Psalm 85:13 kjv
Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps.
Psalm 85:13 nkjv
Righteousness will go before Him, And shall make His footsteps our pathway.
Psalm 85:13 niv
Righteousness goes before him and prepares the way for his steps.
Psalm 85:13 esv
Righteousness will go before him and make his footsteps a way.
Psalm 85:13 nlt
Righteousness goes as a herald before him,
preparing the way for his steps.
Psalm 85 13 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 23:3 | He restores my soul; He leads me in paths of righteousness... | God leads in paths of righteousness. |
| Ps 37:23 | The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD... | The Lord directs human steps. |
| Ps 119:35 | Make me walk in the path of Your commandments... | Desire for God's path/commandments. |
| Isa 2:3 | ...He will teach us about His ways, And we will walk in His paths... | People learning and walking in God's ways. |
| Isa 40:3 | A voice is calling, “Clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness... | Preparing the way for the Lord. |
| Isa 52:12 | ...For the LORD will go before you, And the God of Israel will be your rear guard. | The Lord leads His people. |
| Isa 60:21 | ...Your people also will all be righteous; They will possess the land forever... | God's people becoming righteous. |
| Jer 23:6 | In His days Judah will be saved...And this is His name by which He will be called, ‘The LORD Our Righteousness.’ | The Lord as righteousness, foreshadowing Messiah. |
| Mal 3:1 | “Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me... | A messenger prepares the way for God. |
| Matt 3:3 | For this is the one referred to by Isaiah...‘THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS...MAKE HIS PATHS READY!’ | John the Baptist prepares the way for Christ. |
| Luke 1:79 | To shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace. | Guidance into God's way. |
| John 14:6 | Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life... | Christ as the ultimate 'way.' |
| Rom 3:21-22 | But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been revealed...even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ... | God's righteousness revealed through Christ. |
| Rom 8:4 | ...so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. | Walking in the Spirit's guidance. |
| 2 Cor 5:21 | He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. | Believers made righteous in Christ. |
| Phil 3:9 | ...and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own...but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God... | Righteousness found in Christ. |
| 1 Thess 5:23 | Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely... | God sanctifies the whole person. |
| Heb 12:13 | and make straight paths for your feet... | Straight paths for walking righteously. |
| 1 Pet 2:21 | For you have been called for this purpose...For Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His footsteps... | Following Christ's footsteps. |
| 1 John 2:6 | The one who says that he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked. | Walking as Christ walked. |
| Rev 15:3 | And they sang the song of Moses...and the song of the Lamb, saying, “Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God, the Almighty; Righteous and true are Your ways... | God's ways are righteous and true. |
Psalm 85 verses
Psalm 85 13 Meaning
Psalm 85:13 declares that God's righteousness, a fundamental aspect of His character, will lead the way, preceding Him as a herald. This divine righteousness effectively marks and establishes the very path—the "footsteps"—that the Lord takes, thereby providing a clear way for humanity to follow. It signifies that God's faithful and just actions prepare and make manifest the righteous life that believers are called to walk in, directly enabled and guided by His presence.
Psalm 85 13 Context
Psalm 85 is a communal lament and a prayer for restoration, likely composed by the "sons of Korah" during a time of national distress following a past deliverance. The psalm begins by recounting God's former favor, especially the restoration from captivity (v. 1-3). However, the present circumstances are difficult, prompting an earnest plea for renewed favor, a revival of God's anger, and a renewed outpouring of His saving grace (v. 4-7). The psalmist then expresses hope and confidence in God's impending response (v. 8), affirming that salvation is near to those who fear Him, ensuring that His glory dwells in the land (v. 9). This hope climaxes in the beautiful depiction of personified divine attributes—Truth and Kindness, Righteousness and Peace—meeting and embracing, culminating in God's faithfulness springing from the earth and His righteousness looking down from heaven (v. 10-11). Verse 12 adds that the Lord will grant prosperity and the land will yield its produce. Within this flow of divine promise and impending blessing, Psalm 85:13 assures that God's very nature and acts of justice and salvation will pave the way for His presence and will, creating the path for His people to walk in.
