Psalms 85:8-9

85:8 I will listen to what God the Lord says. ¹ 

For he will make ²  peace with his people, his faithful followers. ³ 

Yet they must not ⁴  return to their foolish ways.

85:9 Certainly his loyal followers will soon experience his deliverance; ⁵ 

then his splendor will again appear in our land. ⁶ 

[85:8]  ¹ sn I will listen. Having asked for the Lord’s favor, the psalmist (who here represents the nation) anticipates a divine word of assurance.

[85:8]  ² tn Heb “speak.” The idiom “speak peace” refers to establishing or maintaining peaceful relations with someone (see Gen 37:4; Zech 9:10; cf. Ps 122:8).

[85:8]  ³ tn Heb “to his people and to his faithful followers.” The translation assumes that “his people” and “his faithful followers” are viewed as identical here.

[85:8]  ⁴ tn Or “yet let them not.” After the negative particle אֵל (’el), the prefixed verbal form is jussive, indicating the speaker’s desire or wish.

[85:9]  ⁵ tn Heb “certainly his deliverance [is] near to those who fear him.”

[85:9]  ⁶ tn Heb “to dwell, glory, in our land.” “Glory” is the subject of the infinitive. The infinitive with -לְ (lÿ), “to dwell,” probably indicates result here (“then”). When God delivers his people and renews his relationship with them, he will once more reveal his royal splendor in the land.