Psalm 85

Psalm 85 is the 85th psalm of the Book of Psalms, one of a series of psalms attributed to the sons of Korah. In the English of the King James Version, this psalm begins: "LORD, thou hast been favourable unto thy land". In the slightly different numbering system used in the Greek Septuagint and Latin Vulgate translations of the Bible, this psalm is Psalm 84. In Latin, it is known as "Benedixisti Domine terram tuam". In Judaism, it is called "a psalm of returned exiles". The Jerusalem Bible describes it as a "prayer for peace".

The psalm forms a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican and other Protestant liturgies. It has been paraphrased in hymns 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) was a popular theme in art work from the Middle Ages through the 18th century.

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. Alexander Maclaren posits that the setting of Psalm 85 corresponds to the description in the Book of Nehemiah in which only part of the Jewish nation had returned from the Babylonian captivity. 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 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, the land being referred to in this psalm is the Land of Israel, of which Scripture states, "A land which the Lord your God cares for; the eyes of the Lord your God are always upon it" (Deuteronomy 11:12). God waits for the Jewish people to perform the mitzvot (biblical commandments) associated with the Land – such as tithing the crops and observing the Shmita (sabbatical year) and Yovel (Jubilee year) – and when they do, both they and the land will find favor in God's eyes.

John Calvin 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.

The image of "Justice and Peace kissing" (per the KJV translation; Hebrew: צֶ֖דֶק וְשָׁל֣וֹם נָשָֽׁקוּ 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 (Hebrew: 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 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: