Steadfast love and faithfulness meet; righteousness and peace kiss each other.
English Standard Version (ESV)
It's easy to read this verse as a simple statement about God's character, but notice the active verbs: "meet" and "kiss." This isn't just a passive coexistence; it highlights the dynamic interaction where divine steadfast love and faithfulness embrace, and divine righteousness and peace share an intimate moment, suggesting a profound reconciliation that brings them together.
Steadfast love and faithfulness meet; righteousness and peace kiss each other.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The psalmist is reflecting on God's past faithfulness and praying for restoration after a period of distress and exile. The verses preceding this one speak of God's past forgiveness and His promise to restore His people, leading to a prayer for renewed favor and blessing. This verse then beautifully encapsulates the harmonious way God's divine attributes will work together for His people's redemption and peace.
Ever feel like God's justice and God's mercy are at odds? This verse paints a picture of them meeting, not in conflict, but in a divine embrace.
The psalmist uses vivid imagery to describe how God's attributes, which might seem contradictory to us, work in perfect harmony.
Mercy Meets Truth
These two don't clash; they 'meet on the way.' Imagine God's unwavering commitment (mercy) encountering His absolute faithfulness (truth). They don't part ways but converge, affirming each other.
Righteousness Kisses Peace
These two are so closely linked they 'kiss each other.' God's perfect justice and His desire for our complete well-being are not in opposition. Where true righteousness reigns, peace flourishes.
Ask a follow-up
This beautiful description of divine harmony points to a singular event where all these attributes perfectly converged.
While the psalm speaks of God's faithfulness and the restoration of His people, the New Testament reveals the ultimate fulfillment of this divine embrace in Jesus Christ.
A Prophetic Glimpse
Many scholars, even ancient Jewish interpreters, saw this verse as pointing beyond their immediate circumstances to a future hope. It was a divine promise that hinted at a deeper reconciliation.
The Cross as the Convergence Point
As one commentator put it, 'Where did these meet? In Christ Jesus. When were they reconciled? When he poured out his life on Calvary.' The cross is where God's justice and mercy, His truth and His peace, were perfectly and eternally united.
Understand the original words
emeth · Hebrew Noun
Truth, reliability, or steadfastness; the quality of being firm and trustworthy. It refers to God’s unwavering dependability in fulfilling His word and maintaining His character.
tsedeq · Hebrew Noun
The standard of what is morally right, just, and in conformity with God's perfect law. It involves God acting in integrity to establish justice and declare His people right before Him.
This psalm expresses deep longing for God's favor and a return to peace and prosperity after a period of divine judgment. The imagery of 'steadfast love and faithfulness meeting' and 'righteousness and peace kissing' speaks powerfully to the hope for reconciliation and the harmonious blending of God's attributes in restoring His people, particularly after the devastation of the Assyrian invasion and the later Babylonian exile.
c. 701 BC— this verse
Assyrian Invasion of Judah
King Sennacherib of Assyria invades Judah, conquering many cities and besieking Jerusalem. This event caused widespread fear and destruction throughout the land.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar, crown prince of Babylon, defeats the Egyptian army at Carchemish and begins his campaigns against Judah, leading to the first wave of exiles to Babylon.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Temple Destruction
The Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar destroy Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling the majority of the remaining population. This marked a catastrophic low point for the Judean people.
c. 538 BC
Edict of Cyrus and Return from Exile
King Cyrus of Persia issues a decree allowing the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple. This marked the beginning of the restoration period.
c. 444 BC
Nehemiah Rebuilds Jerusalem's Walls
Under the leadership of Nehemiah, the walls of Jerusalem are rebuilt, symbolizing the restoration of order and security for the returned exiles.
This passage echoes the sentiment by stating that 'the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever,' directly linking righteousness and peace as a profound outcome.
Romans 3:23-26Paul explains how God's righteousness is demonstrated through faith in Jesus, where He 'put him forward as a propitiation by his blood, to receive through faith.' This passage beautifully illustrates how God's faithfulness and justice (truth and righteousness) are satisfied, while also showing mercy and peace through Christ's sacrifice, making this a profound fulfillment.
Luke 1:68-75Zechariah's prophecy speaks of God raising 'a horn of salvation' and showing 'mercy' to our fathers and remembering His 'holy covenant.' This connects to the psalm's themes by highlighting God's merciful remembrance and the salvation that brings peace through fulfilling His promises.
John 1:14This verse states that 'the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.' It shows how God's grace (mercy) and truth were embodied in Christ, directly fulfilling the idea of these divine qualities meeting.
clarkePsalms 85:10: "Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other."
Mercy and truth are met together - It would be more simple to translate the original: - חסד ואמת נפגשו צדק ושלום נשקו Chesed veemeth niphgashu; Tsedek veshalom nashaku, - " Mercy and truth have met on the way Righteousness and peace have embraced." This is a remarkable text, and much has been said on it: but there is a beauty in it which, I think, has not been noticed. Mercy and peace are on one si…
pulpitPsalms 85:10: "Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other."
Verse 10. - Mercy and truth are met together. God's mercy and God's truth are reconciled and brought into harmony. The psalmist does not say - probably does not know - how, He accepts the fact of the reconciliation, which is revealed to him (ver. 8) by faith, and boldly announces it. The explanation was reserved for the coming and teaching of Christ. Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.…
It's easy to read this verse as a simple statement about God's character, but notice the active verbs: "meet" and "kiss." This isn't just a passive coexistence; it highlights the dynamic interaction where divine steadfast love and faithfulness embrace, and divine righteousness and peace share an intimate moment, suggesting a profound reconciliation that brings them together.
The psalmist is reflecting on God's past faithfulness and praying for restoration after a period of distress and exile. The verses preceding this one speak of God's past forgiveness and His promise to restore His people, leading to a prayer for renewed favor and blessing. This verse then beautifully encapsulates the harmonious way God's divine attributes will work together for His people's redemption and peace.
The psalmist is reflecting on God's past faithfulness and praying for restoration after a period of distress and exile. The verses preceding this one speak of God's past forgiveness and His promise to restore His people, leading to a prayer for renewed favor and blessing. This verse then beautifully encapsulates the harmonious way God's divine attributes will work together for His people's redemption and peace.
"Steadfast love and faithfulness meet; righteousness and peace kiss each other." — It's easy to read this verse as a simple statement about God's character, but notice the active verbs: "meet" and "kiss." This isn't just a passive coexistence; it highlights the dynamic interaction…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026