Psalm 85 is the 85th psalm of the

Book of Psalms The Book of Psalms ( or ; he, תְּהִלִּים, , lit. "praises"), also known as the Psalms, or the Psalter, is the first book of the ("Writings"), the third section of the Tanakh, and a book of the Old Testament. The title is derived ...

, one of a series of psalms attributed to the sons of Korah. In the slightly different numbering system used in the Greek

Septuagint The Greek Old Testament, or Septuagint (, ; from the la, septuaginta, lit=seventy; often abbreviated ''70''; in Roman numerals, LXX), is the earliest extant Greek translation of books from the Hebrew Bible. It includes several books beyond t ...

and Latin

Vulgate The Vulgate (; also called (Bible in common tongue), ) is a late-4th-century Latin translation of the Bible. The Vulgate is largely the work of Jerome who, in 382, had been commissioned by Pope Damasus I to revise the Gospels u ...

translations of the Bible, this psalm is Psalm 84. In the English of the

King James Version The King James Version (KJV), also the King James Bible (KJB) and the Authorized Version, is an English translation of the Christian Bible for the Church of England, which was commissioned in 1604 and published in 1611, by sponsorship of K ...

, this psalm begins: ", thou hast been favourable unto thy land". In Latin, it is known as "Benedixisti Domine terram tuam". In Judaism, it is called "a psalm of returned exiles". The

Jerusalem Bible ''The Jerusalem Bible'' (JB or TJB) is an English translation of the Bible published in 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd. As a Catholic Bible, it includes 73 books: the 39 books shared with the Hebrew Bible, along with the seven deuterocanonica ...

describes it as a "prayer for peace". The psalm forms a regular part of

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched ...

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...

and other Protestant liturgies. It has been paraphrased in

hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' ...

s and set to music. Its image of Justice and Peace kissing in verse 10 ("righteousness and peace" in versions such as the

New International Version The New International Version (NIV) is an English translation of the Bible first published in 1978 by Biblica (formerly the International Bible Society). The ''NIV'' was created as a modern translation, by Bible scholars using the earliest an ...

) was a popular theme in art work from the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

through the 18th century.

Background and themes

While the superscript attributes this psalm to the sons of Korah, Christian commentators are undecided about the period in which the psalm was written. One suggestion is that it was penned at the end of the reign of

Saul Saul (; he, , ; , ; ) was, according to the Hebrew Bible, the first monarch of the United Kingdom of Israel. His reign, traditionally placed in the late 11th century BCE, supposedly marked the transition of Israel and Judah from a scattered tri ...

Alexander Maclaren Alexander Maclaren (11 February 1826 – 5 May 1910) was a Scottish Baptist minister. Biography Maclaren was born in Glasgow, Scotland, the son of David Maclaren, a merchant and Baptist lay preacher.Edwin Charles Dargan (1912) ''A History of ...

posits that the setting of Psalm 85 corresponds to the description in the

Book of Nehemiah The Book of Nehemiah in the Hebrew Bible, largely takes the form of a first-person memoir concerning the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile by Nehemiah, a Jew who is a high official at the Persian court, and the dedic ...

in which only part of the Jewish nation had returned from the

Babylonian captivity The Babylonian captivity or Babylonian exile is the period in Jewish history during which a large number of Judeans from the ancient Kingdom of Judah were captives in Babylon, the capital city of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, following their defeat ...

. They returned "to a ruined city, a fallen Temple, and a mourning land, where they were surrounded by jealous and powerful enemies". According to Jewish commentators, the sons of Korah are speaking prophetically about the conclusion of the Babylonian exile. They pray that God will also return the Jewish people from their current exile and remove his anger from them altogether. The image of kindness and truth "meeting" alludes to the interrelationship between Israel's truth and God's righteousness. When Israel adheres to the truth, God will respond with righteousness; He will send rain to produce abundant harvests. The ''

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia The ''International Standard Bible Encyclopedia'' refers to two different versions of a Bible encyclopedia: a 1915 fundamentalist edition, and a 1979–1995 revised evangelical edition. The first version was published under the general editorship ...

'' also interprets the "kiss" shared by Righteousness and Peace (in the KJV translation) as signifying the spiritual union of "God bowing down from heaven to meet earth and earth rejoicing up to Him, foretelling the glory of salvation for the people". According to the

Midrash Tehillim Midrash Tehillim (Hebrew: מדרש תהלים), also known as Midrash Shocher Tov or the Midrash to Psalms, is an aggadic midrash to the Psalms. It has been known since the 11th century, when it was quoted by Nathan of Rome, by R. Isaac ben Jud ...