Psalm 85 13 Word analysis
- Righteousness (צֶדֶק, tzedeq): This foundational Hebrew term signifies ethical and moral uprightness, justice, conformity to God's standards, and God's faithfulness in upholding His covenant. Here, it is personified as an active agent. Its presence signals God's character leading the way in His redemptive acts. In a broader biblical sense, it encompasses divine judgment, vindication, and salvation.
- will go before Him (יְהַלֵּךְ לְפָנָיו, yehallēḵ ləfānāyw): This indicates the act of leading, preceding, or acting as a vanguard. The "Him" refers to the Lord. So, God's righteousness acts as His advance guard, preparing the way for His arrival or His actions. This highlights the Lord's purity and justice in all His dealings and manifestations.
- And shall make (וְיָשֵׂם, wəyāśēm): From the verb שׂוּם (śûm), meaning "to set," "to place," or "to make." This emphasizes an active establishment or determination. It implies intention and purposeful action.
- His footsteps (לְפַעֲמָיו, ləfaʿamāyw): Faʿam (פַּעַם) literally means "footstep" or "stride," often referring to a beat or an accustomed walk. Here, "His" refers to the Lord. It denotes God's definite, purposeful path and movement. It is the divine trajectory.
- our way (לְדֶרֶךְ, lədereḵ): Derekh (דֶּרֶךְ) means "way," "path," "road," or "course of life." The preposition lǝ ("to/for") indicates the purpose or destination. So, God's divine path becomes a way for us. It is the example, the standard, or the actual trajectory God lays down for human life and conduct, upon which His people are intended to walk.
- Righteousness will go before Him: This is powerful personification. Righteousness is not merely an attribute of God but an active force. It leads the procession of divine grace and action, setting the moral and spiritual tone for God's redemptive work. It ensures that God's forthcoming acts are utterly just and right.
- And shall make His footsteps our way: This highlights the practical implication of God's leading. The path that God's righteousness prepares, and that the Lord Himself walks, is simultaneously laid out for His people to follow. God does not merely show a way; He creates it by His own righteous journey, inviting humanity to align their lives with His divine will and character. This is foundational for understanding sanctification—God's path becomes the standard for human conduct.
Psalm 85 13 Bonus section
This verse contains an intrinsic chiastic structure or a poetic parallelism where the action of God's righteousness leading gives way to God's steps becoming a path for His people. It connects God's attribute to His immanent action, bridging the gap between divine nature and human conduct. The concept of God's "footsteps" as a way for His people emphasizes emulation—not just a moral code to adhere to, but a divine walk to mimic. It implies that where God walks in His righteousness, there lies the only true and sure way for humanity. This verse beautifully ties together the prior meeting of Truth, Kindness, Righteousness, and Peace (Ps 85:10) by showing how Righteousness acts as the architect of the divine path, a path accessible for believers to follow.
Psalm 85 13 Commentary
Psalm 85:13 profoundly describes the interrelationship between God's nature, His actions, and the life expected of His people. God's righteousness, being perfect and unswerving, is presented as an advance party, ensuring that every move the Lord makes is pure, just, and consistent with His character. This "going before" also implies paving the way for God's blessings and salvation, confirming their rightness and legitimacy. Critically, the very path God takes, marked by His divine footsteps—His choices, His decrees, His redemptive work—does not simply demonstrate His righteousness but becomes the established "way" for humanity. It sets the standard and provides the course for believers to follow in their walk of faith. The implication is that a life lived righteously is not a human endeavor alone but is enabled, guided, and indeed prescribed by God's own perfect example and Spirit-led actions. This verse beautifully points to the New Testament truth that Christ, as the embodiment of God's righteousness (Rom 3:21-22), is both the Way (Jn 14:6) and the example for believers to follow in His footsteps (1 Pet 2:21). The path of salvation ultimately leads to the path of sanctification, both rooted in God's prior work and revealed righteousness.