Psalms — Chapter 48
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1A song. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, His holy mountain.
2Beautiful in loftiness, the joy of all the earth, like the peaks of Zaphon is Mount Zion, the city of the great King.
3God is in her citadels; He has shown Himself to be a fortress.
4For behold, the kings assembled; they all advanced together.
5They saw and were astounded; they fled in terror.
6Trembling seized them there, anguish like a woman in labor.
7With a wind from the east You wrecked the ships of Tarshish.
8As we have heard, so we have seen in the city of the LORD of Hosts, in the city of our God: God will establish her forever. Selah
9Within Your temple, O God, we contemplate Your loving devotion.
10Your name, O God, like Your praise, reaches to the ends of the earth; Your right hand is full of righteousness.
11Mount Zion is glad, the daughters of Judah rejoice, on account of Your judgments.
12March around Zion, encircle her, count her towers,
13consider her ramparts, tour her citadels, that you may tell the next generation.
14For this God is our God forever and ever; He will be our guide even till death.
1Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness.
2Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.
3God is known in her palaces for a refuge.
4For, lo, the kings were assembled, they passed by together.
5They saw it, and so they marvelled; they were troubled, and hasted away.
6Fear took hold upon them there, and pain, as of a woman in travail.
7Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east wind.
8As 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.
9We have thought of thy lovingkindness, O God, in the midst of thy temple.
10According to thy name, O God, so is thy praise unto the ends of the earth: thy right hand is full of righteousness.
11Let mount Zion rejoice, let the daughters of Judah be glad, because of thy judgments.
12Walk about Zion, and go round about her: tell the towers thereof.
13Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces; that ye may tell it to the generation following.
14For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.
1Great is Jehovah, and greatly to be praised, In the city of our God, in his holy mountain.
2Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, Is mount Zion, [on] the sides of the north, The city of the great King.
3God hath made himself known in her palaces for a refuge.
4For, lo, the kings assembled themselves, They passed by together.
5They saw it, then were they amazed; They were dismayed, they hasted away.
6Trembling took hold of them there, Pain, as of a woman in travail.
7With the east wind Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish.
8As we have heard, so have we seen In the city of Jehovah of hosts, in the city of our God: God will establish it for ever. Selah
9We have thought on thy lovingkindness, O God, In the midst of thy temple.
10As is thy name, O God, So is thy praise unto the ends of the earth: Thy right hand is full of righteousness.
11Let mount Zion be glad, Let the daughters of Judah rejoice, Because of thy judgments.
12Walk about Zion, and go round about her; Number the towers thereof;
13Mark ye well her bulwarks; Consider her palaces: That ye may tell it to the generation following.
14For this God is our God for ever and ever: He will be our guide [even] unto death. Psalm 49 For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
1A song, a psalm by the Korahites. The Lord is great and certainly worthy of praise in the city of our God, his holy hill.
2It is lofty and pleasing to look at, a source of joy to the whole earth. Mount Zion resembles the peaks of Zaphon; it is the city of the great king.
3God is in its fortresses; he reveals himself as its defender.
4For look, the kings assemble; they advance together.
5As soon as they see, they are shocked; they are terrified, they quickly retreat.
6Look at them shake uncontrollably, like a woman writhing in childbirth.
7With an east wind you shatter the large ships.
8We heard about God’s mighty deeds; now we have seen them, in the city of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, in the city of our God. God makes it permanently secure. (Selah)
9Within your temple we reflect on your loyal love, O God.
10The praise you receive as far away as the ends of the earth is worthy of your reputation, O God. You execute justice.
11Mount Zion rejoices; the towns of Judah are happy, because of your acts of judgment.
12Walk around Zion. Encircle it. Count its towers.
13Consider its defenses. Walk through its fortresses, so you can tell the next generation about it.
14For God, our God, is our defender forever. He guides us.
1Great is Yahweh, and greatly to be praised, in the city of our God, in his holy mountain.
2Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion, on the north sides, the city of the great King.
3God has shown himself in her citadels as a refuge.
4For, behold, the kings assembled themselves, they passed by together.
5They saw it, then they were amazed. They were dismayed. They hurried away.
6Trembling took hold of them there, pain, as of a woman in travail.
7With the east wind, you break the ships of Tarshish.
8As we have heard, so we have seen, in the city of Yahweh of Armies, in the city of our God. God will establish it forever. Selah.
9We have thought about your loving kindness, God, in the middle of your temple.
10As is your name, God, so is your praise to the ends of the earth. Your right hand is full of righteousness.
11Let Mount Zion be glad! Let the daughters of Judah rejoice, Because of your judgments.
12Walk about Zion, and go around her. Number its towers.
13Mark well her bulwarks. Consider her palaces, that you may tell it to the next generation.
14For this God is our God forever and ever. He will be our guide even to death.
Summary
A Song of Zion celebrating the security of God's holy city. It opens declaring that the LORD is great and greatly to be praised in the city of God, his holy mountain, beautiful in elevation and the joy of the whole earth (vv. 1-2). God has made himself known within its citadels as a fortress (v. 3), and when kings gathered against the city they were struck with astonishment, panic, and trembling like a woman in labor, fleeing in fear (vv. 4-7). What the worshipers had only heard about, they now witness firsthand in the city of the LORD, which God establishes forever (v. 8). Inside the temple, the people meditate on God's steadfast love, and his praise and righteousness reach to the ends of the earth (vv. 9-10). The psalm closes urging the people to walk about Zion, count its towers, and consider its ramparts, so they can tell the next generation that this God is their God forever, who will guide them (vv. 12-14).
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
- Zion (v.2, v.11, v.12): The hill on which Jerusalem/the Temple stood; often used poetically for God's dwelling.
- Tarshish (v.7): Distant port city (possibly Spain); represents the farthest reaches of the known world.
Places on this map
- JerusalemJerusalemA hill town about 2,500 feet up in the central spine of Judah, roughly 35 miles inland from the Mediterranean and 15 miles west of the Jordan. It sits on no trade route and has no river, which is why it mattered as a fortress and a sanctuary rather than as a market. Wikipedia
- Tarshishprobably southern SpainUsually identified with Tartessos near the mouth of the Guadalquivir in southern Spain, at the far western end of the Phoenician trade routes, though the identification is not certain. Either way it meant the end of the known world, and it lies almost exactly opposite Nineveh from Joppa. Wikipedia
Towns sit on their excavated or traditional site. Regions, rivers and seas are ringed rather than dotted, because for those a single point is only an anchor. Coastlines from Natural Earth.
Commentary
- Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Verse-by-verse commentary on this chapter, written for the everyday reader and freely available online.
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
- Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.
Videos
Articles
- GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of Psalms -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.
Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.
Reflection
- Beauty Because God Dwells There (v.2) — Zion isn't praised for its own impressive height or size, but because God's presence makes it the joy of the whole earth. Do you find your significance in what you've built, or in whose presence you actually live in?
- Enemies Flee Before God's Presence (vv.4-6) — The attacking kings don't even get to fight — they see and flee in panic before a single battle happens. What situation are you trying to fight in your own strength that might actually only need God to show up?
- From Hearing to Seeing (v.8) — The psalmist moves from what he'd only heard about God to what he has personally witnessed for himself. Is your faith still mostly secondhand, borrowed from what others taught you, or has it become something you've genuinely seen God do?
- Telling the Next Generation (vv.12-13) — The people are told to deliberately walk the city, count its towers, and take note — specifically so they can pass the story on. Who are you intentionally telling about what God has done in your life?
- A Guide Even Through Death (v.14) — The psalm closes with the confidence that God will be their guide even to the very end. Does your trust in God extend all the way to your final days, or does it feel limited to the here and now?