John Calvin Commentary Psalms 85:10

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

Mercy and truth shall meet together. Here the verbs are in the past tense; but it is evident from the scope of the passage that they should be translated into the future. I cordially embrace the opinion held by many that we have here a prophecy concerning the kingdom of Christ.

There is no doubt that the faithful lifted up their eyes to Him when their faith needed encouragement and support regarding the restoration of the Church, especially after their return from Babylon. Meanwhile, the prophet's design is to show how bountifully God deals with His Church after He is reconciled to her.

The fruits which he represents as springing from this reconciliation are, first, that mercy and truth meet together; and, secondly, that righteousness and peace embrace each other. From these words, Augustine deduces a beautiful sentiment, one fraught with the sweetest consolation: that the mercy of God is the origin and source of all His promises, from which issues the righteousness offered to us by the gospel, while from that righteousness proceeds the peace we obtain by faith when God justifies us freely.

According to him, righteousness is represented as looking down from heaven because it is the free gift of God and not acquired by the merit of works. It also comes from heaven because it is not to be found among men, who are by nature utterly destitute of it.

He also explains truth springing out of the earth as meaning that God affords the most incontestable evidence of His faithfulness in fulfilling what He has promised. But as we ought to seek the solid truth rather than exercise our ingenuity in searching out refined interpretations, let us be content with the natural meaning of the passage: that mercy, truth, peace, and righteousness will form the grand and ennobling distinction of the kingdom of Christ.

The prophet does not proclaim the praises of men but commends the grace which he had before hoped for and supplicated from God only; thus teaching us to regard it as an undoubted truth that all these blessings flow from God. By synecdoche, where some parts represent the whole, these four words describe all the ingredients of true happiness.

When cruelty rages with impunity, when truth is extinguished, when righteousness is oppressed and trampled underfoot, and when all things are embroiled in confusion, would it not be better that the world should be brought to an end than that such a state of things should continue?

From this it follows that nothing can contribute more effectively to the promotion of a happy life than that these four virtues should flourish and rule supreme.

The reign of Christ, in other parts of Scripture, is adorned with almost similar encomiums. If, however, anyone would rather understand mercy and truth as referring to God, I have no disposition to enter into dispute with him.

The springing of truth out of the earth and the looking down of righteousness from heaven undoubtedly imply that truth and righteousness will be universally diffused, both above and below, so as to fill both heaven and earth. It is not meant to attribute something different to each of them, but to affirm generally that there will be no corner of the earth where these qualities do not flourish.