Psalm 48
שִׁ֥יר מִ֝זְמוֹר לִבְנֵי קֹֽרַח
BSB
Broken Bondage
A song. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
1Great is the LORD,
and greatly to be praised
in the city of our God,
His holy mountain.
2Beautiful in loftiness,
the joy of all the earth,
like the peaks of Zaphon is Mount Zion,
the city of the great King.
3God is in her citadels;
He has shown Himself to be a fortress.
4For behold, the kings assembled;
they all advanced together.
5They saw and were astounded;
they fled in terror.
6Trembling seized them there,
anguish like a woman in labor.
7With a wind from the east
You wrecked the ships of Tarshish.
8As we have heard, so we have seen
in the city of the LORD of Hosts,
in the city of our God:
God will establish her forever.
Selah
9Within Your temple, O God,
we contemplate Your loving devotion.
10Your name, O God, like Your praise,
reaches to the ends of the earth;
Your right hand is full of righteousness.
11Mount Zion is glad,
the daughters of Judah rejoice,
on account of Your judgments.
12March around Zion, encircle her,
count her towers,
13consider her ramparts, tour her citadels,
that you may tell the next generation.
14For this God is our God forever and ever;
He will be our guide even till death.
Introduction
Psalms 48
This psalm, as the two former, is a triumphant song; some think it was penned on occasion of Jehoshaphat's victory (2 Chr. 20), others of Sennacherib's defeat, when his army laid siege to Jerusalem in Hezekiah's time; but, for aught I know, it might be penned by David upon occasion of some eminent victory obtained in his time; yet not so calculated for that but that it might serve any other similar occasion in aftertimes, and be applicable also to the glories of the gospel church, of which Jerusalem was a type, especially when it shall come to be a church triumphant, the "heavenly Jerusalem" (Heb 12:22), "the Jerusalem which is above," Gal 4:26. Jerusalem is here praised, I. For its relation to God (Psa 48:1, Psa 48:2). II. For God's care of it (Psa 48:3). III. For the terror it strikes upon its enemies (Psa 48:4-7). IV. For the pleasure it gives to its friends, who delight to think, 1. Of what God has done, does, and will do for it (Psa 48:3). 2. Of the gracious discoveries he makes of himself in and for that holy city (Psa 48:9, Psa 48:10). 3. Of the effectual provision which is made for its safety (Psa 48:11-13). 4. Of the assurance we have of the perpetuity of God's covenant with the children of Zion (Psa 48:14). In singing this psalm we must be affected with the privilege we have as members of the gospel church, and must express and excite our sincere good-will to all its interests.
A song and psalm for the sons of Korah.
Cross-references: Heb 12:22 · Gal 4:26 · Ps 48:1 · Ps 48:2 · Ps 48:3 · Ps 48:4 · Ps 48:9 · Ps 48:10 · Ps 48:11 · Ps 48:14