A thoughtful guide for your walk of faith Read with context, practice with grace.
Bless.You
Wisdom & Poetry · WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE

Psalm 85

Psalm 85 is read especially through the theme of wisdom, within Book III (Psalms 73–89). Its language invites attentive prayer before quick application.

WisdomMercy & ForgivenessJustice
Psalms overview
Old Testament

Psalm 85

1For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by the sons of Korah. LORD, you have been favorable to your land. You have restored the fortunes of Jacob.

2You have forgiven the iniquity of your people. You have covered all their sin. Selah.

3You have taken away all your wrath. You have turned from the fierceness of your anger.

4Turn us, God of our salvation, and cause your indignation toward us to cease.

5Will you be angry with us forever? Will you draw out your anger to all generations?

6Won’t you revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?

7Show us your loving kindness, LORD. Grant us your salvation.

8I will hear what God, the LORD, will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, his saints; but let them not turn again to folly.

9Surely his salvation is near those who fear him, that glory may dwell in our land.

10Mercy and truth meet together. Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.

11Truth springs out of the earth. Righteousness has looked down from heaven.

12Yes, the LORD will give that which is good. Our land will yield its increase.

13Righteousness goes before him, and prepares the way for his steps.

READ IN CONTEXT

Understanding Psalm 85

Psalm 85 is read especially through the theme of wisdom, within Book III (Psalms 73–89). Its language invites attentive prayer before quick application. Read it within the complete five-book Psalms collection, then compare its prayer language with the types of prayer found across Scripture. Classification is a reading aid rather than a replacement for the Psalm's own movement and tension.

Collection

Book III (Psalms 73–89). The five-book shape of the Psalter helps readers hear individual prayers within a deliberately arranged collection.

Themes detected

Wisdom, Mercy & Forgiveness, Justice. Read for these themes while remaining open to tension and secondary movements.

TEXT-DERIVED READING NOTES

What to notice in Psalm 85

Psalm 85 contains 13 verses and about 200 words in this translation. These observations come from the chapter itself; they are prompts for close reading, not claims about its only possible meaning.

The opening movement

Verse 1 begins: “For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by the sons of Korah. LORD, you have been favorable to your land. You have restored the fortunes of Jacob.” Ask what situation, voice, image, or argument this opening establishes for everything that follows.

The closing movement

Verse 13 closes: “Righteousness goes before him, and prepares the way for his steps.” Compare the ending with the opening and note what changed, resolved, intensified, or remained open.

Vocabulary worth tracing

Recurring or prominent content words include will, land, people, salvation, righteousness, anger. Follow where each word appears and whether its meaning shifts with the speaker or setting.

COMMON QUESTIONS

About Psalm 85

Which Bible translation is shown here?+

This page reproduces the World English Bible Protestant edition (WEBP), a modern-English translation dedicated to the public domain.

How should I cite a specific verse?+

Use the book, chapter, and verse—for example, Psalms 85:1—and name the World English Bible if the wording matters. Each verse number above is a direct anchor link.

Does the chapter number define the complete literary unit?+

Not always. Chapter and verse numbers were added for navigation. Check the paragraphs, scenes, poetic stanzas, or argument before and after this chapter.

What kind of Psalm is this?+

Our reading profile emphasizes wisdom, with related themes of Wisdom, Mercy & Forgiveness, Justice. Many Psalms blend genres or move between moods, so this label is a guide rather than a rigid classification.

A SMALL NEXT STEP

You do not have to have everything figured out.

Begin with one honest question, one passage read carefully, and one faithful next step.

Start with prayer →