Teks -- Psalms 85:1 (NET)

Psalm 85

85:1 For the music director; written by the Korahites, a psalm. O Lord, you showed favor to your land; you restored the well-being of Jacob.

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per frasa)

Wesley: Psa 85:1 - Captivity

The captives.

JFB: Psa 85:1

On the ground of former mercies, the Psalmist prays for renewed blessings, and, confidently expecting them, rejoices. (Psa 85:1-13)

JFB: Psa 85:1 - captivity

Not necessarily the Babylonian, but any great evil (Psa 14:7).

Clarke: Psa 85:1 - Lord, thou hast been favorable

Lord, thou hast been favorable - Literally, Thou hast been well pleased with thy land

Clarke: Psa 85:1 - Thou hast brought back the captivity

Thou hast brought back the captivity - This seems to fix the time of the Psalm to be after the return of the Jews from Babylon.

Calvin: Psa 85:1 - O Jehovah! thou hast been favorable to thy land

1.O Jehovah! thou hast been favorable to thy land Those who translate these words in the future tense, in my opinion, mar their meaning. This psalm, it is probable, was endited to be sung by the people when they were persecuted by the cruel tyranny of Antiochus; and from the deliverance wrought for them in the past, they were encouraged to expect in the future, fresh and continued tokens of the divine favor, — God having thereby testified, that their sins, however numerous and aggravated, could not efface from his memory the remembrance of his covenant, so as to render him inexorable towards the children of Abraham, and deaf to their prayers. ⁴⁷⁴ Had they not previously experienced such remarkable proofs of the divine goodness, they must necessarily have been overwhelmed with the load of their present afflictions, especially when so long protracted. The cause of their deliverance from captivity they attribute to the free love with which God had embraced the land which he had chosen for himself. Whence it follows, that the course of his favor was unintermitted; and the faithful also were inspired with confidence in prayer, by the reflection that, mindful of his choice, he had shown himself merciful to his own land. We have elsewhere had occasion to remark, that nothing contributes more effectually to encourage us to come to the throne of grace, than the remembrance of God’s former benefits. Our faith would immediately succumb under adversity, and sorrow would choke our hearts, were we not taught to believe from the experience of the past, that he is inclined compassionately to hear the prayers of his servants, and always affords them succor when the exigencies of their circumstances require it; especially as there remains at all times the same reason for continuing his goodness. Thus the prophet happily applies to believers of his own day, the benefits which God in old time bestowed upon their fathers, because both they and their fathers were called to the hope of the same inheritance.

TSK: Psa 85:1 - Lord // favourable unto // thou hast

Lord : Lev 26:42; Joe 2:18; Zec 1:16

favourable unto : or, well pleased with, Psa 77:7

thou hast : Psa 14:7, Psa 126:1, Psa 126:2; Ezr 1:11, Ezr 2:1; Jer 30:18, Jer 31:23; Eze 39:25; Joe 3:1

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per Ayat)

Haydock: Psa 85:1 - Eyes

A prayer for God's grace to assist us to the end.

Eyes. The Babylonians oppress us most unjustly. (Calmet)

Haydock: Psa 85:1 - David // Needy

David. He might compose this psalm under any affliction, though prayer is always necessary (Berthier) for any person. (Worthington) ---

Others apply it to Ezechias, (Theodoret) the captives, or the Church. (Calmet) ---

Jesus Christ prays during his passion, and foretells his resurrection, and the vocation of the Gentiles. (St. Augustine) ---

Needy. Hebrew, "mild or afflicted." Humility is requisite to pray well, as those who think themselves rich, ask not with fervour. (Calmet) ---

God "inclines his ear if thou dost not lift up thy neck." (St. Augustine)

Gill: Psa 85:1 - Lord, thou hast been favourable unto thy land // thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob

Lord, thou hast been favourable unto thy land,.... The land of Canaan, which the Lord chose for the people of Israel, and put them into the possession of it; and where he himself chose to dwell, and had a sanctuary built for him; and therefore though the whole earth is his, yet this was his land and inheritance in a peculiar manner, as it is called, Jer 16:18, the inhabitants of it are meant, to whom the Lord was favourable, or whom he graciously accepted, and was well pleased with and delighted in, as appears by his choosing them above all people to be his people; by bringing them out of Egyptian bondage, by leading them through the Red sea and wilderness, by feeding and protecting them there; and by bringing them into the land of Canaan, a land flowing with milk and honey, and settling them in it; and by many temporal blessings, and also spiritual ones, as his word and ordinances; but especially by sending his own Son, the Messiah and Saviour, unto them; and which perhaps is what is here principally intended:

thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob; or, "the captives" ^m of Jacob; in a temporal sense, both out of Egypt, and out of Babylon; and in a spiritual sense from sin, Satan, and the law; the special people of God often go by the name of Jacob, and these are captives to the above mentioned; and redemption by Christ is a deliverance of them from their captivity, or a bringing of it back, for he has led captivity captive; and in consequence of this they are put into a state of freedom, liberty is proclaimed to these captives, and they are delivered, and all as the fruit and effect of divine favour.