1 To the choirmaster. Of the sons of Korah. A psalm. You were pleased with your land, LORD; you restored the fortunes of Jacob.
Jerome · AD 420 Unto the end, a psalm of the sons of Korah. The eighty-fourth psalm is headed with this title. I have often said: wherever there is the title "Of the sons of Korah," nothing is sorrowful, but always joyful. For the sorrow of the father is consoled by the joy of the sons.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 The Prophet sings to Him of the future, and uses words as it were of past time: he speaks of things future as if already done, because with God that which is future has already taken place...."Lord, You have been favourable unto Your land" [Psalm 85:1]; as if He had already done so.
You Showed Favor to Your Land 2 You lifted away the iniquity of your people; you covered all their sin. Selah.
Jerome · AD 420 You have remitted the iniquity of Your people. No one remits anything except what is owed. You have covered all their sins. You have covered them with virtues, and therefore the sins do not appear. For example, You have covered iniquity with righteousness, You have covered unchastity with chastity, You have covered blackness with whiteness.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 For how did He turn away the captivity of Jacob? See, how that that setting free is spiritual, see how that it is done inwardly. "You have forgiven," he says, "the iniquity of Your people: You have covered all their sins" [Psalm 85:2].
3 You gathered in all your fury; you turned back from the burning of your anger.
Jerome · AD 420 You have mitigated all your wrath, you have turned away from the wrath of your indignation. See what penance avails: it holds off the imminent wrath of God.
4 Restore us, God of our salvation, and break off your indignation with us.
Jerome · AD 420 Convert us, O God of our salvations. He did not say, "of our salvation": because we have sinned much, we have need of many salvations.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 And as these things are said of the future, though the sound of the words is past, it follows: "Turn us, O God of our salvation" [Psalm 85:4]. That which he had just related as if it were done, how prays he that it may be done, except because he wished to show that he had spoken as if of the past in prophecy?
5 Will you be angry with us forever? Will you draw out your anger to generation and generation?
Jerome · AD 420 Will you be angry with us forever? or will you extend your wrath from generation to generation? Your wrath has profited unto salvation: for this reason you were angry with the former people, that you might have mercy on ours.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Be not angry with us for ever" (ver. 5). For by the anger of God we are subject to death, and by the anger of God we eat bread on this earth in want, and in the sweat of our face. This was Adam's sentence when he sinned: and that Adam was every one of us, for "in Adam all die;" the sentence passed on him hath taken effect after him on us.
6 Will you not turn and give us life, so that your people may rejoice in you?
Jerome · AD 420 You, being turned, will give us life, and your people will rejoice in you.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "O God, You shall turn us again, and make us alive" [Psalm 85:6]. Not as if we ourselves of our own accord, without Your mercy, turn unto You, and then You shall make us alive: but so that not only our being made alive is from You, but our very conversion, that we may be made alive.
7 Show us your loyal love, LORD, and give us your salvation.
Jerome · AD 420 Show us, O Lord, Your mercy, and grant us Your salvation. That the Savior came down is a matter of God's mercy: the physician would not have come, had not very many been sick. Because very many were sick, therefore the physician came: because we were in need of mercy, therefore the Savior came.
8 Let me hear what the Mighty One, the LORD, will speak — for he will speak peace to his people and to his loyal ones; and let them not turn back to folly.
Jerome · AD 420 For he will speak peace unto his people, and upon his saints, and unto those who are converted to the heart. I see three kinds of people: the common people, the saints, and those who are converted to the heart.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "I will hearken" (ver. 8). The Prophet spoke: God spoke within in him, and the world made a noise without. Therefore, retiring for a little from the noise of the world, and turning himself back upon himself, and from himself upon Him whose voice he heard within; sealing up his ears, as it were, against the tumultuous disquietude of this life, and against the soul weighed down b…
9 Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him, that glory may dwell in our land.
Jerome · AD 420 You have covered all their sins, and right up to the end the psalm is about the coming of the Savior, as I said. Mercy and truth. Nevertheless His salvation is near to those who fear Him, that glory may dwell in our land. For truly the glory of God dwelt in our land, and thereafter righteousness looked down from heaven. For the Lord shall give loving-kindness.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Nevertheless, His salvation is nigh them that fear Him" (ver. 9). There were some even then who feared Him in the Jewish people. Everywhere throughout the earth idols were worshipped: devils were feared, not God: in that nation God was feared. But why was He feared?
10 Loyal love and faithfulness have met; righteousness and peace have kissed.
Ambrosiaster · AD 384 ON MELCHIZEDEK. — We read about Melchizedek in the book of Genesis; about Melchizedek likewise, in a similar manner, in the Epistle to the Hebrews: “Because,” it says, “Melchizedek, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham as he returned from the slaughter of the kings, and brought out bread and wine, and offered it to him, and blessed him, saying: Blessed are you, Abraham, by…
Jerome · AD 420 Mercy and truth have met each other: righteousness and peace have kissed. O how splendid a friendship! Mercy and truth have met each other. Are you a sinner? Hear what it says: Mercy. Are you holy? Hear what it says: And truth. Neither, if you are a sinner, should you despair; nor, if you are righteous, should you be proud. Let us speak in another way.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Mercy and truth have met together" (ver. 10). "Truth in our land," in a Jewish person, "mercy" in the land of the Gentiles. For where was truth? Where the utterances of God were. Where was mercy? On those who had left their God, and turned themselves unto devils. Did He look down also upon them?
11 Faithfulness springs up from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven.
Ambrosiaster · AD 384 WHY WAS THE SON OF GOD SENT, AND NOT ANOTHER? — Although everything that God does must be believed to be done reasonably and providentially, I nevertheless think it better if, after faith, the cause of what is done can also be noticed, so that what is believed is not unknown.
Jerome · AD 420 Truth has arisen from the earth, and justice has looked down from heaven. The truth of the promise has arisen from the earth, and the sun of justice has looked down from heaven: that he might lavish his light upon men set in darkness and in the shadow of death.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Truth has sprung out of the earth, and righteousness has looked down from heaven" [Psalm 85:11]. "Truth has sprung out of the earth:" Christ is born of a woman. The Son of God has come forth of the flesh. What is truth? The Son of God. What is the earth? Flesh.
12 The LORD also gives what is good, and our land gives its produce.
Jerome · AD 420 For indeed the Lord will give kindness. For this reason these kisses were given, that the Lord might give kindness. And our land will give its fruit. What was promised at that time, we now see fulfilled.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 We were wolves. "We too were by nature children of wrath just like the rest." But the sheep died and turned us into sheep.
Bonaventure · AD 1257 And so, concerning the fruit of grace, it is written in the Psalm: "For the Lord will give goodness: and our earth shall yield her fruit." And so these fruits come forth from Christ, blessed by Joseph who produced fruit of heaven, and of the dew, and of the deep that lieth beneath, that is, the charismatic gifts of the graces, by means of dew on humble hearts.
13 Righteousness walks before him and sets his steps on the way.
Jerome · AD 420 All these things, indeed, we have said concerning the mercy of the Lord, since He came for this purpose, to save the human race. Nevertheless we ought to know that He Himself is to judge the living and the dead, He Himself will come to judge. Righteousness shall walk before Him. Do not be negligent: Righteousness shall walk before Him. And He shall set His steps in the way.