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10 His salvation is indeed near for those who fear him;
    his glory[a] will dwell in our land.
11 [b]Kindness and faithfulness[c] will meet;
    righteousness and peace will embrace.
12 Faithfulness will spring forth from the earth,
    and righteousness[d] will look down from heaven.
13 [e]The Lord will grant us prosperity,[f]
    and our land will yield its harvest.
14 Righteousness will go forth in front of him,
    and he will set us on the way he treads.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 85:10 Only those who fear God in the spirit of wisdom (in contrast to the spirit of folly, v. 9) will inherit his benefits, which will be their glory. They will experience a renewed spirit since they are the heirs of the new age of restoration, which is described by various terms: salvation and glory (v. 10), kindness, faithfulness, righteousness, and peace (vv. 11-12), good and harvest (v. 13). Glory: the Lord’s glory—a visible manifestation of his power and divinity—had left the temple and the holy city (see Ezek 11:23); it would return there once the temple was restored (see Ezek 43:2; Hag 2:9). See also Jn 1:14.
  2. Psalm 85:11 People will regulate their lives by the divine norms. The divine attributes, as well as the moral virtues that correspond to them, are here personified (see Pss 89:15; 97:2) as courtiers of the returning king.
  3. Psalm 85:11 Kindness and faithfulness: often found together to express God’s loyalty (see Pss 25:10; 40:12f; 57:11; 61:8; Ex 34:6).
  4. Psalm 85:12 Righteousness: personification of God’s attribute, which expresses his kingship in and over his people (see Pss 4:2; 22:31, alternative translation).
  5. Psalm 85:13 The goodness and blessings that the psalmist sees in a vision of the future are, for Christians, fulfilled in Christ. Yet the completion of salvation is also for Christians an object of promise and of longing expectation.
  6. Psalm 85:13 Prosperity: the benefits of God’s kingdom enjoyed by those who fear him: forgiveness (v. 3), reconciliation, renewal of covenant status (vv. 9-10), and fullness of restoration (vv. 10-14). Thus, faith in God leads to hope in a new age of righteousness (see Gal 5:5; 2 Pet 3:13).