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Psalm Eighty-five
New King James Version (NKJV)
YLT
To
the Overseer. -- By sons of Korah. A Psalm.
INTRODUCTION TO Psalm 85
To the chief Musician
A Psalm for the sons of Korah. This psalm is
generally thought to have been composed after the return of the Jews from their
captivity in Babylon; and yet when they were in some distress from their
neighbours
either in the times of Ezra and Nehemiah
or in the times of
Antiochus; but then this deliverance from captivity must be considered as
typical of redemption by Christ; for as the title of the Syriac version is
"it
is a prophecy concerning Christ;'
it
speaks of his dwelling in the land
of his salvation being near
and of the
glory of the divine perfections as displayed in it; and perhaps some parts of
it may respect the conversion of the Jews in the latter day; and Aben Ezra and
Kimchi say
it is concerning the captivity of Babylon
yet also of their
present captivity.
Psalm 85:1 Lord
You have been
favorable to Your land; You have brought back the captivity of Jacob.
YLT
1Thou hast accepted
O
Jehovah
Thy land
Thou hast turned [to] the captivity of Jacob.
Lord
thou hast been favourable unto thy land
.... The land
of Canaan
which the Lord chose for the people of Israel
and put them into the
possession of it; and where he himself chose to dwell
and had a sanctuary
built for him; and therefore though the whole earth is his
yet this was his
land and inheritance in a peculiar manner
as it is called
Jeremiah 16:18
the inhabitants of it are
meant
to whom the Lord was favourable
or whom he graciously accepted
and was
well pleased with and delighted in
as appears by his choosing them above all
people to be his people; by bringing them out of Egyptian bondage
by leading
them through the Red sea and wilderness
by feeding and protecting them there;
and by bringing them into the land of Canaan
a land flowing with milk and
honey
and settling them in it; and by many temporal blessings
and also
spiritual ones
as his word and ordinances; but especially by sending his own
Son
the Messiah and Saviour
unto them; and which perhaps is what is here
principally intended:
thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob; or
"the
captives"F13שבות "captivam
turbam"
Junius & Tremellius; i. e. "captivos"
Gejerus
Michaelis. of Jacob; in a temporal sense
both out of Egypt
and out of
Babylon; and in a spiritual sense from sin
Satan
and the law; the special
people of God often go by the name of Jacob
and these are captives to the
above mentioned; and redemption by Christ is a deliverance of them from their
captivity
or a bringing of it back
for he has led captivity captive; and in
consequence of this they are put into a state of freedom
liberty is proclaimed
to these captives
and they are delivered
and all as the fruit and effect of
divine favour.
Psalm 85:2 2 You have forgiven the
iniquity of Your people; You have covered all their sin. Selah
YLT
2Thou hast borne away the
iniquity of Thy people
Thou hast covered all their sin. Selah.
Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people
.... Took it
from them
and laid it on Christ
who has bore it
and took it away
so as it
shall never return more to their destruction; and by the application of his
blood it is taken away from their own consciences; for this denotes the
manifestation and discovery of forgiveness to themselves; it is a branch of
redemption
and is in consequence of it; and is a fruit of the free favour and
good will of God through Christ; and it only belongs to the Lord's special
people
the people he has taken into covenant with him
and for whose iniquity
Christ was stricken:
thou hast covered all their sin; this is but another
phrase for forgiveness
see Psalm 32:1
and this is done by the blood
and righteousness
and propitiatory sacrifice of Christ
the antitypical mercy
seat
the covering of the law and its transgressions
and the people of God
from its curse and condemnation; whose sins are so covered by Christ
as not to
be seen by the eye of avenging justice
even all of them
not one remains
uncovered.
Selah. See Gill on Psalm 3:2.
Psalm 85:3 3 You have taken away all
Your wrath; You have turned from the fierceness of Your anger.
YLT
3Thou hast gathered up all
Thy wrath
Thou hast turned back from the fierceness of Thine anger.
