Psalm 48

1 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, His holy mountain.

2 Beautiful in loftiness, the joy of all the earth, like the peaks of Zaphon is Mount Zion, the city of the great King.

3 God is in her citadels; He has shown Himself to be a fortress.

4 For behold, the kings assembled; they all advanced together.

5 They saw and were astounded; they fled in terror.

6 Trembling seized them there, anguish like a woman in labor.

7 With a wind from the east You wrecked the ships of Tarshish.

8 As 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

9 Within Your temple, O God, we contemplate Your loving devotion.

10 Your name, O God, like Your praise, reaches to the ends of the earth; Your right hand is full of righteousness.

11 Mount Zion is glad, the daughters of Judah rejoice, on account of Your judgments.

12 March around Zion, encircle her, count her towers,

13 consider her ramparts, tour her citadels, that you may tell the next generation.

14 For this God is our God forever and ever; He will be our guide even till death.

Commentary on this chapter: read the Exposition

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Chapter summary

A song of Zion: 'Great is Jehovah, and greatly to be praised, in the city of our God, in his holy mountain… the city of the great King' (Matthew 5:35).

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A song of Zion: 'Great is Jehovah, and greatly to be praised, in the city of our God, in his holy mountain… the city of the great King' (Matthew 5:35). Kings assembled, saw, marveled, and fled: as we have heard, so have we seen. 'We have thought on thy lovingkindness, O God, in the midst of thy temple.' Walk about Zion; number the towers; mark her bulwarks: 'that ye may tell it to the generation following: for this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even unto death.'

Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary, John Wesley, Notes on the Old Testament and John Calvin, Commentaries.

Context

Poetry · David, Asaph, Sons of Korah, others — Psalms overview

Top cross-references8 chapters ▾

Psalms 462 verses
- Psalms 46:5God is within her; she will not be moved. God will help her when morning dawns.
- Psalms 46:7The LORD of Hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
- Read Psalms 46 →
Micah 41 verse
- Micah 4:1In the last days the mountain of the house of the LORD will be established as the chief of the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and the peoples will stream to it.
- Read Micah 4 →
Zechariah 81 verse
- Zechariah 8:3This is what the LORD says: “I will return to Zion and dwell in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the LORD of Hosts will be called the Holy Mountain.”
- Read Zechariah 8 →
Psalms 961 verse
- Psalms 96:4For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods.
- Read Psalms 96 →

4 more chapters this one speaks with

Psalms 501 verse
- Psalms 50:2From Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth.
- Read Psalms 50 →
Matthew 51 verse
- Matthew 5:35or by the earth, for it is His footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
- Read Matthew 5 →
Lamentations 21 verse
- Lamentations 2:15All who pass by clap their hands at you in scorn. They hiss and shake their heads at the Daughter of Jerusalem: “Is this the city that was called the perfection of beauty, the joy of all the earth?”
- Read Lamentations 2 →
Zechariah 21 verse
- Zechariah 2:4and said to him, “Run and tell that young man: ‘Jerusalem will be a city without walls because of the multitude of men and livestock within it.
- Read Zechariah 2 →

Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.