To the choirmaster. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.
1-3 Adonai, You favored Your land; You returned the fortunes of Jacob. 2 You forgave the iniquity of Your people; You covered all their sin. Selah 3 You withdrew all Your wrath; You turned from Your hot anger.
שוב (shuv)
4-7 Restore us again, O God of our salvation, and put away Your indignation toward us! 5 Will You be angry with us forever? Will You prolong Your anger through all generations? 6 Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You? 7 Show us Your steadfast love, O Adonai, and grant us Your salvation.
8-9 Let me hear what Adonai God will speak, for He will speak peace to His people, to His godly ones [חסידים, chasidim] that they not turn back to folly. 9 Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, that [His] glory may dwell in our land.
10-13 Kindness and Truth have met. Righteousness and Peace have kissed. 11 Truth will spring up from the ground, and Righteousness looks down from heaven.
Peace = שלום (shalom)
Truth = אמת (emet)
Righteousness = צדק (tzedek)
Kindness = חסד (chesed)
12 Yes, Adonai will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase.
13 Righteousness will go before Him and set His footsteps on the path.
REFERENCES:
Verse 1
Job 42:10 And Adonai restored [שוב, shuv] the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends. And Adonai gave Job twice as much as he had before.
Verse 11
Isaiah 32:17 And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever.
Genesis 18:16 Then the men set out from there, and they looked down [שקף, shakaph] toward Sodom. And Abraham went with them to set them on their way.
Genesis 19:28 And he looked down [שקף, shakaph] toward Sodom and Gomorrah and toward all the land of the valley, and he looked and, behold, the smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a furnace.
Genesis 26:8 When he had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked down [שקף, shakaph] from a window and saw Isaac laughing with Rebekah his wife.
Exodus 14:24 And in the morning watch Adonai in the pillar of fire and of cloud looked down [שקף, shakaph] on the Egyptian forces and threw the Egyptian forces into a panic,
James 3:18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
Psa 89:14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.
Psa 97:2 Clouds and thick darkness are all around him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
Isaiah 51:19 These two things have befallen you. Who will mourn for you? The devastation and destruction, famine and sword. How shall I comfort you?
Bereshit Rabbah 8:5 Rabbi Simon said: When the Holy One blessed be He came to create Adam the first man, the ministering angels divided into various factions and various groups. Some of them were saying: ‘Let him not be created,’ and some of them were saying: ‘Let him be created.’ That is what is written: “Kindness and truth met; righteousness and peace touched” (Psalms 85:11). Kindness said: ‘Let him be created, as he performs acts of kindness.’ Truth said: ‘Let him not be created, as he is all full of lies.’ Righteousness said: ‘Let him be created, as he performs acts of righteousness.’ Peace said: ‘Let him not be created, as he is all full of discord.’ What did the Holy One blessed be He do? He took Truth and cast it down to earth. That is what is written: “You cast truth earthward” (Daniel 8:12). The ministering angels said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Master of the universe, why are You demeaning Your very seal? Let Truth ascend from the earth.’ That is what is written: “Truth will spring from the earth” (Psalms 85:12).
Chofetz Chaim: A life in which loving-kindness “meets” truth will be rewarded by the Almighty with righteousness that is “embraced” by peace.
Verse 13
Psalm 23:3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.