Today's Psalm 85

It's pretty hard to beat today's psalm for beauty. For the sake of example, I have removed several recurring words. The result shows a different poetic strategy to the circular patterns observable in other psalms. Here we have a progressive and climax seeking pattern. It may even be reinforced by some of the words I removed. But what is left shows a progression of recurrence (and there are clearly some circles as well evident from the table). The focus keeps moving forward as the poem is written from land, to people, to salvation, to kindness, to peace, to truth, to righteousness.  Verse 11 is hard to forget.

חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת נִפְגָּשׁוּ צֶדֶק וְשָׁלוֹם נָשָׁקוּ

....

Kindness and truth have met together righteousness and peace have kissed each other

Selected recurring words

Word and gloss * first usage	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Vs	Root
ארצך with your land	░									2	ארץ
שׁבת you turned		░								2	שׁוב
עמך your people			░							3	עם
השׁיבות you have turned		░								4	שׁוב
שׁובנו turn us		░								5	שׁוב
ישׁענו our salvation				░						5	ישׁע
עמנו with us			░							5	עם
תשׁוב you turn		░								7	שׁוב
ועמך so your people			░							7	עם
חסדך your kindness					░					8	חסד
וישׁעך and your salvation				░						8	ישׁע
תתן give						░				8	נתן
שׁלום peace							░			9	שׁלם
עמו his people			░							9	עם
ישׁובו let them turn		░								9	שׁוב
ישׁעו his salvation				░						10	ישׁע
בארצנו in our land	░									10	ארץ
חסד kindness					░					11	חסד
ואמת and truth								░		11	אמת
צדק righteousness									░	11	צדק
ושׁלום and peace							░			11	שׁלם
אמת truth								░		12	אמת
מארץ from earth	░									12	ארץ
וצדק and righteousness									░	12	צדק
יתן gives						░				13	נתן
וארצנו and our land	░									13	ארץ
תתן gives						░				13	נתן
צדק righteousness									░	14	צדק