, the land being referred to in this psalm is the

Land of Israel The Land of Israel () is the traditional Jewish name for an area of the Southern Levant. Related biblical, religious and historical English terms include the Land of Canaan, the Promised Land, the Holy Land, and Palestine (see also Isra ...

, of which Scripture states, "A land which the Lord your God cares for; the eyes of the Lord your God are always upon it" (). God waits for the Jewish people to perform the

mitzvot In its primary meaning, the Hebrew word (; he, מִצְוָה, ''mīṣvā'' , plural ''mīṣvōt'' ; "commandment") refers to a commandment commanded by God to be performed as a religious duty. Jewish law () in large part consists of discus ...

(biblical commandments) associated with the Land – such as tithing the crops and observing the

Shmita The sabbath year (shmita; he, שמיטה, literally "release"), also called the sabbatical year or ''shǝvi'it'' (, literally "seventh"), or "Sabbath of The Land", is the seventh year of the seven-year agricultural cycle mandated by the Torah ...

(sabbatical year) and Yovel (

Jubilee year A jubilee is a particular anniversary of an event, usually denoting the 25th, 40th, 50th, 60th, and the 70th anniversary. The term is often now used to denote the celebrations associated with the reign of a monarch after a milestone number of ...

) – and when they do, both they and the land will find favor in God's eyes.

John Calvin John Calvin (; frm, Jehan Cauvin; french: link=no, Jean Calvin ; 10 July 150927 May 1564) was a French theologian, pastor and reformer in Geneva during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system ...

summarizes the message of Psalm 85 as follows. After God's people returned from the Babylonian captivity they were suffering new afflictions. The people's voice in the psalm cries to God for deliverance on three counts: first, as a continuation of God's grace in bringing the people back from captivity, secondly, in view of the long period of their suffering, and lastly, in hope and confidence in the promises of God for blessing. On this last point, Calvin connects the restoration to Israel with the future kingdom of Christ.

Kissing or fighting?

The image of "Justice and Peace kissing" (per the KJV translation; '' tseḏeq wə- šālōm nāšāqū'') became a popular theme for artworks from the Middle Ages through the 18th century. However, the Hebrew root ''n-š-q'' ( he, נשק) has several translations, including "kiss", "fight", and "fought against each other". According to Eder, the word describes a dynamic type of contact, whether positive or negative. The

Midrash ''Midrash'' (;"midrash"
''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''. he, מִדְרָשׁ; ...

understands this interaction in a turbulent context, relating it to God taking counsel with His ministering angels about whether to create the first man. The Midrash states:

Rabbi Simon said, "When the Holy One, blessed be He, came to create Adam, the ministering angels formed themselves into groups and parties, some of them saying, 'Let him be created,' whilst others urged, 'let him not be created.' Thus it is written, "Chesed indnessand Truth fought together, Righteousness and Peace combated each other" (). Chesed said, 'Let him be created, because he will dispense acts of love'; Truth said, 'Let him not be created, because he is compounded of falsehood'; Righteousness said, 'Let him be created, because he will perform righteous deeds'; Peace said, 'Let him not be created, because he is full of strife.'

"What did the Holy One do? He took Truth and cast it to the ground. As it says, 'And truth was thrown to the ground...' (). The ministering angels said before the Almighty: 'Master of the worlds! Why do You put to shame Your chief of court?' The Almighty replied: 'Let Truth rise from the ground!' This is what is meant when it is written, 'Truth shall grow from the ground'" ().

Text

Verse numbering

In the

Hebrew Bible The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''. Hebrew: ''Tān ...

, Psalm 85:1 comprises the designation :''To the chief Musician, A Psalm for the sons of Korah.'' (

KJV The King James Version (KJV), also the King James Bible (KJB) and the Authorized Version, is an English translation of the Christian Bible for the Church of England, which was commissioned in 1604 and published in 1611, by sponsorship of K ...

) From then on Psalm 85:1–13 in English versions correspond to verses 2–14 in the Hebrew text.

Hebrew Bible version

Following is the Hebrew text of Psalm 85, with translation from the 1917 JPS Bible:

King James Version

:To the chief Musician, A Psalm for the sons of Korah. # , thou hast been favourable unto thy land: thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob. # Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah. # Thou hast taken away all thy wrath: thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger. # Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease. # Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations? # Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee? # Shew us thy mercy, O , and grant us thy salvation. # I will hear what God the will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly. # Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land. # Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. # Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven. # Yea, the shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase. # Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps.

