Albert Barnes Commentary Psalms 85:10

"Mercy and truth are met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed each other." — Psalms 85:10 (ASV)

Mercy and truth are met together — That is, in the divine dealings referred to in the psalm. There has been a blending of mercy and truth in those dealings; or, both have been manifested: truth, in the divine statements, threats, and promises; and mercy, in forgiving sin and in sparing the people.

There is no necessary contradiction between truth and mercy; that is, one does not necessarily conflict with the other. However, they can seem to conflict when punishment is threatened for a crime, yet mercy is shown to the offender—meaning, when the punishment is not inflicted, and the offender is treated as if he had not sinned.

In this respect, the great difficulty in all human governments has been to maintain both: to be true to the threat of the law and, at the same time, to pardon the guilty. Human governments have never been able to reconcile the two.

If punishment is inflicted up to the full measure of the threat, there is no manifestation of mercy. If mercy is shown, there is a departure from justice, or a declaration that the threats of the law are not, in all cases, to be inflicted; meaning, to that extent, there is an abandonment of justice. Human governments have always felt the need, in their practical operations, for some device like an atonement, by which the two might be blended and both secured.

Such a method of reconciliation or of securing both objects—truth in the fulfillment of the threat, and mercy toward the offender—has never been (and could not be) acted on in a human administration. It is only in the divine government that this has been accomplished, where a true and perfect regard has been paid to truth in the threat, and to mercy toward the guilty by an atonement. It is true, indeed, that this passage does not refer to the atonement made by the Redeemer, but there can scarcely be found a better illustration of that work than occurs in the language used here. Compare the notes at Romans 3:26. See also my work on the “atonement,” chapters ii and iii.

Righteousness — In the maintenance of law, or the manifestation of justice. That is, in this case, God had shown his justice in bringing these calamities on the people for their sins. In the work of the Redeemer this was done by his being wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities; by the fact that the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and that the Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:5–6).

And peace. Pardon; mercy; restoration to favor. In the case of the Hebrew people this was done by his removing the calamities which their sins had brought upon them, and by his returning favor. In the work of redemption, it was done by the pardon of sin, and by reconciliation to God.

Have kissed each other — As friends and lovers do; as those do who have been long separated; as those do who, after having been alienated and estranged, are made friends again. In like manner, there seemed to be an alienation—an estrangement, a state of hostility—between righteousness and mercy, between justice and pardon; but they have now been united as separated and alienated friends are, and have embraced each other as such friends do; meaning, they blend together in beautiful harmony.