The Meaning of Psalms 85:10 Explained

Psalms 85:10

KJV: Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.

YLT: Kindness and truth have met, Righteousness and peace have kissed,

Darby: Loving-kindness and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other:

ASV: Mercy and truth are met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Mercy  and truth  are met together;  righteousness  and peace  have kissed  [each other]. 

What does Psalms 85:10 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 85:1-13 - A Prayer For The Nation
This psalm is the counterpart of Psalms 80:1-19. There we see petitions ascending; here thanksgivings are returned. Evidently there had been granted some great national deliverance, which filled the land with thanksgiving. The restoration of the captives from Babylon was such an event; but the words well befit glad days of revival. They might have been sung on the first Easter day, when mercy and truth met at the Cross, and there was a bridal of the earth and sky. Reversed captivity, forgiven and buried sin, the dark clouds of estrangement dispelled, the speaking of peace-these are great themes and all have their counterparts in Christian experience.
There is exquisite beauty in Psalms 85:10-11. What a meeting of the divine attributes! The Cross is their trysting-place. It resembles the family-gathering of brothers and sisters in the old homestead. Notice that heaven must combine with earth in the production of Christian grace. Truth can spring up in the soil of our heart only when righteousness looks down with benignant love from heaven. But she does even more-she shows us how to walk in the way of God's steps. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 85

1  The Psalmist, out of the experience of former mercies, prays for continuance thereof
8  He promises to wait thereon, out of confidence of God's goodness

What do the individual words in Psalms 85:10 mean?

Mercy and truth have met together Righteousness and peace have kissed
חֶֽסֶד־ וֶאֱמֶ֥ת נִפְגָּ֑שׁוּ צֶ֖דֶק וְשָׁל֣וֹם נָשָֽׁקוּ

חֶֽסֶד־  Mercy 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֶסֶד 
Sense: goodness, kindness, faithfulness.
וֶאֱמֶ֥ת  and  truth 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֱמֶת  
Sense: firmness, faithfulness, truth.
נִפְגָּ֑שׁוּ  have  met  together 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: פָּגַשׁ  
Sense: to meet, join, encounter.
צֶ֖דֶק  Righteousness 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: צֶדֶק  
Sense: justice, rightness, righteousness.
וְשָׁל֣וֹם  and  peace 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁלֹום  
Sense: completeness, soundness, welfare, peace.
נָשָֽׁקוּ  have  kissed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: נָשַׁק 
Sense: to put together, kiss.