Uses

In Judaism

In the

Sephardic Sephardic (or Sephardi) Jews (, ; lad, Djudíos Sefardíes), also ''Sepharadim'' , Modern Hebrew: ''Sfaradim'', Tiberian Hebrew, Tiberian: Səp̄āraddîm, also , ''Ye'hude Sepharad'', lit. "The Jews of Spain", es, Judíos sefardíes (or ), ...

tradition, Psalm 85 is recited after

Kaddish Kaddish or Qaddish or Qadish ( arc, קדיש "holy") is a hymn praising God that is recited during Jewish prayer services. The central theme of the Kaddish is the magnification and sanctification of God's name. In the liturgy, different version ...

(Titkabel) during the afternoon service on

Yom Kippur Yom Kippur (; he, יוֹם כִּפּוּר, , , ) is the holiest day in Judaism and Samaritanism. It occurs annually on the 10th of Tishrei, the first month of the Hebrew calendar. Primarily centered on atonement and repentance, the day's ...

eve. Sephardi Jews also recite this psalm along with numerous others on Yom Kippur itself. Verses 5 and 8 (in the Hebrew) are part of

Selichot Selichot ( he, סְלִיחוֹת, səlīḥōt, singular: , ''səlīḥā'') are Jewish penitential poems and prayers, especially those said in the period leading up to the High Holidays, and on fast days. The Thirteen Attributes of Mercy are ...

; verse 8 is also recited during the morning service in Pesukei Dezimra. Psalm 85 is recited to express gratitude, as a prayer for a livelihood, and as a prayer for assistance in times of need.

In Catholicism

The beginning of Psalm 85 is recommended as an

introit The Introit (from Latin: ''introitus'', "entrance") is part of the opening of the liturgical celebration of the Eucharist for many Christian denominations. In its most complete version, it consists of an antiphon, psalm verse and ''Gloria Patri'', ...

antiphon An antiphon (Greek ἀντίφωνον, ἀντί "opposite" and φωνή "voice") is a short chant in Christian ritual, sung as a refrain. The texts of antiphons are the Psalms. Their form was favored by St Ambrose and they feature prominently ...

for

Mass Mass is an intrinsic property of a body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the quantity of matter in a physical body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physics. It was found that different atoms and different elementar ...

Gaudete Sunday Gaudete Sunday ( ) is the third Sunday of Advent in the liturgical calendar of Western Christianity, including the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion, Lutheran Churches, and other mainline Protestant churches. It can fall on any date fr ...

, the third Sunday of

Advent Advent is a Christian season of preparation for the Nativity of Christ at Christmas. It is the beginning of the liturgical year in Western Christianity. The name was adopted from Latin "coming; arrival", translating Greek ''parousia''. In ...

. The verse “Shew us, O Lord, thy mercy.” (

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

: “''Óstende nobis, Dómine, misericórdiam tuam''”) is said towards the end of the

Prayers at the Foot of the Altar The Tridentine Mass, also known as the Traditional Latin Mass or Traditional Rite, is the liturgy of Mass in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church that appears in typical editions of the Roman Missal published from 1570 to 1962. Celebrated almo ...

in the

Tridentine Mass The Tridentine Mass, also known as the Traditional Latin Mass or Traditional Rite, is the liturgy of Mass in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church that appears in typical editions of the Roman Missal published from 1570 to 1962. Celebrated almo ...

, also called the Extraordinary Form.

Book of Common Prayer

In the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...

's ''

Book of Common Prayer The ''Book of Common Prayer'' (BCP) is the name given to a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion and by other Christian churches historically related to Anglicanism. The original book, published in 1549 in the reign ...

'', this psalm is appointed to be read in the evening of the 16th day of the month.

Hymns and musical settings

Paul Gerhardt Paul Gerhardt (12 March 1607 – 27 May 1676) was a German theologian, Lutheran minister and hymnodist. Biography Gerhardt was born into a middle-class family at Gräfenhainichen, a small town between Halle and Wittenberg. His father died in ...

paraphrased Psalm 85 in a hymn, "Herr, der du vormals hast dein Land", which is part of the Protestant German hymnal '' Evangelisches Gesangbuch'' as EG 283. In 1681/2,

Marc-Antoine Charpentier Marc-Antoine Charpentier (; 1643 – 24 February 1704) was a French Baroque composer during the reign of Louis XIV. One of his most famous works is the main theme from the prelude of his ''Te Deum'', ''Marche en rondeau''. This theme is still us ...

composed a « ''Benedixisti Domine »,'' H.181, for 3 voices, 2 treble instruments and continuo. Heinrich Schütz set a German rhymed version in the

Becker Psalter The ''Becker Psalter'' is a German metrical psalter authored by the Leipzig theologian Cornelius Becker and first published by Jakob Apel in Leipzig in 1602 under the title ''Der Psalter Davids Gesangweis''. Several composers set the psalms contai ...