Thou hast taken away all thy wrath
.... Or
"gathered"F14אספת
"collegisti"
Montanus
Gejerus
Michaelis. it; sin occasions wrath
and the people of God are as deserving of it as others; but the Lord has
gathered it up
and poured it forth upon his Son
and their surety; hence
nothing of this kind shall ever fall upon them
either here or hereafter; and
it is taken away from them
so as to have no sense
apprehension
or conscience
of it
which before the law had wrought in them
when pardon is applied unto
them
which is what is here meant; see Isaiah 12:1
thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger; the anger of
God is very fierce against sin and sinners; it is poured forth like fire
and
there is no abiding it; but
with respect to the Lord's people
it is pacified
by the death of his Son; or he is pacified towards them for all that they have
done
for the sake of his righteousness and sacrifice; and which appears to
them when he manifests his love and pardoning grace to their souls; see Ezekiel 16:63.
Psalm 85:4 4 Restore us
O God of our
salvation
And cause Your anger toward us to cease.
YLT
4Turn back [to] us
O God of
our salvation
And make void Thine anger with us.
Turn us
O God of our salvation
.... Who appointed it in
his purposes
contrived it in council
secured it in covenant
and sent his Son
to effect it; the prayer to him is for converting grace
either at first
for
first conversion is his work
and his only; or after backslidings
for he it is
that restores the souls of his people; and perhaps it is a prayer of the Jews
for their conversion in the latter day; when sensible of sin
and seeking after
the Messiah they have rejected
when the Lord will turn them to himself
and
turn away iniquity from them
and they shall be saved
Hosea 3:5
and cause thine anger towards us to cease: the manifest
tokens of which are now upon them
being scattered up and down in the world
and made a proverb
a taunt
and a jeer; but will be removed
and cease
when
they shall be converted.
Psalm 85:5 5 Will You be angry with us
forever? Will You prolong Your anger to all generations?
YLT
5To the age art Thou angry
against us? Dost Thou draw out Thine anger To generation and generation?
Wilt thou be angry with us for ever?.... God is angry with
the wicked every day
their life being a continued series of sin
without
repentance for it
or confession of it; and he will be so for ever
of which
they will have a constant sense and feeling; and is the worm that never dies
and the fire that is inextinguishable; but he does not retain his anger for
ever with his own people; though he is displeased with them
and chastises them
for their sins
his anger endures but for a moment; he is pacified towards them
and turns away his anger from them
by discovering his pardoning love
and
withdrawing his afflicting hand:
wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations? out of his
heart
where it is supposed to be conceived; and out of his treasury
where it
is thought to be laid up: this has been drawn out to a great length of time
upon the Jewish nation; it has been upon them for almost twenty centuries
or
ages
and still remains
and will until the fulness of the Gentiles is brought
in; but it will not be drawn out to "all" ages or generations; for
they shall return to the Lord
and seek him; and he will come to them
and turn
away iniquity from them
and so all Israel shall be saved.
Psalm 85:6 6 Will You not revive us
again
That Your people may rejoice in You?
YLT
6Dost Thou not turn back?
Thou revivest us
And Thy people do rejoice in Thee.
Wilt thou not revive us again
.... Their return from
the Babylonish captivity was a reviving of them in their bondage
Ezra 9:8 and the conversion of them in the
latter day will be a reviving them again
be as life from the dead; they are
like the dry bones in Ezekiel's vision
or like the dead in the graves; and
their being turned to the Lord will be a resurrection
or quickening of them
as every instance of conversion is; see Romans 11:15
men are dead in trespasses
and sins
and they are quickened by the Spirit and grace of God
so that they
revive
and live a life of sanctification; they are dead in law
and find
themselves to be so
when spiritually enlightened; when the Spirit of God works
faith in them
to look to and live upon the righteousness of Christ for
justification; and who
after spiritual decays
declensions
and deadness
are
revived again
and are made cheerful and comfortable by the same Spirit; all
which may be here intended:
that thy people may rejoice in thee; it was a time of
rejoicing in the Lord
when the Jews were returned from their captivity in
Babylon; but their future conversion will be matter of greater joy
both to
themselves and to the Gentiles; everlasting joy will be upon their heads
and
in their hearts
when they shall return to Zion
Psalm 14:7 and so is the conversion of
every sinner joyful to himself and to others; such rejoice in Christ
in his person
blood
and righteousness; and every view of him afterwards
as it is a reviving
time
it fills with joy unspeakable
and full of glory: the Targum is
"and
thy people shall rejoice in thy Word;'
Christ
the essential Word.
