Psalms 85King James Version
Lord, thou hast been favourable unto thy land. Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. One of the most quoted lines in the book.
A post-exile plea for restoration. God has been favorable, brought back the captivity, forgiven iniquity. But wrath remains; the prayer is for revival, for mercy, for salvation. Then a prophetic listener: God will speak peace; salvation is near to those who fear him; glory will dwell in the land. The famous convergence: mercy and truth meet, righteousness and peace kiss. Truth springs from the earth; righteousness looks down from heaven. The land will yield its increase.
The return from captivity was only the beginning; the deeper restoration is the convergence of mercy, truth, righteousness, and peace that only God can accomplish when he speaks.
verse: "Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other." Four divine attributes meeting in a scene of cosmic reconciliation.
Superscription: 'To the chief Musician, A Psalm for the sons of Korah.' The context of restored captivity (v1) suggests post-exile, possibly after the return from Babylon under Cyrus. The second petition for revival (vv4-7) indicates that the initial return did not feel like full restoration. Book 3 closes.
The post-exilic community as petitioners; God as the one who was favorable and whose wrath still lingers; the speaker who hears God's peace; the four personified attributes: mercy, truth, righteousness, peace.
Psalm 85:10's convergence of mercy, truth, righteousness, and peace became one of the most-cited verses in Christian theology of atonement: how can a holy God show mercy without abandoning justice? The fourfold meeting was read as a prophecy of Christ's cross where all four attributes are simultaneously satisfied. Augustine, Anselm, and Calvin all expound this verse.
For when you have been given a second chance but you know the restoration is not complete yet. The psalm holds both the partial restoration and the prayer for what still needs to converge.
1[To the chief Musician, A Psalm for the sons of Korah.] LORD, 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.