Psalm 85:10 kjv
Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
Psalm 85:10 nkjv
Mercy and truth have met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed.
Psalm 85:10 niv
Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other.
Psalm 85:10 esv
Steadfast love and faithfulness meet; righteousness and peace kiss each other.
Psalm 85:10 nlt
Unfailing love and truth have met together.
Righteousness and peace have kissed!
Psalm 85 10 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 89:14 | Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you. | God's throne established on justice, love & faithfulness. |
| Ex 34:6-7 | The Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands... | Attributes of God: Love, faithfulness (truth), grace (mercy). |
| Rom 3:25-26 | God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement... so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. | God's righteousness and mercy/justice meet in Christ. |
| Rom 5:1 | Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. | Peace achieved through justification (righteousness). |
| Eph 2:13-16 | But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ... creating in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace. | Christ brings peace by uniting (righteousness through reconciliation). |
| Isa 32:17 | The fruit of that righteousness will be peace; its effect will be quietness and confidence forever. | Peace as a direct result of righteousness. |
| Isa 48:18 | If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like the waves of the sea. | Connection between obedience, righteousness, and peace. |
| 2 Cor 5:19-21 | God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them... God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. | Reconciliation (peace), forgiveness (mercy), righteousness in Christ. |
| Heb 7:2 | to whom Abraham gave a tenth of everything. First, the name Melchizedek means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.” | King of righteousness and peace foreshadowing Christ. |
| Zech 9:9-10 | See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey... He will proclaim peace to the nations. | Messianic prophecy of a righteous king bringing peace. |
| Mic 7:18-20 | Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant... You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea. | God's mercy and truth in pardoning and remaining faithful. |
| Jn 14:6 | Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." | Christ embodying truth. |
| Lk 1:78-79 | Because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness... to guide our feet into the path of peace. | Mercy leading to the path of peace. |
| Ps 40:10-11 | I do not conceal your love and your truth from the great assembly. Do not withhold your mercy from me, Lord; may your love and faithfulness always protect me. | God's love, truth, mercy protecting. |
| Prov 3:3 | Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. | Value of mercy (love) and truth (faithfulness). |
| Jas 2:13 | because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment! | Mercy and judgment interacting. |
| Col 1:20 | and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. | Reconciliation (peace) through Christ's sacrifice. |
| Phil 4:7 | And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. | God's peace surpassing human comprehension. |
| Titus 3:4-5 | But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. | Salvation rooted in God's mercy, not human righteousness. |
| Gal 5:22 | But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. | Peace and faithfulness as fruits of the Spirit, reflecting divine attributes in believers. |
Psalm 85 verses
Psalm 85 10 Meaning
Psalm 85:10 declares the harmonious convergence of four fundamental divine attributes: mercy, truth, righteousness, and peace. It illustrates these virtues as active, personified entities that come together in perfect union, suggesting a profound theological resolution or manifestation of God's character. This verse speaks to the establishment of true salvation and spiritual flourishing where all divine requirements are met, culminating in perfect harmony between God and humanity.
Psalm 85 10 Context
Psalm 85 is a post-exilic psalm, reflecting the longing and hope of the returned exiles for complete spiritual and physical restoration after the Babylonian captivity. The initial verses (1-3) express gratitude for God's past mercy in forgiving sins and restoring Israel. However, the psalm then transitions to a fervent plea for further revival (v. 4-7), recognizing that despite the physical return, true flourishing and full restoration of God's favor are yet to be fully realized. Verse 8 describes a confident expectation of God's answer: "I will listen to what God the Lord will say; he promises peace to his people, his faithful ones." This sets the stage for verse 10, which acts as the theological climax. It paints a prophetic vision of the conditions under which this promised peace will manifest: when God's inherent qualities of mercy, truth, righteousness, and peace are not just present but intimately unite and harmonize. This vision is not merely for Israel's historical restoration but looks forward to a greater, ultimate salvation where these divine attributes are fully reconciled, supremely through the Messiah.
Psalm 85 10 Word Analysis
- Mercy (חֶסֶד - ḥesed):
- Significance: More than just pity, ḥesed denotes covenantal faithfulness, steadfast love, loyal-love, or unfailing grace. It highlights God's commitment to His people, even in their failures.
- In Context: God's willingness to be gracious and compassionate, based on His promises and covenant relationship.
- Truth (אֱמֶת - ʼĕmet):
- Significance: Refers to reliability, faithfulness, constancy, integrity, and reality. It speaks of God's unchangeable character and His commitment to His word.
- In Context: God's consistent and faithful adherence to His nature and His promises, embodying reality itself.
- Righteousness (צֶדֶק - tsedeq):
- Significance: Divine justice, moral uprightness, conformity to God's holy standard, and also the act of vindication. God always acts justly and righteously, setting right what is wrong.
- In Context: God's perfect moral nature and His standard of justice by which all things are aligned; His work of setting things right.
- Peace (שָׁלוֹם - shalom):
- Significance: Far beyond the absence of conflict, shalom encompasses wholeness, completeness, well-being, harmony, flourishing, and reconciliation. It describes a state of total welfare and undisturbed prosperity.
- In Context: The comprehensive well-being and ultimate harmony God brings about, resolving discord and creating flourishing.
- met together:
- Analysis: This phrase suggests a meeting or an encounter, implying that these attributes, though distinct, are not isolated but converge. They are brought into a shared space or moment, acting in concert. It signifies a profound union.
- kissed each other:
- Analysis: This powerful personification speaks of an intimate, affectionate, and harmonious reconciliation. It conveys not just proximity but a deep, affectionate agreement and complete synergy between these divine qualities, symbolizing that they are not in tension but embrace each other in perfect unity, culminating in divine action.
Psalm 85 10 Bonus Section
The personification of these divine attributes in Psalm 85:10 is a masterstroke of Hebrew poetry. It transforms abstract concepts into dynamic participants, making their interaction vivid and profound. This is particularly striking in the phrase "kissed each other," which elevates the idea of meeting or reconciliation to one of profound intimacy and complete agreement. The theological brilliance of this verse lies in its succinct statement of how God's attributes, often perceived in isolation or even tension, work in perfect concert, demonstrating the coherent and holistic nature of the divine will and character, especially regarding covenant fulfillment and salvation. This verse stands as a testament to God's unchanging nature and His unwavering commitment to both justice and grace, which ultimately find their apex in the salvific act where the Holy God provides perfect peace to the unholy.
Psalm 85 10 Commentary
Psalm 85:10 profoundly articulates the harmonious unity within God's character, particularly as it relates to salvation. It shows that seemingly distinct, even potentially conflicting, divine attributes—like a holy God's demand for justice (righteousness and truth) and His boundless compassion (mercy and peace)—are not at odds. Instead, in the divine plan for redemption, they converge and mutually affirm one another. This verse hints at a unique solution where God remains perfectly just while extending grace. For Christians, this harmony is perfectly actualized in the Person and work of Jesus Christ, especially at the cross. There, God’s righteousness against sin was satisfied, His truth about humanity's condition affirmed, His boundless mercy extended to sinners, and the ultimate peace between God and humanity established. It reveals that salvation is not a compromise of divine attributes, but their perfect and simultaneous manifestation. It highlights that true flourishing, shalom, flows from this divine confluence.