Psalms 48:4-14

4 For behold, the kings assembled themselves, they passed by together;

5 They saw, -- so they marvelled; they were troubled, they fled in consternation:

6 Trembling took hold upon them there; anguish, as of a woman in travail.

7 With an east wind thou hast broken the ships of Tarshish.

8 As we have heard, so have we seen, in the city of Jehovah of hosts, in the city of our God: God doth establish it for ever. Selah.

9 We have thought, O God, of thy loving-kindness, 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: count the towers thereof;

13 Mark 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 until death.

Psalms 48:4-14 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.

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit. 'Set your heart on.'