Psalm 85:7 7 Show us Your mercy
Lord
And grant us
Your salvation.
YLT
7Show us
O Jehovah
thy
kindness
And Thy salvation Thou dost give to us.
Show us thy mercy
O Lord
.... Or
"thy
grace"F15חסדך "bonitatem
tuam"
Tigurine version
Musculus; "benignitatem tuam"
Junius
& Tremellius
Piscator; "gratiam tuam"
Cocceius
Gejerus. and
goodness
the riches of which are shown forth in Christ; the mercy promised to
Abraham and others
long expected
wished
and prayed for; his pardoning mercy
justification
salvation
and eternal life
by his free grace:
and grant us thy salvation; Jesus
the Saviour
and
salvation by him
an interest in it
and the joys of it; which is all a free
gift
a grant of divine favour
and not according to the merits and works of
men.
Psalm 85:8 8 I will hear what God the Lord will speak
For
He will speak peace To His people and to His saints; But let them not turn back
to folly.
YLT
8I hear what God Jehovah
speaketh
For He speaketh peace unto His people
And unto His saints
and they
turn not back to folly.
I will hear what God the Lord will speak
.... This the
psalmist says in the name of the people of the Jews
whom he represents
in all
the foregoing expostulations and petitions
refusing to be still and quiet
and
wait and listen for an answer to the above request from the Lord
who speaks by
his providences
word
and Spirit; see Habakkuk 2:1
for he will speak peace unto his people
and to his saints; as he does in
his word
which is the Gospel of peace; and by his ministers
who bring the
good tidings of it
and publish it; and by the blood and righteousness of his
Son
which both procure
call for
and produce it; and by his Spirit
the fruit
of which is peace: it is an answer of peace
or of good and comfortable words
that the Lord returns to his people sooner or later; and it is only to his own
people he speaks peace
to his covenant ones
with whom the covenant of peace
is made; and to his saints
his Holy Ones
whom he has set apart for himself
and sanctified by his Spirit: as for the wicked
there is no peace unto them
nor any spoken to them by him: Kimchi understands by the "saints" the
godly among the Gentiles
as distinct from the Lord's "people"
the
Jews:
but let them not turn again to folly; to doubt of
and question the providence of God; so Arama; or to idolatry
which there was
danger of
upon the Jews' return from Babylon; and it is observable
that they
afterwards never did return to it
to which they were so much addicted before;
or to a vicious course of life
to sin and iniquity
which is the greatest
folly
after mercy has been shown; or to self-righteousness
and a dependence
on it
to the neglect of Christ and his righteousness
which is the great folly
of the Jews to this day; and when the Lord shall quicken them
and convert
them
show them his mercy and salvation
speak peace and pardon to them
it
would be very ungrateful in them to turn again to this folly.
Psalm 85:9 9 Surely His salvation is
near to those who fear Him
That glory may dwell in our land.
YLT
9Only
near to those fearing
Him [is] His salvation
That honour may dwell in our land.
Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him
.... That have
a true sense of sin and folly
are humbled for it
hate it
and depart from it
and do not return unto it; have a reverential affection for God
a sense of his
goodness
particularly his pardoning grace and mercy
and fear him on account
of it
and to offend him; and that serve him with reverence and godly fear: to
these his salvation is nigh; temporal salvation
for that is his
it is of him
and from him; and he is a present help in time of trouble: spiritual and
eternal salvation is his; it is of his contriving
settling
appointing
and
giving; and was now near being accomplished by Christ; who also may be meant by
God's salvation
being the Saviour of his providing
choosing
and sending
who
in a short time
would appear
and suddenly come to his temple
as Haggai
and Malachi foretold
and as was fixed by Daniel's weeks
Haggai 2:6
and therefore the psalmist
speaks of it with the utmost certainty; "surely": verily of a truth
it is so; there can be no dispute about it; for this psalm
as is generally
thought
was written after the return of the Jews from the Babylonish
captivity; so that the coming of the Saviour was at hand
and the impetration
of salvation not afar off; and the revelation of it in the Gospel was just
ready to be made
or in a little time; see Isaiah 56:1 and this may be said to be nigh
to sensible sinners
when it is brought unto them by the Gospel
and applied to
their hearts by the Spirit of God
and they see their interest in it
the full
possession of which in heaven is still nearer than when they believed; but then
it is only so to them that fear the Lord; not to the wicked
from whom it is
afar off
Psalm 119:155
this character seems to
design converted persons among the Gentiles
as well as among the Jews; see Acts 13:26.
that glory may dwell in our land; Christ
who is the
brightness of his Father's glory
having the same nature
names
worship
and
honour; whose glory is the glory of the only begotten of the Father
and who
also is the glory of his people Israel; who
when he was incarnate
dwelt among
men
particularly in the land of Judea
where the writer of this psalm dwelt
and therefore calls it "our land"; and though his appearance was then
but mean
in the form of a servant
yet he had a glory
which was manifest in
his doctrine and miracles; and he was the Lord of glory
even when he was
crucified; see Hebrews 1:3
Luke 2:32
or else the Gospel may be meant
which has a glory in it excelling that of the law; it containing glorious
truths
and glorious promises; and which is the glory of a land where it is
and
when it departs
an "Ichabod" may be written on it: this came in
consequence of Christ
the Saviour
and salvation by him
which it is a
revelation of; and dwelt and abode in the land of Judea
till it was utterly
despised and rejected: the whole of Gospel worship and ordinances may be
intended also
together with a holy life and conversation becoming it.
Psalm 85:10 10 Mercy and truth have met
together; Righteousness and peace have kissed.
YLT
10Kindness and truth have
met
Righteousness and peace have kissed
Mercy and truth are met together
.... Or "grace and
truth"F16חסד ואמת
"gratia et veritas"
Cocceius
Gejerus
Michaelis.
which are in
Christ
and come by him; and so may be said to meet in him
the glorious
Person
the Author of salvation
before mentioned
John 1:14
these may be considered as
perfections in God
displayed in salvation by Christ: "mercy" is the
original of it; it is owing to that that the dayspring from on high visited us
or glory dwelt in our land
or Christ was sent and came to work salvation for
us; it was pity to the lost human race which moved God to send him
and him to
come
who is the merciful as well as faithful High Priest
and who in his love
and pity redeemed us; and though there was no mercy shown to him
he not being
spared in the least
yet there was to us; and which appears in the whole of our
salvation
and in every part of it
in our regeneration
pardon
and eternal
life; see Luke 1:72
1 Peter 1:3 or "grace"
the
exceeding riches of which are shown forth in the kindness of God to us
through
Christ; and to which our salvation
in whole and in part
is to be attributed
Ephesians 2:7
"truth" may
signify the veracity and faithfulness of God
in his promises and threatenings:
his promises have their true and full accomplishment in Christ
Luke 1:72 so have his threatenings of death
to sinful men
he being the surety for them
Genesis 2:17 and so mercy is shown to man
and God is true to his word:
righteousness and peace have kissed each other; as friends at
meeting used to do: "righteousness" may intend the essential justice
of God
which will not admit of the pardon and justification of a sinner
without a satisfaction; wherefore Christ was set forth to be the propitiation
for sin
to declare and manifest the righteousness of God
his strict justice;
that he might be just
and appear to be so
when he is the justifier of him that
believes in Jesus; and Christ's blood being shed
and his sacrifice offered up
he is just and faithful to forgive sin
and cleanse from all unrighteousness
Exodus 34:6
Romans 3:25 and thus the law being
magnified
and made honourable by the obedience and sufferings of Christ
an
everlasting righteousness being brought in
and justice entirely satisfied
there is "peace" on earth
and good will to men: peace with God is
made by Christ the peacemaker
and so the glory of divine justice is secured
and peace with God for men obtained
in a way consistent with it
Luke 2:14 and Christ's righteousness being
imputed and applied to men
and received by faith
produces a conscience peace
an inward peace of mind
which passeth all understanding
Romans 5:1.
