Psalm 85: 9-14

The responsorial psalm for this second week of Advent comes from Psalm 85, a national lament in which the community recalls God’s past favors and forgiveness while pleading for grace and forgiveness in the present.

The people long for a divine response, a prophetic oracle that will herald peace and restoration from their distress. There is no direct appeal to God; they are anticipating a response to a plea that was made elsewhere.

There is great expectancy here — the people have done what they can to get God’s attention. The next move is God’s.

I will hear what God proclaims; the LORD—for he proclaims peace to his people.

The community seems to have suffered some kind of adversity that they cannot overcome on their own. This adversity may have been related to the many obstacles they faced as they returned from exile, which included the daunting task of rebuilding the city of Jerusalem and the temple while surrounded by hostile nations.

With faith, they have turned to God for help.

Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him, 

The people are not in total despair. Their faith is intact and they know their salvation is close at hand.

glory dwelling in our land.

After their return from exile, rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem was a central focus, as it was considered the dwelling place of God’s presence among them; i.e. “glory dwelling in our land.”

Kindness and truth shall meet; justice and peace shall kiss. 

Divine activity is personified as pairs of virtues, all of which are characteristics of a covenantal relationship with God:

• kindness (hesed, also translated as “lovingkindness”) is unfailing love,
• truth (emet) is covenant faithfulness and reliability,
• justice (saddîq) is God’s righteousness and fairness,
• peace (shalom) is the wholeness or harmony that results from the covenantal relationship.

These four qualities are salvific powers and considered essential attributes of God. Their combination in this verse highlights the harmony and unity of God’s character and his transformative impact on the world.

Portraying them as meeting or kissing signifies fulfillment.

Truth shall spring out of the earth, and justice shall look down from heaven.

The psalmist uses imagery of fertility to describe the flourishing of God’s attributes on earth. This description of salvation is one of the most beautiful to be found in Scripture.

Many commentators see this as a description of the Incarnation, the union of Godhead and human nature in Jesus Christ.

The LORD himself will give his benefits; our land shall yield its increase.

Part of the salvation the psalmist is hoping for is related to economic prosperity, reinforcing the notion that this lament was written in the post-exilic period (5th century BC). Many of the Israelites returning from Babylon were impoverished, and the land was not as fertile as it once was.

The people are confident that God will reestablish the wealth of the people and that the land will again yield an abundant harvest.

Justice shall walk before him, and prepare the way of his steps.

Justice (or righteousness) is another attribute of God. Here it is portrayed as a forerunner, preceding God and making a way for him. This suggests that every action of God is imbued with his own justice, and he leaves a trail of righteousness wherever he goes.

This description of God’s active presence and his transformative influence on the world represents the very salvation the people ardently long for and await with assurance.