Psalms 85:4-7
Restore us again, O God of our salvation, and put away your indignation toward us! Will you be angry with us forever? Will you prolong your anger to all generations? Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? Show us your steadfast love, O LORD, and grant us your salvation.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The request isn't just for God to stop being angry, but for Him to change us first – to "turn us." This implies that God’s anger isn't arbitrary; it’s a consequence of our turning away, and true restoration means turning back towards Him.
The psalm begins by celebrating God's past kindness in restoring Israel from exile, but the people still feel the lingering effects of His displeasure. This verse is a heartfelt plea, not just for a return from captivity, but for a deeper spiritual renewal and an end to the divine anger that still seems to burden them. It’s a prayer that acknowledges their ongoing weakness and the need for God’s active intervention to truly set them right.
The prayer to 'turn us' isn't just a passive wish for things to get better. It's a dynamic plea with two powerful layers.
In Psalm 85:4, the Hebrew word for 'turn' carries a profound double meaning.
Turning Away From Sin:
First, it's a prayer for conversion. The people are asking God to turn their hearts away from the sin that led to their current distress. It's an admission that their own actions have caused pain and separation from God. This isn't just about wishing away consequences; it's about a desire for inner change.
Turning Back To God:
Second, 'turn us' also means to restore them, to bring them back from exile and hardship. It's a plea for God to turn His face towards them again, reversing the effects of His displeasure. This reflects a deep dependence on God's initiative for both personal transformation and national deliverance.
Why would the people still be praying for God's anger to cease, even after experiencing some restoration? The answer lies in the lingering effects of sin.
Psalm 85 speaks of a time when God 'has been favorable to your land' and 'brought back the captivity of Jacob' (v. 1). Yet, in verse 4, there's still a desperate cry, 'put away your indignation toward us!' This isn't a contradiction, but a reflection of reality.
Visible Scars:
Even after God begins to forgive and restore, the consequences of past sin can remain. This might manifest as ongoing hardship, societal weakness, or a continued sense of spiritual distance. The people are not asking God to start being angry, but to cease the effects of His past anger that are still keenly felt.
A Plea for Completeness:
This prayer is for a restoration, not just a partial one. It's a recognition that true peace and flourishing only come when God’s favor is fully restored, and the shadows of His displeasure are entirely removed. The psalmist understands that God's anger, while just, has painful and lasting consequences.
Understand the original words
yesha · Hebrew Noun
God as the source and agent of spiritual deliverance, rescue, and ultimate preservation from sin and judgment.
ka'as · Hebrew Noun
God’s righteous displeasure toward sin, often manifested as judgment or judgment-related discipline upon His covenant people.
chayah · Hebrew Verb
To bring back to life or to restore to a state of vitality and strength. In a spiritual context, it refers to God restoring His people from a state of decline or distance to a relationship of renewed fellowship and obedience.
chesed · Hebrew Noun
The covenantal, faithful, and loyal love of God toward His people. It is a persistent, unconditional, and sacrificial commitment based on His promises, often translated as 'mercy' or 'lovingkindness'.
This psalm is a prayer of longing for complete restoration, voiced by those who have returned from exile but still feel the lingering effects of God's displeasure and the deep wounds of their past sins. It speaks to the ongoing process of spiritual renewal even after a physical return.
c. 587 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
The Babylonian army under Nebuchadnezzar II destroys Jerusalem, razes the First Temple, and exiles a significant portion of the population to Babylon. This marks a profound national catastrophe and the apparent abandonment by God.
539 BC
Cyrus the Great Conquers Babylon
The Persian Empire, led by Cyrus the Great, overthrows the Neo-Babylonian Empire. This political shift ushers in an era where exiled peoples, including the Jews, are allowed to return to their homelands.
538 BC
First Return of Exiles
Cyrus issues a decree permitting the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple. This marks the beginning of the restoration period, though it's not a complete return for all.
c. 537 BC - 515 BC
Rebuilding of the Second Temple
Under leaders like Zerubbabel, the Jews begin the arduous task of rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem. The process is slow and faces opposition, with the Temple finally rededicated in 515 BC.
This passage echoes the plea for restoration and repentance, asking God to 'turn us, and we shall be turned,' highlighting the need for divine intervention in human transformation, just like in Psalms 85:4.
Luke 1:77-79This passage speaks of salvation and forgiveness, stating that God's mercy will 'give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,' reflecting the desire in Psalms 85:4 for God's anger to cease through His redemptive work.
2 Chronicles 7:14This verse offers a conditional promise: 'if my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.' This resonates with the prayer in Psalms 85:4 for God to restore and cease His anger, implying the need for a turning from sin.
Isaiah 57:14-16This passage describes God's commitment to restoring the brokenhearted and healing them, stating, 'For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made.' This aligns with the prayer in Psalms 85:4 for God's anger to cease and for restoration.
clarkePsalms 85:4: "Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease."
Turn us, O God of our salvation - Thou hast turned our captivity; now convert our souls. And they find a reason for their prayer in an attribute of their God; the God of their salvation. And as his work was to save, they beg that his anger towards them might cease. The Israelites were not restored from their captivity all at once. A few returned with Zerubbabel; some more with Ezra and Nehemiah; but a grea…
ellicottPsalms 85:4: "Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease."
(4) Turn us. —Here equivalent to restore us once more. If, the poet felt, the captivity had taught its lesson, why, on the restoration, did not complete freedom from misfortune ensue? It is this which supplies the motive of his song.
The request isn't just for God to stop being angry, but for Him to change us first – to "turn us." This implies that God’s anger isn't arbitrary; it’s a consequence of our turning away, and true restoration means turning back towards Him.
The psalm begins by celebrating God's past kindness in restoring Israel from exile, but the people still feel the lingering effects of His displeasure. This verse is a heartfelt plea, not just for a return from captivity, but for a deeper spiritual renewal and an end to the divine anger that still seems to burden them. It’s a prayer that acknowledges their ongoing weakness and the need for God’s active intervention to truly set them right.
The psalm begins by celebrating God's past kindness in restoring Israel from exile, but the people still feel the lingering effects of His displeasure. This verse is a heartfelt plea, not just for a return from captivity, but for a deeper spiritual renewal and an end to the divine anger that still seems to burden them. It’s a prayer that acknowledges their ongoing weakness and the need for God’s active intervention to truly set them right.
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YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The LORD, or Yahweh; the personal and covenantal name of God revealed to Israel. It denotes His self-existence, His eternal nature, and His faithfulness as the Redeemer who keeps His covenant promises.
yesha · Hebrew Noun
Deliverance, rescue, or victory provided by God. Biblically, it encompasses both physical preservation and the ultimate spiritual deliverance from sin and judgment, finding its fullness in the work of Jesus Christ.
c. 458 BC - 444 BC— this verse
Subsequent Returns and Reforms
Further waves of exiles return with figures like Ezra and Nehemiah. They work to re-establish Jewish law, rebuild the city walls, and address the ongoing social and spiritual challenges that persist even after the Temple's reconstruction.
"Restore us again, O God of our salvation, and put away your indignation toward us! Will you be angry with us forever? Will you prolong your anger to all generations? Will you not revive us again, that your people ma…" — The request isn't just for God to stop being angry, but for Him to change us first – to "turn us." This implies that God’s anger isn't arbitrary; it’s a consequence of our turning away, and true re…
