Psalms 85:6

Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee? WILT THOU NOT REVIVE US AGAIN? - Hebrew (the same verb as in . "turn us"), 'Wilt thou not turn (and) revive us?' (; ; ; ). The "THOU" is emphatic, in the Hebrew "turn" is intransitive, 'return.' THOU must return if we are to be quickened. THY return is the indispensable condition of our vivification. THAT THY PEOPLE MAY REJOICE IN THEE - (;...

The godly, still dwelling on the same theme, ask, in the 6th verse, whether _God will not turn again and quicken them _Being fully convinced of the truth of this principle, That the punishments with which God chastises his children are only temporary; they thereby encourage themselves in the confident expectation, that although he may be now justly displeased, and may have turned away his face from them, yet, when they implore his mercy, he will be entreated, and raising the dead to life again, will turn their mourning into gladness. By the word _quicken, _they complain that they almost resemble persons who are dead, or that they are stunned and laid prostrate with afflictions. And when they promise themselves matter of rejoicing, they intimate that in the meantime they are well nigh worn out with sorrow....

1-7 The sense of present afflictions should not do away the remembrance of former mercies. The favour of God is the fountain of happiness to nations, as well as to particular persons. When God forgives sin, he covers it; and when he covers the sin of his people, he covers it all. See what the pardon of sin is. In compassion to us, when Christ our Intercessor has stood before thee, thou hast turned away thine anger. When we are reconciled to God, then, and not till then, we may expect the comfort of his being reconciled to us. He shows mercy to those to whom he grants salvation; for salvation is of mere mercy. The Lord's people may expect sharp and tedious afflictions when they commit sin; but when they return to him with humble prayer, he will make them again to rejoice in him....

Verse Psalms 85:6. _WILT THOU NOT REVIVE US_] We have long had the sentence of death in ourselves; and have feared an utter extinction. Shall not our nation yet live before thee? Shall we not become once more numerous, pious, and powerful, that _THY PEOPLE MAY REJOICE IN THEE?_] As the Source of all our mercies; and give thee the glory due to thy name?...

WILT THOU NOT REVIVE US AGAIN - literally, “Wilt thou not turn, or return, cause us to live;” that is, and cause us to live. The expression is equivalent to “again” as in our translation. The Septuagint and Vulgate render it, “Returning, wilt thou not give us life?” The word rendered revive means to live; to cause to live; and the idea is that of recovering them from their condition as a state of death; that is, restoring them as if they were dead. The image is that of returning spring after the death of winter, or the young grass when the rain descends after a long drought, and when everything seemed to be dead. So of the people referred to in the psalm; everything among them was like such a winter, when there is neither leaf, nor flower, nor grass, nor fruit; or like such a drought, when desolation is seen everywhere; or like the grave, where the dead repose. The image of spring, after...

EXPOSITION THIS is a psalm written after a signal display of God's mercy towards Israel, but when there was still much wanting to make the condition of the people altogether satisfactory. It consists of a thanksgiving for the deliverance vouchsafed (Psalms 85:1); a prayer for further and more complete restoration to favour (Psalms 85:4); and a joyful anticipation of the granting of the prayer, and of the bestowal on Israel, ultimately, of all temporal and spiritual blessings (Psalms 85:8). There are no such distinct and definite allusions in the psalm as to tie it down to any particular date; but, on the whole, it would seem to suit best either the time of Zerubbabel ...

WILT THOU NOT REVIVE US AGAIN,.... Their return from the Babylonish captivity was a reviving of them in their bondage, Ezra 9:8 and the conversion of them in the latter day will be a reviving them again, be as life from the dead; they are like the dry bones in Ezekiel's vision, or like the dead in the graves; and their being turned to the Lord will be a resurrection, or quickening of them, as every instance of conversion is; see Romans 11:15, men are dead in trespasses and sins, and they are quickened by the Spirit and grace of God, so that they revive, and live a life of sanctification; they are dead in law, and find themselves to be so, when spiritually enlightened; when the Spirit of God works faith in them, to look to and live upon the righteousness of Christ for justification; and who, after spiritu

Psalms 85:1. _LORD, thou host been favourable unto thy land: thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob. Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah._ Let us think of what God has done for his people. He has been very favorable to us in years past. He has lifted up the light of his countenance upon his chosen ones, and made them glad. «Thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob.» We were in captivity once, exiles far off from God and home; but he has led our captivity captive, and we are now in bondage no longer, blessed be his name! Note again what the psalmist says: «Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people.» What a joy that is! Forgiven sin is enough to make us sing to all eternity. If sin be pardoned, thou hast a mass of mercy in that fact too great for thee to estimate its value. «Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy peopl

Psalms 85 All Promised Blessings Realized _ 1. What grace has done (Psalms 85:1)_ 2. Prayer for the fulfilment (Psalms 85:4) 3. Righteousness and peace (Psalms 85:10) What will come to Israel when Christ returns to be their King is blessedly made known in the opening verses of this other Korah Psalm. Favour will rest upon the land; the captivity of Jacob is brought back, their iniquity is forgiven and their sin covered; His wrath is turned away. Hence they pray that all this may speedily be accomplished as it surely will in the days when heaven will send Him back. Then He will speak peace to His people and Hi

LXXXV. PRAYER FOR THE COMPLETION OF ISRAEL'S RESTORATION. The Ps. falls clearly into two halves. Psalms 85:1 is a prayer to God. It begins (Psalms 85:1) by commemorating God's mercy. He had restored His people (see on Psalms 14:7) and forgiven their sin, but the expectation of Jewish saints remained unfulfilled (Psalms 85:4). The reference may be to the hopes raised by the Second Isaiah (Isaiah 40-55). Israel did return under Cyrus (pp. 77f.), but the hopes of coming glory were disappointed. The second half, on the contrary (Psalms 85:8), is not a prayer