Psalms 85:3

Authorized King James Version

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

Original Language Analysis

אָסַ֥פְתָּ Thou hast taken away H622
אָסַ֥פְתָּ Thou hast taken away
Strong's: H622
Word #: 1 of 6
to gather for any purpose; hence, to receive, take away, i.e., remove (destroy, leave behind, put up, restore, etc.)
כָל H3605
כָל
Strong's: H3605
Word #: 2 of 6
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
עֶבְרָתֶ֑ךָ all thy wrath H5678
עֶבְרָתֶ֑ךָ all thy wrath
Strong's: H5678
Word #: 3 of 6
an outburst of passion
הֱ֝שִׁיב֗וֹתָ thou hast turned H7725
הֱ֝שִׁיב֗וֹתָ thou hast turned
Strong's: H7725
Word #: 4 of 6
to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point);
מֵחֲר֥וֹן thyself from the fierceness H2740
מֵחֲר֥וֹן thyself from the fierceness
Strong's: H2740
Word #: 5 of 6
a burning of anger
אַפֶּֽךָ׃ of thine anger H639
אַפֶּֽךָ׃ of thine anger
Strong's: H639
Word #: 6 of 6
properly, the nose or nostril; hence, the face, and occasionally a person; also (from the rapid breathing in passion) ire

Analysis & Commentary

Thou hast taken away all thy wrath: thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger. This verse continues recounting God's past mercies, focusing specifically on His withdrawn wrath. The verb asaph (אָסַף, "taken away") means "to gather up, remove, withdraw"—like harvesting crops or removing objects from a field. God gathered up His wrath, removing its manifestation from His people's experience.

"All thy wrath" (kol-evratekha, כָּל־עֶבְרָתֶךָ) emphasizes totality. Evrah (עֶבְרָה) denotes intense anger, fury, rage—God's holy response to covenant violation. This isn't petulant human temper but righteous judicial indignation against sin. The exile manifested this wrath (Lamentations 2:1-5, 4:11), as did earlier judgments throughout Israel's history. Yet God removed it completely—not diminishing it but withdrawing its expression through gracious forgiveness.

"Thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger" (shavta mecharon apekha, שַׁבְתָּ מֵחֲרוֹן אַפֶּךָ) intensifies the imagery. Charon aph (חֲרוֹן אַף) literally means "burning of nose/nostrils"—ancient Hebrew idiom for fierce anger, picturing flaring nostrils of enraged person. Shuv (שׁוּב, "turned") means "to turn back, return, turn away"—God turned from anger toward mercy. This turning reflects God's sovereign choice, not human merit. Numbers 25:4 and Deuteronomy 13:17 use similar language for God's wrath being turned away through appropriate action.

Historical Context

The concept of divine wrath pervades Old Testament theology. God's holiness requires response to sin—He cannot ignore covenant violations without compromising His righteous character. Yet His wrath coexists with mercy. Exodus 34:6-7 declares God "slow to anger" yet "by no means clearing the guilty." Throughout Israel's history, cycles of sin, divine judgment, repentance, and restoration demonstrated this balance. The exile to Babylon (586 BC) represented the culmination of God's wrath against Judah's persistent apostasy. Jeremiah warned for decades that judgment was coming (Jeremiah 25:1-11). When it arrived, it was devastating—temple destroyed, Jerusalem burned, leadership killed or exiled. Yet even in judgment, God promised restoration (Jeremiah 29:10-14). His wrath had purpose: correction, not annihilation.

Questions for Reflection