Psalm 48:8-14

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 ¹establish her forever *. Selah.

9 We have thought on ²Your lovingkindness, O God, In the midst of Your temple.

10 As is Your ³name, O God, So is Your ⁴praise to the ends of the earth; Your ⁵right hand is full of righteousness.

11 Let Mount ⁶Zion be glad, Let the ⁷daughters of Judah rejoice Because of Your judgments.

12 Walk about Zion and go around her; Count her ⁸towers;

13 Consider * her ⁹ramparts; Go through her palaces, That you may ¹⁰tell it to the next generation.

14 For such is God, Our God forever and ever; He will ¹¹guide us until death.

Psalm 48:8-14 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.

Cross References

• 1. Psalms 87:5
• 2. Psalms 26:3; Psalms 40:10
• 3. Deuteronomy 28:58; Joshua 7:9; Malachi 1:11
• 4. Psalms 65:1, 2; Psalms 100:1
• 5. Isaiah 41:10
• 6. Psalms 97:8
• 7. Psalms 97:8
• 8. Neh 3:1, 11, 25-27
• 9. Psalms 122:7
• 10. Psalms 78:5-7
• 11. Psalms 23:4; Isaiah 58:11

Footnotes

• [a] "Selah" may mean: "Pause, Crescendo" or "Musical interlude"
• [b] Lit "this"
• [c] Lit "upon;" some mss and the Gr read "forever"