Psalms 48:1-7

1 The Lord is great and is to be highly praised in the city of our God, on his sacred hill.

2 Zion, the mountain of God, is high and beautiful; ¹ the city of the great king brings joy to all the world.

3 God has shown that there is safety with him inside the fortresses of the city.

4 The kings gathered together and came to attack Mount Zion.

5 But when they saw it, they were amazed; they were afraid and ran away.

6 There they were seized with fear and anguish, like a woman about to bear a child,

7 like ships tossing in a furious storm.

Psalms 48:1-7 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. 48.2Matthew 5.35.

Footnotes

• [a]. sacred hill: [See 2.6.]