Psalms 85:13 Meaning: Righteousness Prepares the Way for God's Steps
Righteousness goes before him, and prepares the way for his steps.
Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps.
Righteousness shall go before him, And shall make his footsteps a way to walk in.
Righteousness before Him goeth, And maketh His footsteps for a way!
Righteousness shall go before him, and shall set his footsteps on the way.
Meaning in one sentence
Psalm 85:13 shows righteousness going before God as a herald, preparing the way for His saving steps, pointing to Christ or God's own faithful activity.
Context
This psalm was written after the people of Israel returned from exile, a time of mixed hope and hard reality. They had been brought back to their land, yet they still faced hardship and felt God’s anger lingering. The psalm moves from remembering God’s past mercy, to pleading for restoration, and finally to a confident answer of peace. In that answer, the psalmist sees a day when mercy and truth meet, righteousness and peace kiss each other, and the land yields its harvest. Verse 13 is the crowning image: righteousness goes before God Himself, clearing a path for His steps. At the end of the psalm, God is not distant, He is coming, and His own righteousness leads the way.
Key Words
Three English words carry the weight here, each pointing to something active and personal. Righteousness can mean God’s own saving justice, or the right living He gives His people. In this verse, it acts like a person, it goes before Him like a herald. Goes before suggests someone running ahead to announce the King’s arrival. And prepares the way (or in some translations “sets his footsteps into a way”) means making the path clear and walkable. This is not about earning God’s favor. It is the image of God’s own goodness marching in front of Him, so that when He comes, His people can follow without stumbling. The way is already opened.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians have read this verse in several faithful ways. Some through the centuries, especially in Reformed traditions, see righteousness as a personified divine attribute, God’s saving justice goes ahead as a herald, and then clears a path for His people to follow behind. Others, like the Baptist commentator John Gill, identify this righteousness with John the Baptist, a holy man who prepared the way for Jesus by calling people to repentance. Still others, including Matthew Henry and Albert Barnes, read it as the effect of God’s coming: when He arrives, righteousness spreads among people, turning them to walk in His steps. All these readings agree that God is the one acting, and He clears the way for us.
A common misunderstanding
A common misreading is to think “righteousness goes before him” means we need to become righteous before God will come to us, that our good works prepare the path. In fact, the surrounding verses show that God’s own righteousness is acting: it goes before Him as a herald, not something we produce. The psalm describes mercy, truth, and righteousness meeting together as gifts from God. So the path is cleared by God’s initiative, not our efforts. Our part is to follow the way He opens.
Living This Out
This week, when you feel stuck, unsure what decision to make, or where God is leading, remember that His righteousness is already going ahead of you. You do not have to see the whole path to take the next step. The verse invites you to trust that God has prepared the way. It also calls you to walk in the steps of righteousness He sets before you: telling the truth, making peace, showing mercy. That is the way He is going. You can follow.
Main takeaway: God’s own righteousness goes before Him as a herald, clearing a path for His people to walk in His steps.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
This verse says that God’s goodness walks in front of Him to get the path ready. That means God is always making a way for you, even when you cannot see it. You can trust that He is leading you.
For ages 9, 12
In this psalm, righteousness is like a messenger who runs ahead of God to prepare the way. When God is about to do something good in your life, He goes before you to clear the path. That does not mean life will be easy, but it means God is already working on your behalf. Your job is to keep your eyes on Him and follow where He leads, one step at a time.
Questions People Ask
What does 'righteousness goes before him' mean in Psalm 85:13?
It pictures righteousness as a herald who walks ahead of God to announce His coming and prepare the way. Some see it as God's own saving justice clearing a path for His people to follow. Others understand it as a reference to a person like John the Baptist who prepared the way for Jesus.
Who is 'him' in Psalm 85:13?
The 'him' is God, Yahweh, the Lord. The previous verse says 'Yahweh will give that which is good,' and then verse 13 describes righteousness going before Him. It is a vision of God Himself coming to save and bless His people.
Does Psalm 85:13 mean we have to be righteous before God saves us?
No. In the psalm, righteousness is something that goes before God, not something we produce to earn His favor. The surrounding verses show mercy, truth, and peace all coming together as gifts from God. So it's really about God's own righteousness preparing the way for His saving work.
Is this verse connected to John the Baptist?
Some Christian commentators, like John Gill, see a direct connection. They point to John the Baptist as a righteous man who went before Jesus, calling people to repent and prepare the way for the Lord. The image of a herald before a king fits that reading. Others see it as a broader picture of God's saving activity in any age.
What is the meaning of 'prepares the way for his steps'?
It suggests making a path clear and walkable. The ancient Hebrew idea of a 'way' often means a road that is level, safe, and ready for travel. For God's people, it means that God clears obstacles and sets a course so that they can follow Him without losing their way.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study