Psalm 48

1 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in his holy mountain.

2 The city of the great King is well planted on the mountains of Sion, with the joy of the whole earth, on the sides of the north.

3 God is known in her palaces, when he undertakes to help her.

4 For, behold the kings of the earth were assembled, they came together.

5 They saw, and so they wondered: they were troubled, they were moved.

6 Trembling took hold on them: there were the pangs as of a woman in travail.

7 Thou wilt break the ships of Tharsis with a vehement wind.

8 As we have heard, so have we also seen, in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God: God has founded it for ever. Pause.

9 We have thought of thy mercy, O God, in the midst of thy people.

10 According to thy name, O God, so is also thy praise to the ends of the earth: thy right hand is full of righteousness.

11 Let mount Sion rejoice, let the daughters of Judaea exult, because of thy judgments, O Lord.

12 Go round about Sion, and encompass her: tell ye her towers.

13 Mark ye well her strength, and observe her palaces; that ye may tell the next generation.

14 For this is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide for evermore.

Psalm 48 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 48

\\<>\\. This psalm is entitled a "song psalm", a psalm to be sung vocally; or "a song and psalm" to be sung both vocally and instrumentally; and is one of the spiritual songs the apostle speaks of, Eph 5:19; It was occasioned, as some think, by David's spoiling the Philistines, 2Sa 5:17-21; or, as others, by the deliverance of the people from the Moabites and Ammonites in the times of Jehoshaphat, 2Ch 20:27,28; or, as others, by the deliverance of the inhabitants of Jerusalem from Sennacherib in the times of Hezekiah, 2Ki 19:34,35; though as Kimchi, a celebrated Jewish commentator, owns, it belongs to the times of the Messiah, as the other preceding psalms; and treats of his greatness, and of the praise and glory due to him, and gives large encomiums of his church.