Psalm 85:3

Modern

You withheld all Your fury; You turned from Your burning anger.

Traditional

Thou hast taken away all thy wrath: thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger.

Literal

You have gathered up all Your fury; You have turned from the burning of Your anger.

Latin

Mitigasti omnem iram tuam; avertisti ab ira indignationis tuæ.

Hebrew

English

You withheld all Your fury; You turned from Your burning anger.

Though the psalmist gratefully acknowledges God’s goodness, he also asks God whether his wrath will last forever.

The psalmist leads the community that returned from exile in a lament and a prayer for complete restoration:

God answers with a message of peace (Psalm 85:8–9). The psalm ends with a poetic description of the greatness of God’s salvation (85:10–13).

Theme notes and profiles

Deuteronomy 13:17
Nothing devoted to destruction shall cling to your hands, so that the LORD will turn from His fierce anger, grant you mercy, show you compassion, and multiply you as He swore to your fathers,
Psalm 106:23
So He said He would destroy them—had not Moses His chosen one stood before Him in the breach to divert His wrath from destroying them.
Isaiah 12:1
In that day you will say: “O LORD, I will praise You. Although You were angry with me, Your anger has turned away, and You have comforted me.
Jonah 3:9
Who knows? God may turn and relent; He may turn from His fierce anger, so that we will not perish.”
Psalm 78:38
And yet He was compassionate; He forgave their iniquity and did not destroy them. He often restrained His anger and did not unleash His full wrath.
John 1:29
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
Isaiah 6:7
And with it he touched my mouth and said: “Now that this has touched your lips, your iniquity is removed and your sin is atoned for.”
Exodus 32:22
“Do not be enraged, my lord,” Aaron replied. “You yourself know that the people are intent on evil.
Exodus 32:11–12
But Moses sought the favor of the LORD his God, saying, “O LORD, why does Your anger burn against Your people, whom You brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand?
Isaiah 54:7–10
“For a brief moment I forsook you, but with great compassion I will bring you back.