Psalms 85:8

I will listen to what God the Lord says. ¹  For he will make ²  peace with his people, his faithful followers. ³  Yet they must not ⁴  return to their foolish ways.

Ge 34:7; 1Sa 25:25; Ps 29:11; Ps 50:5; Ps 130:4; Pr 25:11; Pr 27:22; Isa 57:19; Hab 2:1; Zec 9:10; Joh 5:14; Joh 8:11; Joh 14:27; Joh 20:19,26; Ac 3:26; Ac 10:36; 2Co 5:18-20; Ga 4:9; Eph 1:1,2; Eph 2:17; 2Th 3:16; 2Ti 2:19; Heb 10:26-29; Heb 12:25; 2Pe 2:20-22; Re 2:4,5; Re 3:19

¹ sn I will listen. Having asked for the Lord’s favor, the psalmist (who here represents the nation) anticipates a divine word of assurance.

² tn Heb “speak.” The idiom “speak peace” refers to establishing or maintaining peaceful relations with someone (see Gen 37:4; Zech 9:10; cf. Ps 122:8).

³ tn Heb “to his people and to his faithful followers.” The translation assumes that “his people” and “his faithful followers” are viewed as identical here.

⁴ tn Or “yet let them not.” After the negative particle אֵל (’el), the prefixed verbal form is jussive, indicating the speaker’s desire or wish.