Psalms 85:11
Translations
King James Version (KJV)
Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven.
American King James Version (AKJV)
Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven.
American Standard Version (ASV)
Truth springeth out of the earth; And righteousness hath looked down from heaven.
Basic English Translation (BBE)
Faith comes up from the earth like a plant; righteousness is looking down from heaven.
Webster's Revision
Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven.
World English Bible
Truth springs out of the earth. Righteousness has looked down from heaven.
English Revised Version (ERV)
Truth springeth out of the earth; and righteousness hath looked clown from heaven.
Clarke's Psalms 85:11 Bible Commentary
Truth shall spring out of the earth - In consequence of this wonderful reconciliation, the truth of God shall prevail among men. The seeds of it shall be so plentifully sown by the preaching of Christ and his apostles that true religion shall be diffused over the world.
And righteousness shall look down from heaven - And be delighted with the reformation of the sons of Adam; and shall be so satisfled with the glorious work which is carried forward, that,
Barnes's Psalms 85:11 Bible Commentary
Truth shall spring out of the earth - As plants do - for this is the meaning of the word. The blessings of truth and righteousness would be like the grass, the shrubs, the flowers, which spring up from the ground - and like the, rain and the sunbeams which come from heaven. Truth would spring up everywhere, and abound in all lands, as plants, and shrubs, and grass spring up all over the earth. There is not an intended contrast between the two clauses of this verse, as if truth came from the earth, and righteousness from heaven; but the idea is that they would come in a manner that might be compared with the way in which God's other abundant blessings are bestowed, as springing, on the one hand, from the fertility of the earth, and on the other, from the rain, the dew, and the sunbeam.
And righteousness shall look down from heaven - Shall descend from heaven; or shall come from above - as if the rain, and the sun looked down from heaven, and saw the needs of man. The original word here rendered "look down" - שׁקף shâqaph - means to lay upon, or over; then, to project, lie over, look forward; then, to overhang; and the idea here is that it bent over, or leaned forward to look at the necessities of than - as one does who is desirous of gazing at an object. There was an anxiety, so to speak, to come to the earth - to meet the human need. As the rain and the sunbeams seem anxious to bestow their blessings on man, so God seems anxious to bestow on man the blessings of salvation.
Wesley's Psalms 85:11 Bible Commentary
85:11 Truth - Truth among men. Righteousness - And God's justice shall be satisfied: he shall look down upon sinful men with a smiling countenance.