_GREAT IS THE LORD, AND GREATLY TO BE PRAISED IN THE CITY OF OUR GOD, IN THE MOUNTAIN OF HIS HOLINESS._ Psalms 48:1.-Praise-song after deliverance. Jerusalem's special relation to God, the ground of it (Psalms 48:1); the assembled hostile kings smitten by the same omnipotent God who smote the ships... [ Continue Reading ]
_BEAUTIFUL FOR SITUATION, THE JOY OF THE WHOLE EARTH, IS MOUNT ZION, ON THE SIDES OF THE NORTH, THE CITY OF THE GREAT KING._ Beautiful for situation - rather, 'in its elevation' х_ NOWP_ (H5131)]. In so far only as the physical height is a symbol of the spiritual does the Psalmist value it. Compare... [ Continue Reading ]
_GOD IS KNOWN IN HER PALACES FOR A REFUGE._ God is known in her palaces for a refuge - literally, 'a high place,' as in Psalms 46:7; Psalms 46:11. God is known by experience to be such a high place, or defense, to her palaces (Proverbs 18:10).... [ Continue Reading ]
_FOR, LO, THE KINGS WERE ASSEMBLED, THEY PASSED BY TOGETHER._ For, lo, the kings were assembled, they passed by together - `they passed utterly and altogether away.' The object of their assembling is given in the parallel (Psalms 83:3; Psalms 83:12), "They have taken crafty counsel against thy peop... [ Continue Reading ]
_THEY SAW IT, AND SO THEY MARVELLED; THEY WERE TROUBLED, AND HASTED AWAY._ They saw it, and so they marveled; they were troubled, and hasted away. No sooner had they come within sight of the city than they were panic-stricken. The "so" emphatically sets the thing before one's eyes. "They marveled,... [ Continue Reading ]
_FEAR TOOK HOLD UPON THEM THERE, AND PAIN, AS OF A WOMAN IN TRAVAIL._ Pain as of a woman in travail - at once sudden and violent (1 Thessalonians 5:3).... [ Continue Reading ]
_THOU BREAKEST THE SHIPS OF TARSHISH WITH AN EAST WIND._ Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east wind - implying God's omnipotence; just as with thy blast thou breakest the largest vessels (such as sail to distant Tarshish, or Tartessus, in Spain, Isaiah 2:16), so dost thou, with equal eas... [ Continue Reading ]
_AS WE HAVE HEARD, SO HAVE WE SEEN IN THE CITY OF THE LORD OF HOSTS, IN THE CITY OF OUR GOD: GOD WILL ESTABLISH IT FOR EVER. SELAH._ As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the Lord of hosts ... God will establish it for ever - or 'establisheth it,' etc. That which we have heard from our f... [ Continue Reading ]
_WE HAVE THOUGHT OF THY LOVINGKINDNESS, O GOD, IN THE MIDST OF THY TEMPLE._ The second part: separated from the first by the "Selah" (Psalms 48:8). WE HAVE THOUGHT OF THY LOVING-KINDNESS, O GOD, IN THE MIDST OF THY TEMPLE - We revive the remebrance of if in the public congregation. The psalm was... [ Continue Reading ]
_ACCORDING TO THY NAME, O GOD, SO IS THY PRAISE UNTO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH: THY RIGHT HAND IS FULL OF RIGHTEOUSNESS._ According to thy name ... so is thy praise unto the ends of the earth - As thy manifested character (Psalms 20:1) is one of infinite majesty, power, and goodness, so is thy praise i... [ Continue Reading ]
_LET MOUNT ZION REJOICE, LET THE DAUGHTERS OF JUDAH BE GLAD, BECAUSE OF THY JUDGMENTS._ Let mount Zion rejoice, let the daughters of Judah be glad, because of thy judgments - on our foes. "The daughters of Judah" are the other cities of Judah, as distinguished from mother city, Jerusalem and "Zion... [ Continue Reading ]
_WALK ABOUT ZION, AND GO ROUND ABOUT HER: TELL THE TOWERS THEREOF._ Tell the towers thereof - number them, to see that not one is wanting, and that the enemies' formidable invasion has not in the least impaired them.... [ Continue Reading ]
_MARK YE WELL HER BULWARKS, CONSIDER HER PALACES; THAT YE MAY TELL IT TO THE GENERATION FOLLOWING._ Mark ye her bulwarks, consider her palaces. The "bulwarks" indicate the outer circuit of the city; the "palaces" the interior. "Consider" - literally, divide; i:e., accurately contemplate, one by one... [ Continue Reading ]
_FOR THIS GOD IS OUR GOD FOR EVER AND EVER: HE WILL BE OUR GUIDE EVEN UNTO DEATH._ For this God - who hath performed such a deliverance for us. HE WILL BE OUR GUIDE EVEN UNTO DEATH - literally, 'upon (or ABOVE) death' х_ `AL_ (H5921) _ MUWT _ (H4192)]. So the Syriac. 'He will guide us to the point... [ Continue Reading ]