Psalms 125:2
in Psalms 125As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds His people, both now and forevermore.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, So Jehovah is round about his people From this time forth and for evermore.
KJV
As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth even for ever.
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This verse in Psalms 125
Commentary
12 notes on this verseAs the mountains are round about Jerusalem,.... There was Mount Zion on the side of the north, and the mount of Olives on the east, and other mountains on the other sides of it; so that it was encompassed with them, and was naturally as well as artificially fortified.
This site's exposition
are like Mount Zion
on Psalms 125:1-2
Trust is measured against a mountain, and those who trust are as unmoved as Mount Zion. Verse 2 uses one word twice, sabiv, a circle: the mountains around Jerusalem, the LORD around His people. The mountains a pilgrim saw picture the LORD Himself.
This site's exposition
As the mountains surround Jerusalem
Charles Spurgeon reads verses 1 and 2 as a double security: those who trust are made like a mount, and then mountains surround them. John Gill names the Mount of Olives on the east.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
What is this Jerusalem? He briefly describes it. "The mountains stand around Jerusalem" [Psalm 125:2]. Is it anything great, that we are in a city surrounded by mountains? Is this the whole of our happiness, that we shall have a city which mountains surround? Do we not know what mountains are? or what are mountains save swellings of the earth? Different then from these are those mountains that we love, lofty mountains, preachers of truth, whether Angels, or Apostles, or Prophets. They stand around Jerusalem; they surround her, and, as it were, form a wall for her. Of these lovely and delightful mountains Scripture constantly speaketh. ...They are the mountains of whom we sing: "I lifted up mine eyes unto the mountains, from whence my help shall come:" because in this life we have help from the holy Scriptures. And through the mountains that receive peace, the little hills received righteousness: for what saith he of the mountains themselves? He said not, they have peace from themselves, or they make peace, or generate peace; but, they receive peace. The Lord is the source, whence they receive peace. So therefore lift up thine eyes to the mountains for the sake of peace, that thy help may come from the Lord, who hath made heaven and earth. Again, the Holy Spirit mentioning these mountains saith this: "Thou dost light them wonderfully from Thy everlasting mountains." He said not, the mountains light them: but, Thou lightest them from Thy everlasting mountains: through those mountains whom Thou hast willed to be everlasting, preaching the Gospel, Thou lighting them, not the mountains. Such then are the "mountains that stand around Jerusalem."
The Medieval Church1 voice
A commentator
BonaventureCollations on the Hexaemeron, Collation 17 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
Scripture enlightens in a circle, as, for instance, when it advises us not to flee, because we have protection all around. For we have the Lord and angels about us, wherefore the Psalm: Mountains are round about Jerusalem; so the Lord is round about His …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Those mountains not only sheltered it from winds and tempests, and broke the force of them, but made it also very difficult of access for an enemy; such a defence is God's providence to his people. Observe, (1.) The compass of it: The Lord is round about his people on every side.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth even for ever. The hill of Zion is the type of the believer's constancy, and the surrounding mountains are made emblems of the all surrounding presence of the Lord. The mountains around the holy city, though they do not make a circular wall, are, nevertheless, set like sentinels to guard her gates.
As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth even for ever. The hill of Zion is the type of the believer's constancy, and the surrounding mountains are made emblems of the all surrounding presence of the Lord. The mountains around the holy city, though they do not make a circular wall, are, nevertheless, set like sentinels to guard her gates. God doth not enclose his people within ramparts and bulwarks, making their city to be a prison; but yet he so orders the arrangements of his providence that his saints are as safe as if they dwelt behind the strongest fortifications. What a double security the two verses set before us! First, we are established, and then entrenched; settled, and then sentinelled: made like a mount, and then protected as if by mountains. This is no matter of poetry, it is so in fact; and it is no matter of temporary privilege, but it shall be so for ever. Date when we please, "from henceforth" Jehovah encircles his people: look on as far as we please, the protection extends "even for ever." Note, it is not said that Jehovah's power or wisdom defends believers, but he himself is round about them: they have his personality for their protection, his Godhead for their guard. We are here taught that the Lord's people are those who trust him, for they are thus described in the first verses: the line of faith is the line of grace, those who trust in the Lord are chosen of the Lord. The two verses together prove the eternal safety of the saints: they must abide where God has placed them, and God must for ever protect them from all evil. It would be difficult to imagine greater safety than is here set forth.
