspire hope for restoration. Truth and righteousness meet in God’s salvation. |
| Matthew Henry – Exposition on the Psalms | Henry interprets the psalm as Israel’s plea for revival. God has forgiven before and can restore again. Righteousness and peace flourish under His blessing. |
| Albert Barnes – Notes on the Psalms | Barnes views the psalm as describing the desire for national revival. God’s past kindness gives confidence. His salvation brings harmony and blessing. |
| John Morison – Practical Exposition of the Psalms | Morison sees the psalm as a community prayer for spiritual renewal. God’s mercy is remembered with gratitude. Revival is expected through divine truth. |
| William Walford – Commentary on the Psalms | Walford interprets the psalm as expressing hope based on God’s former deliverances. The psalmist longs for restoration. Divine righteousness transforms the land. |
| Andrew A. Bonar – Christ and His Church in the Psalms | Bonar views the psalm as a cry for revival in the Church. God’s mercy brings restoration. Righteousness and peace unite in Christ. |
| Joseph Parker – People’s Bible Notes | Parker sees the psalm as faith looking for renewed peace. God’s presence brings joy. His truth leads to lasting blessing. |
| Thomas Dale – Exposition of the Psalms | Dale interprets the psalm as a beautiful union of confession and hope. God’s mercy triumphs over wrath. His righteousness prepares the way for peace. |
| Horatius Bonar – Psalm Meditations | Bonar sees the psalm as portraying the restored soul revived by grace. Truth springs from the earth. God’s salvation draws near. |
| Christopher Wordsworth – Commentary on the Psalms | Wordsworth interprets the psalm as anticipation of the gospel blessing. Righteousness and peace meet in the Messiah. God’s glory dwells in the land. |
Psalm Chapter 85 Devotional: His Righteousness
Thought for the day: We were saved through the righteousness of the son Jesus
Message:
This psalm speaks about many things that we need to consider: the faithfulness of the past, how they were saved from the slavery land to the land of promise and from there. He expressed the anger of God and begged God to forgive man and give us His salvation, but when he got to verses ten to twelve, he started emphasizing on righteousness.
Check it out.
Righteousness will look down from heaven. Wow! Despite His anger toward mankind, righteousness will still spring out of His throne, this is amazing.
The second point is:
Righteousness shall go before Him and set us in the way of His steps: Because of His anger towards man, righteousness is needed and for what purpose, to set man in His way, to bring man back on his fit, to save man from the anger of God. If this is it, then it is important for us to know what righteousness is.
Righteousness is a free gift of God. Humanly speaking, man cannot be righteous. Jesus brought our righteousness and gave it to us. See 2Corinthians 5: 21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. God was in Jesus, and by His righteousness, He brought us to God in Him, we became the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus and His righteousness saved us from the anger of God because Jesus paid the penalty of sin for all.
I wonder how man would have faced the wrath of God if Jesus didn’t come to intervene, see this scripture:
1Peter 3:18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit.
We were unrighteous. He gave His righteousness to us to grant us access to the Father. May I say at this juncture that the fruit of righteousness is holiness to God and godliness to the people. If you claim to be righteous, you must portray holiness and godliness.
My Counsel and Homework
Ø Appreciate the work of righteousness that Christ did for us.
Ø Always remember that the fruit of righteousness is holiness and godliness, be holy and be godly
Ø Jesus has saved us from His anger, don’t go back to your sin anymore, be holy says the scripture.
Declaration
Father, I appreciate your work of righteousness, I was once in the darkness but you saved me by your mighty hand, I choose to stay in you, and I will cherish this love forever. Thank you, Jesus. .
