Psalms 85:3
A focused desk for reading, commentary, cross-references, original language notes, and your own observations.
Psalms 85:3
3 Thou hast taken away all thy wrath: thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger.
Chapter Context
Psalms 85 is a poetic and liturgical chapter in the Old Testament that explores themes of salvation, love, worship. Written during various periods (c. 1000-400 BCE), this chapter should be understood within its historical context: Temple worship utilized these compositions across various periods of Israel's history.
The chapter can be divided into several sections:
- Verses 1-5: Introduction and setting the context
- Verses 6-12: Development of key themes
- Verses 13-13: Central message and teachings
This chapter is significant because it establishes important theological principles that resonate throughout Scripture. When studying this passage, it's important to consider both its immediate context within Psalms and its broader place in the scriptural canon.
Verse Study
Psalms 85:3
3 Thou hast taken away all thy wrath: thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger.
Analysis
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 This verse continues recounting God's past mercies, focusing specifically on His withdrawn wrath.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.
Reflection
- How does understanding God's wrath as righteous judicial response to sin differ from viewing it as arbitrary divine temper?
- What does it mean that God 'turned away' from His fierce anger, and what caused this turning?
- How does the Old Testament pattern of wrath followed by mercy help believers understand God's character and the gospel?
Word Studies
- Wrath: אַף (Aph) H639 - Wrath, anger
Cross-References
- Judgment: Psalms 78:38, 106:23
- Parallel theme: Deuteronomy 13:17, Isaiah 6:7, 12:1, Jonah 3:9