Psalm 85

This article is about Psalm 85 in Hebrew (Masoretic) numbering. For Psalm 85 in Greek Septuagint or Latin Vulgate numbering, see Psalm 86.
Psalm 85
"LORD, thou hast been favourable unto thy land"
Justitia et pax (Justice and Peace) by an anonymous artist
Other name
  • "Benedixisti Domine terram tuam"
TextKorahites
LanguageHebrew (original)

Psalm 85 is the 85th psalm of the Book of Psalms, one of a series of psalms attributed to the sons of Korah. In the English of the King James Version, this psalm begins: "LORD, thou hast been favourable unto thy land". In the slightly different numbering system used in the Greek Septuagint and Latin Vulgate translations of the Bible, this psalm is Psalm 84. In Latin, it is known as "Benedixisti Domine terram tuam".[1] In Judaism, it is called "a psalm of returned exiles".[2] The Jerusalem Bible describes it as a "prayer for peace".[3]

The psalm forms a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican and other Protestant liturgies. It has been paraphrased in hymns and set to music. Its image of Justice and Peace kissing in verse 10 [4] ("righteousness and peace" in versions such as the New International Version) was a popular theme in art work from the Middle Ages through the 18th century.

  1. ^ Parallel Latin/English Psalter / Psalmus 84 (85) Archived 2017-05-07 at the Wayback Machine medievalist.net
  2. ^ Nulman 1996, p. 209.
  3. ^ Jerusalem Bible (1966), Sub-heading to Psalm 85
  4. ^ Psalm 85:11: verse 11 in the New American Bible Revised Edition