, ''Herr, der du vormals gnädig warst'' (Lord, you who were merciful before), SWV 182. Themes from verses 9 to 11 were paraphrased in "The Lord will come and not be slow", a hymn by

John Milton John Milton (9 December 1608 – 8 November 1674) was an English poet and intellectual. His 1667 epic poem '' Paradise Lost'', written in blank verse and including over ten chapters, was written in a time of immense religious flux and political ...

The Four Virtues

In verse 10 in the

, virtues are described as meeting: "Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other", in erotic imagery, which became a popular theme for artworks from the Middle Ages through the 18th century. These include paintings by

Tiepolo Giovanni Battista Tiepolo ( , ; March 5, 1696 – March 27, 1770), also known as Giambattista (or Gianbattista) Tiepolo, was an Italian painter and printmaker from the Republic of Venice who painted in the Rococo style, considered an import ...

Lanfranco Lanfranco (active in Modena from c. 1099 to 1110) was an Italian architect. His only known work is the Modena Cathedral. Record of his work there is in the early 13th-century manuscript ''Relatio de innovatione ecclesie sancti Gemeniani'' in the ...

Pompeo Batoni Pompeo Girolamo Batoni (25 January 1708 – 4 February 1787) was an Italian painter who displayed a solid technical knowledge in his portrait work and in his numerous allegorical and mythological pictures. The high number of foreign visitors tra ...

, Nicolas Prévost, and

Laurent de La Hyre Laurent de La Hyre (; 27 February 1606 – 28 December 1656) was a French Baroque painter, born in Paris. He was a leading exponent of the neoclassical style of Parisian Atticism. Life La Hyre was greatly influenced by the work of Italian ...

. In 2003, American artist

John August Swanson John August Swanson (January 11, 1938 – September 23, 2021) was an American visual arts, visual artist who worked primarily in the medium of serigraphy, as well as oil painting, oil, watercolor, Acrylic paint, acrylic, mixed media, lithogr ...

produced the work ''Psalm 85''. The verse was also engraved on a

papal tiara The papal tiara is a crown that was worn by popes of the Catholic Church from as early as the 8th century to the mid-20th. It was last used by Pope Paul VI in 1963 and only at the beginning of his reign. The name "tiara" refers to the entire h ...

which Napoleon gave to

Pope Pius VII Pope Pius VII ( it, Pio VII; born Barnaba Niccolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti; 14 August 1742 – 20 August 1823), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 14 March 1800 to his death in August 1823. Chiaramonti was also a m ...

. The four virtues, Mercy, Truth, Righteousness (or Justice), and Peace, are allegorized as

Four Daughters of God The Four Daughters of God are a personification of the virtues of Truth, Righteousness/Justice, Mercy, and Peace in medieval Catholic religious writing. History and development of the motif The most important contributors to the development and c ...

. The psalm has also been quoted in nonviolent movements, for example in a 1993 document of Catholic bishops in the United States, for its verse "for he will speak peace unto his people". Peterborough Psalter c 1220-25 Mercy and Truth.jpg, ''Mercy and Truth'', 13th century Der Kuß von Gerechtigkeit und Friede.jpg, ''Der Kuß von Gerechtigkeit und Friede'', Antwerp, c. 1580 'The Kiss of Peace and Justice' by Laurent de La Hyre, 1654,.JPG, ''The Kiss of Peace and Justice'' by

, 1654 Tiepolo Justice and Peace.jpg, ''Justice and Peace'' by

, 18th century

References

Sources

* * * * * * * * * *

External links

* *
Psalms Chapter 85 תְּהִלִּים
text in Hebrew and English, mechon-mamre.org * Text of Psalm 85 according to th
1928 Psalter

Psalm 85 – Praying for Revival and Restoration
text and detailed commentary, enduringword.com
For the leader. A psalm of the Korahites. / You once favored, LORD, your land, / restored the captives of Jacob.
text and footnotes, usccb.org United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
PSAL. LXXXV.
translation by

, dartmouth.edu
Psalm 85:1
introduction and text, biblestudytools.com
Psalm 85 / Refrain: Show us your mercy, O Lord.

Psalm 85
at biblegateway.com

sacred-texts.com * ttp://chantblog.blogspot.com/2008/12/advent-3-gaudete-in-domino.html Advent 3: Gaudete in Dominochantblog.blogspot.com 2008 *

Charles H. Spurgeon Charles Haddon Spurgeon (19 June 1834 – 31 January 1892) was an English Particular Baptist preacher. Spurgeon remains highly influential among Christians of various denominations, among whom he is known as the "Prince of Preachers". He wa ...

Psalm 85
detailed commentary, archive.spurgeon.org {{Psalms 085