85:1(To the chief Musician, A Psalm for the sons of Korah.)
LORD, thou hast been a favourable unto thy land: thou
hast brought back the captivity of Jacob.
(a) They confess that God's free mercy was the cause of
their deliverance because he loved the land which he
had chosen.
85:2 Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast
b covered all their sin. Selah.
(b) You have buried them that they will not come into
judgment.
85:3 Thou hast taken away all thy wrath: thou hast turned
[thyself] from the c fierceness of thine anger.
(c) Not only in withdrawing your rod, but in forgiving
sins, and in touching our hearts to confess them.
85:5 Wilt thou be angry with us d for ever? wilt thou draw out
thine anger to all generations?
(d) As in times past they had felt God's mercies, so now
being oppressed by the long continuance of evil, they
pray to God that according to his nature he would be
merciful to them.
85:7 Shew us thy mercy, O LORD, and grant us thy e salvation.
(e) He confesses that our salvation comes only from God's
mercy.
85:8 I will hear what God the LORD will speak: for he will speak
f peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them
not turn again to folly.
(f) He will send all prosperity to his Church, when he has
sufficiently corrected them, also by his punishments
the faithful will learn to beware that they not return
the same offences.
85:11g Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness
shall look down from heaven.
(g) Though for a time God thus exercises them with his
rods, yet under the kingdom of Christ they should have
peace and joy.
85:13h Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set [us]
in the way of his steps.
(h) Justice will then flourish and have free course and
passage in every place.
