Revive Us Again
Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, that His glory may dwell in our land. Psalm 85:9 · Berean Standard Bible
God's salvation is right there, waiting for those who actually fear Him with reverence and respect, and through them His glory will fill the land again.
The fear of God here isn't terror — it's awe and reverence, the posture of someone who takes God seriously. The promise is that salvation isn't distant or theoretical; it's near to those who've got this right relationship with Him. And when they experience it, it transforms the whole land.
The psalmist, continuing to report what God's message is.
The fear of the Lord is called the beginning of wisdom throughout Scripture. It's the foundation of everything else. When people operate from genuine reverence for God, restoration becomes possible.
God's salvation stands ready for those who fear Him, waiting to transform the land through His glorious presence.
The phrase 'surely His salvation is near' (qārôb yešû'â) employs spatial language (qārôb—near, proximate) that suggests salvation is immanently available rather than distant. The condition 'to those who fear Him' (liyerē'âw) invokes the covenant language of proper worship and reverence. The Hebrew yāgar (dwell/settle) for God's glory suggests a permanent, localized presence in the land—not transient visitation but sustained inhabitation.
The psalmist, now speaking with prophetic confidence about what God will accomplish.
This verse connects to the eschatological hopes emerging in post-exilic Judaism: the restoration of God's glory to the temple, the transformation of the land, and the establishment of proper covenant worship—themes developed extensively in prophetic books like Haggai and Malachi.
7Show us Your loving devotion, O LORD, and grant us Your salvation.
8I will listen to what God the LORD will say; for He will surely speak peace to His people and His saints; He will not let them return to folly.
9Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, that His glory may dwell in our land.
10Loving devotion and faithfulness have joined together; righteousness and peace have kissed.
11Faithfulness sprouts from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven.
Read all of Psalm 85 — Love and faithfulness meet. Righteousness and peace kiss. A psalm that imagines a future so good it reads like a dream.
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