10 Kindness and truth have met, Righteousness and peace have kissed,
The mountains bear peace to the people, And the heights by righteousness.
Righteousness and judgment `Are' the fixed place of Thy throne, Kindness and truth go before Thy face.
and Jehovah passeth over before his face, and calleth: `Jehovah, Jehovah God, merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in kindness and truth, keeping kindness for thousands, taking away iniquity, and transgression, and sin, and not entirely acquitting, charging iniquity of fathers on children, and on children's children, on a third `generation', and on a fourth.'
For good `is' Jehovah, to the age His kindness, And to generation and generation His faithfulness!
Let not kindness and truth forsake thee, Bind them on thy neck, Write them on the tablet of thy heart,
And dwelt in the wilderness hath judgment, And righteousness in the fruitful field remaineth. And a work of the righteousness hath been peace, And a service of the righteousness -- Keeping quiet and confidence unto the age. And dwelt hath My people in a peaceful habitation, And in stedfast tabernacles, And in quiet resting-places.
Only in Jehovah, said hath one, Have I righteousness and strength, Unto Him he cometh in, And ashamed are all those displeased with Him.
He received again Israel His servant, To remember kindness, As He spake unto our fathers, To Abraham and to his seed -- to the age.'
Lo, days are coming -- an affirmation of Jehovah, And I have raised to David a righteous shoot, And a king hath reigned and acted wisely, And done judgment and righteousness in the earth. In his days is Judah saved, and Israel dwelleth confidently, And this his name that Jehovah proclaimeth him, `Our Righteousness.'
Thou givest truth to Jacob, kindness to Abraham, That thou hast sworn to our fathers, from the days of antiquity!
`Glory in the highest to God, and upon earth peace, among men -- good will.'
whom God did set forth a mercy seat, through the faith in his blood, for the shewing forth of His righteousness, because of the passing over of the bygone sins in the forbearance of God -- for the shewing forth of His righteousness in the present time, for His being righteous, and declaring him righteous who `is' of the faith of Jesus.
Having been declared righteous, then, by faith, we have peace toward God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Psalms 85
Commentary on Psalms 85 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
PSALM 85
Ps 85:1-13. On the ground of former mercies, the Psalmist prays for renewed blessings, and, confidently expecting them, rejoices.
1. captivity—not necessarily the Babylonian, but any great evil (Ps 14:7).
2, 3. (Compare Ps 32:1-5).
3. To turn from the "fierceness," implies that He was reconcilable, though
4-7. having still occasion for the anger which is deprecated.
5. draw out—or, "prolong" (Ps 36:10).
8. He is confident God will favor His penitent people (Ps 51:17; 80:18).
saints—as in Ps 4:3, the "godly."
9. They are here termed "them that fear him"; and grace produces glory (Ps 84:11).
10. God's promises of "mercy" will be verified by His "truth" (compare Ps 25:10; 40:10); and the "work of righteousness" in His holy government shall be "peace" (Isa 32:17). There is an implied contrast with a dispensation under which God's truth sustains His threatened wrath, and His righteousness inflicts misery on the wicked.
11. Earth and heaven shall abound with the blessings of this government;
12, 13. and, under this, the deserted land shall be productive, and men be "set," or guided in God's holy ways. Doubtless, in this description of God's returning favor, the writer had in view that more glorious period, when Christ shall establish His government on God's reconciled justice and abounding mercy.