Psalms 85:3 (KJV)

What does Psalms 85:3 mean?

Psalms 85:3 recalls a time when God stopped directing his anger toward his people. The speaker addresses God about a change in their shared history: the people had faced God’s anger, but that anger was no longer upon them.

Following the mention of forgiven sin in verse 2, the speaker describes God as turning away from fierce anger. The verse speaks to God directly, using “thou” and “thy” to address him.

The Hebrew behind Psalms 85:3

• “taken away” — אָסַף (asaph): This word can mean to gather up or remove. Here, it pictures wrath as something God has lifted away from the people.
• “fierceness” — חָרוֹן (charon): This word carries the sense of burning or heat. The phrase gives a vivid picture of the intensity of the anger from which God turned.

Why Psalms 85:3 matters

• The speaker remembers a shared experience, not merely a private one. Verse 2 refers to “thy people,” so the words about God’s anger belong to a prayer on behalf of the community.
• The memory of a past change gives context to a later request. After saying “thou hast turned thyself” in verse 3, the speakers ask in verse 4, “Turn us,” showing that they are also seeking God’s help in their present situation.