Verse 1
"To the chief Musician, A Psalm for the sons of Korah"
To the chief Musician — leader of the Levite singers in the Temple; the sons of Korah — Levite poets who gave the book many psalms. That is: the heading, naming who wrote the psalm and who sang it.
In one line: a song of the singers of the house itself.
Verse 2
"LORD, you have been favourable to your land: you have brought back the captivity of Jacob"
Favourable — accepted with goodwill; your land — Israel, called by your name; the captivity — you returned those carried off. That is: the land accepted, the people home.
In one line: the exile is over, and the land is loved again.
Verse 3
"You have forgiven the iniquity of your people, you have covered all their sin. Selah"
Forgiven the iniquity — you lifted the guilt away; covered — hidden, seen no more; Selah — a word of pause in the Temple song. That is: you did not only forgive, you hid the wrongdoing.
In one line: the guilt was lifted, and the sin was covered.
Verse 4
"You have taken away all your wrath: you have turned yourself from the fierceness of your anger"
Taken away — gathered in and drawn back; wrath — the great anger that overflows; fierceness — burning rage, from a word meaning heat. That is: you gathered the anger in yourself.
In one line: the anger was gathered up and went away.
Verse 5
"Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause your anger toward us to cease"
Turn us — bring us back to you, not only to the land; God of our salvation — the God our rescue comes from; cause to cease — annul and break it off. That is: you forgave once, forgive now.
In one line: bring us back, and let the anger end.
Verse 6
"Will you be angry with us for ever? will you draw out your anger to all generations?"
For ever — without end; be angry — from a word for the flaring of the nostril; draw out — stretch the anger and make it last; to all generations — upon the children and their children. That is: not whether you were angry, but whether it is inherited.
In one line: the question with no answer, how long.
Verse 7
"Will you not revive us again: that your people may rejoice in you?"
Will you not — surely you will; revive us again — give us life once more, as one who raises the fallen; rejoice in you — in you yourself, not in your gifts. That is: the reviving is a beginning, not an end.
In one line: the reviving will bring the joy back too.
Verse 8
"Show us your mercy, O LORD, and grant us your salvation"
Show us — let us see with our own eyes, not only know; your mercy — the kindness you give of your own accord; grant us your salvation — let your rescue be a gift. That is: that we see the mercy and receive the salvation.
In one line: let us see mercy, and let salvation be given.
The psalm opens with the memory of forgiveness and closes with a request to see it again. Whoever has been forgiven once may ask again.