Psalms 48:1-14
1 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness.
2 Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.
3 God is known in her palaces for a refuge.
4 For, lo, the kings were assembled, they passed by together.
5 They saw it, and so they marvelled; they were troubled, and hasted away.
6 Fear took hold upon them there, and pain, as of a woman in travail.
7 Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east wind.
8 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.
9 We have thought of thy lovingkindness, O God, in the midst of thy temple.
10 According to thy name, O God, so is thy praise unto the ends of the earth: thy right hand is full of righteousness.
11 Let mount Zion rejoice, let the daughters of Judah be glad, because of thy judgments.
12 Walk about Zion, and go round about her: tell the towers thereof.
13 Marka ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces; that ye may tell it to the generation following.
14 For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.
DESCRIPTIVE TITLE
Jehovah Worthy to be Praised in his Holy City, whose History rebounds to the Honour of her Shepherd-King, who will yet Lead Israel against Death.
ANALYSIS
Stanza I., Psalms 48:1-2, Jehovah's Greatness in his Holy City calls forth Praise for Himself and World-wide Gladness at the Elevation of his Earthly Dwelling. Stanza II., Psalms 48:3-7, The Deliverance of His City Dramatically Described. Stanza III., Psalms 48:9-11, A Thoughtful Recognition of the Leading Characteristics of Jehovah's Dealings with His People. Stanza IV., Psalms 48:12-14, A Challenge to Verify the Story and Note its Great Lesson.
(Lm.) A SongA Psalm.
1
Great and highly to be praised in the city is our God,
2
His holy mountain is beautiful for elevation the joy of all the earth.
Mount Zion on the northern ridge[511] is the city of a king,
[511] The temple being on the north-eastern corner or back of Mount ZionBr.
3
Jehovah hath striven[512] in her citadels hath let himself be known as a lofty retreat.[513]
[512] So, taking rb as Heb, verb.
[513] Nearly thus Br. The chief departures from the M.T. are different groupings of the Heb. words, securing a better balance of clauses and lines
4
For lo! the kings met by appointmentcrossed over together,
5
They themselves sawforthwith were amazeddismayed-alarmed;
6
Trembling seized them thereanguish as of a woman in travail ;[514]
[514] M.T. adds, as Psalms 48:7: With an east wind thou shatterest the ships of Tarshish. Doubtful, as interrupting the sense! unless as a marginal note
8
As we had heard so have we seen[515]Jehovah established her to the ages.
[515] M.T. again adds: In the city of Jehovah of hosts, in the city of our God. Yet seems to stand interruptingly in the midst of what otherwise commends itself as the speech of the panic-stricken kings.
9
We have pondered O God thy kindness in the midst of thy temple,
10
As is thy name O God so is thy praise to the ends of the earth:
11
With righteousness is filled thy right hand let Mount Zion be glad,
Let the daughters of Judah exult because of thine acts of vindication.
12
Go about Zion and encircle her, count her towers,
13
Apply your heart to her rampart distinguish her citadels;
That ye may tell to the generations following:
14
That such a God is our God to the ages and beyond,
He will lead us against death!
(Lm.) To the Chief Musician.
(CMm.) For the sons of korah
PARAPHRASE
How great is the Lord! How much we should praise Him. He lives upon Mount Zion in Jerusalem.
2 What a glorious sight! See Mount Zion rising north of the city[516] high above the plains for all to seeMount Zion, joy of all the earth, the residence of the great King.
[516] Literally, on the sides of the north.
3 God Himself is the defender of Jerusalem.[517]
[517] Literally, God has made Himself known in her palaces for a high tower.
4 The kings of the earth have arrived together to inspect the city.
5 They marvel at the sight and hurry home again,
6 Afraid of what they have seen; they are filled with panic like a woman in travail!
7 For God destroys the mightiest warships with a breath of wind!
8 We have heard of the city's glorythe city of our God, the Commander of the armies of heaven. And now we see it for ourselves! God has established Jerusalem forever.
9 Lord, here in Your Temple we meditate upon Your kindness and Your love.
10 Your name is known throughout the earth, O God. You are praised everywhere for the salvation[518] You have scattered throughout the world.
[518] Literally, Your right hand is filled with righteousness.
11 O Jerusalem,[519] rejoice! O people of Judah, rejoice! For God will see to it that you are finally treated fairly.
[519] Literally, Mount Zion.
