Text -- Psalms 85:1-6 (NET)

Psalm 85

85:1 For the music director; written by the Korahites, a psalm. O Lord, you showed favor to your land; you restored the well-being of Jacob. 85:2 You pardoned the wrongdoing of your people; you forgave all their sin. (Selah) 85:3 You withdrew all your fury; you turned back from your raging anger. 85:4 Restore us, O God our deliverer! Do not be displeased with us! 85:5 Will you stay mad at us forever? Will you remain angry throughout future generations? 85:6 Will you not revive us once more? Then your people will rejoice in you!

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: Psa 85:1

¹ sn Psalm 85. God’s people recall how he forgave their sins in the past, pray that he might now restore them to his favor, and anticipate renewed blessings.

² tn Heb “you turned with a turning [toward] Jacob.” The Hebrew term שְׁבוּת (shÿvut) is apparently a cognate accusative of שׁוּב (shuv). See Pss 14:7; 53:6.

NET Notes: Psa 85:2

¹ tn Heb “lifted up.”

² tn Heb “covered over.”

NET Notes: Psa 85:3

¹ tn Heb “the rage of your anger.” The phrase “rage of your anger” employs an appositional genitive. Synonyms are joined in a construct relationship to emphasize the single idea. For a detailed discussion of the grammatical point with numerous examples, see Y. Avishur, “Pairs of Synonymous Words in the Construct State (and in Appositional Hendiadys) in Biblical Hebrew,” Semitics 2 (1971): 17-81. See Pss 69:24; 78:49.

NET Notes: Psa 85:4

¹ tn Heb “break your displeasure with us.” Some prefer to emend הָפֵר (hafer, “break”) to הָסֵר (haser, “turn aside”).

NET Notes: Psa 85:5

¹ tn Heb “Will your anger stretch to a generation and a generation?”