Psalms 48:4-14

4 For lo, the kings were assembled, they passed by together.

5 They saw it and so they marveled; they were troubled and hastened away.

6 Fear took hold upon them there, and pain as of a woman in travail;

7 Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east wind.

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 establish it for ever. Selah

9 We have thought of Thy lovingkindness, O God, 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 that follows.

14 For this God is our God for ever and ever; He will be our guide even unto 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.