Psalm 85:11 11 Truth shall spring out of
the earth
And righteousness shall look down from heaven.
YLT
11Truth from the earth
springeth up
And righteousness from heaven looketh out
Truth shall spring out of the earth
.... Either the Gospel
the word of truth
which sprung up at once in the land of Judea
as if it came
out of the earth; and from Zion and Jerusalem it came forth into the Gentile
world: or else the truth of grace God desires in the inward parts
and which
springs up in such who are like cultivated earth
or good ground
being made so
by the Spirit and grace of God
particularly the grace of "faith"; by
which some render the wordF17אמת fides.
Tigurine version
Musculus
Junius & Tremellius. here
which springs up in
the heart
and
with it
man believes to righteousness: or rather Christ
himself
"who is the way
the truth
and the life"; who
though he is
the Lord from heaven
yet may be said
with respect to his incarnation
to
spring out of the earth
he taking flesh of the virgin: hence his human nature
is said to be "curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth";
and "that new thing created in the earth"
Psalm 139:15.
and righteousness shall look down from heaven: the justice
of God
or the righteous God
shall look down from heaven on Christ
the truth
in our nature on earth
with pleasure beholding his obedience
sufferings and
death
sacrifice and righteousness; being well pleased with him
and with all
he did and suffered
and with all his people
considered in him: these upright
and righteous ones his countenance beholds with delight
as they are clothed
with Christ's righteousness
washed in his blood
and their sins expiated by
his sacrifice
and as they are hoping in his mercy
and trusting in his Son.
Psalm 85:12 12 Yes
the Lord will give what
is good; And our land will yield its increase.
YLT
12Jehovah also giveth that
which is good
And our land doth give its increase.
Yea
the Lord shall give that which is good
.... Meaning
not merely temporal good
as rain in particular
as some think
because of the
following clause; but that which is spiritually good
his good Spirit and his
grace
grace and glory: nor will he withhold any good thing from his people;
every good and perfect gift comes from him:
and our land shall yield her increase; such who are
like to the earth
which receives blessing of God
and oft drinks in the rain
that comes upon it
and brings forth herbs to the dresser of it
Hebrews 6:2
these increase with the
increase of God
bring forth fruits of righteousness
and grow in grace and in
the knowledge of Christ; though the whole may be interpreted of the incarnation
of Christ
which agrees with what goes before and follows after; see Psalm 67:6.
Psalm 85:13 13 Righteousness will go
before Him
And shall make His footsteps our pathway.
YLT
13Righteousness before Him
goeth
And maketh His footsteps for a way!
Righteousness shall go before him
.... The incarnate
Saviour
the increase of our land
and fruit of the virgin's womb; and
righteousness may be put for a righteous person
as Aben Ezra interprets it;
and may design John the Baptist
a holy and just man
Mark 6:20
who was the forerunner and
harbinger of Christ
went before him
and prepared the way for him
Luke 1:76.
and shall set us in the way of his steps; the business
of John the Baptist being not only to prepare the way of Christ by his doctrine
and baptism
but to guide the feet of his people into the way of peace; or to
direct them to believe in Christ
and to be followers of him
the Lamb of God
whithersoever he went; who has left an example of grace and duty
that we
should tread in his steps
Luke 1:79
the Targum renders it
"in
the good way"; and such a way John taught men to walk in.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》