12 Go, inspect the city! Walk around and count her many towers!
13 Note her walls and tour her palaces, so that you can tell your children!
14 For this great God is our God forever and ever. He will be our guide until we die.
EXPOSITION
As critically revised above, this psalm as a whole does not seem of very difficult interpretation. It naturally follows the previous psalm, by detaining the reader's thoughts on the palace where the nobles gather themselves together with the people of the God of Abraham; and this naturalness reacts, so as to account for the informal way in which it is here first named as the city. But being now the joy of all the earth, it is to be expected that the nobles should delight to visit her, and when they approach should be struck with her beauty, though chiefly attracted by her King. Moreover, the fourth line of this fourth stanza, at once forges for itself a link with Psalms 46. Jehovah had indeed striven in her citadels by the devastations he had wrought in the earth from thence, thereby proving himself a lofty retreat for his beleaguered people.
This naturally brings on the second stanza, the extreme graphic beauty of which, of course, every eye can see. It should, however, be remarked in all candour, that the scene there depicted is highly idealisedthat is, assuming that the reference is to the historical fact of the miraculous overthrow of the hosts of Sennacherib. For though the proud Assyrian monarch might call his generals kings, it scarcely follows that a Hebrew bard would so name them, unless he were being guided to make his language fit a later and larger scene. It looks very much as though those ships of Tarshish had brought the confederate kings to the holy land, in which case the panic into which they are thrown is the more readily understood. In passing, it may be noted they do not hasten away, as some render the last word in Psalms 48:5; for they cannot get away, but are arrested on the spotthere! as the poet graphically declares. They have just time in their anguish to gasp out that opposition to the holy city is hopeless. All of which may excuse the conclusion that this wonderful picture of consternation is as much prophetic as it is historic.
After the storm comes the calm: after the shrieks of anguish comes the voice of praise. Worshippers in the temple have quiet and impulse to ponder well the mighty doings of their God. Jehovah has fulfilled his name so undeniably in the sight of all nations as to call forth praise to the ends of the earth. This again imparts a prophetic tone to words which, though poetically justifiable as suggested by the Assyrian overthrow, are large enough to prompt comparison with predictions yet unfulfilled. The righteousness with which Jehovah's right hand is filled being vindicatory, gives cause why Mount Zion should be glad and the daughters, or cities, of Judah should exult.
The time being now one of peace, with no enemy near to threaten, dwellers in Zion, and visitors with them, can deliberately go about Zion, count her towers, and, recalling her chequered history, can learn the lessons of the past and hand them on to the future: language singularly inappropriate had it been spoken of a heavenly Zion, rather fantastic if referred to ecclesiastical Zions, but very forcibly rooting itself in the past, as a mould of the chief ideas suggested, if connected with the thrilling events which signalised the reign of King Hezekiah, Death, as a king of terrors, gazed both on the nation and, by a special and concurrent providence, on her kingIsrael's God as a Shepherd led both king and people through the valley against the monsterand he fled, overcome! Of course not, then, finally; for Hezekiah died afterwards, and the nation has been invaded and carried into captivity since. But in littlein shadowin outlinein prophecyJehovah led them against death! Significant words. They will find an echo in the very next psalm; or rather perhaps a clearer note will there be struck; and if Isaiah wrote this psalm, then about this time he is elsewhere renewing the theme (Isaiah 25:6-9; Isaiah 26:19).
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
1.
It is almost essential that the reader have several commentaries on the Psalms to give him more than one viewpointWe respect and admire Rotherham's scholarship and exposition, but then there is C. H. Spurgeon who says of this Psalm: It would be idle dogmatically to attribute this song to any one event of Jewish history. Its author and date are unknown. It records the withdrawal of certain confederate kings from Jerusalem, their courage failing them before striking a blow. The mention of the ships of Tarshish may allow us to conjecture that the Psalm was written in connection with the overthrow of Ammon, Moab, and Edom in the reign of Jehoshaphat; and if the reader will turn to 2 Chronicles 20, and note especially 2 Chronicles 20:19; 2 Chronicles 20:25; 2 Chronicles 20:36, he will probably accept the suggestion. Psalms 48:1-3, are in honour of the Lord and the city dedicated to his worship. From Psalms 48:4-8 the song records the confusion of Zion's foes, ascribing all the praise to God; Psalms 48:9-11 extolling Zion, and avowing Jehovah to be her God for evermore.
2.
If we do not consider Mount Zion as the church, how shall we apply Psalms 48:1 through Psalms 48:3? Discuss possibilities, but forget not: when there is no application of the scripture text to the heart of the reader there is no eternal value in it!
3.
How shall we represent the kings of the earth who came to inspect the city? Please be specifican idle thoughtless answer is a refusal to take the interest in God's Word it deserves!
4.
Will this idealized picture of the triumph of the city of our God ever become a reality? Has it already occurred?
5.
If we were to consider Mount Zion as the church, Psalms 48:12 through Psalms 48:14 might suggest a very careful walk through the pages of the New Testament. How do you apply these verses?