4 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
THE CHANGES of society may well illustrate the immutability of God. In the days of David, Jerusalem was looked upon as an impregnable fortress. It is surrounded by a natural rampart of hills; and appears to lie in the center of an amphitheatre raised purposely for its defense. By the ancient Jew it was considered to be an impregnable citadel. How changed now are the manners of war! A small troop could easily take the city, and it must indeed be a strong army that would be able to garrison it in its present condition.
THE CHANGES of society may well illustrate the immutability of God. In the days of David, Jerusalem was looked upon as an impregnable fortress. It is surrounded by a natural rampart of hills; and appears to lie in the center of an amphitheatre raised purposely for its defense. By the ancient Jew it was considered to be an impregnable citadel. How changed now are the manners of war! A small troop could easily take the city, and it must indeed be a strong army that would be able to garrison it in its present condition. Yet whilst Jerusalem is changed, and the figure has become inappropriate, Jerusalem’s God remains, for with him is “no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” We must this morning consider the text, not as we should understand it in our day, but as we should have understood it in David’s time. David looked upon the city of Jerusalem, and he thought within himself, “No army can ever be able to surprise this city, and however numerous may be the invading hosts, my people will always be able to hold their own in the midst of a city so firmly fortified both by nature and by art.” In his time, indeed, and in the time of his son Solomon, I suppose it would have been utterly impossible for any enemy, possessed only of the tactics of ancient warfare, to have scaled those mighty ramparts of earth which God had piled about the city. And therefore, when David said in his day, “As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people;” he meant this—“As Jerusalem is fortressed by the mountains, so are God’s people castled in the covenant, fortressed in the Omnipotence of God, and therefore they are impregnably secure. We shall thus understand the text, and endeavor this morning to work out the great thought of the security of God’s people in the arms of Jehovah their Lord.
As the mountains are round about Jerusalem - Jerusalem, according to Sandys, was situated on a rocky mountain every way to be ascended, except a little on the north, with steep ascents and deep valleys, naturally fortified. It is surrounded with other mountains, at no great distance, as if placed in the midst of an amphitheatre; for on the east is Mount Olivet, separated from the city by the valley of Jehoshaphat, which also encompasses a part of the north; on the south, the mountain of Offiner interposed with the valley of Gehinnom; and on the west it was formerly fenced with the valley of Gihon, and the mountains adjoining. The situation was such as to be easily rendered impregnable. The Lord is round about his people - He is above, beneath, around them; and while they keep within it, their fortress is impregnable, and they can suffer no evil.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
As the mountains are round about Jerusalem - Hebrew, “Jerusalem - the mountains are round about her.” Jerusalem, except on the north, is encompassed with hills or mountains, so that although the city was built on hills - Zion, Moriah, Bezethah, Acra - it was itself surrounded by hills higher than any of these, and was, in a certain sense, in a valley. See the notes at Mat 2:1. Compare the notes at Psa 48:1-14. So the Lord is round about his people ... - As Jerusalem is thus protected by the hills around, so the people of God are protected by Yahweh. He surrounds the church; he is exalted far above the church; he guards the approaches to the church; he can defend it from all its foes. Under his protection it is safe. Jerusalem, as surrounded by hills and mountains, has thus become an emblem of the church at all times; its security was an emblem of the security of all who trust in the Lord.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
Jerusalem – Even though mountains surround her she lacks strength and the nations rule over her, conquering her one from another. And she will not have strength until the people of the Lord are within her, because then He will surround His people.
2 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
Those who trust in the Lord will not falter, like Mount Zion, which will not falter, for just as Jerusalem is surrounded by mountains, so is the Holy One, blessed be He, around His people.
For the rod of wickedness will not rest on the lot of the righteous For the Holy One, blessed be He, will not allow the rule of the wicked to rest on the righteous because the righteous are careful not to stretch out their hand in wrongdoing.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
10 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| יְֽרוּשָׁלִַ֗ם | yerushalim | Jerusalem | H3389 → | 643 times |
| הָרִים֮ | harim | mountains | H2022 → | 546 times |
| סָבִ֪יב | saviv | [are] around | H5439 → | 336 times |
| לָ֥הּ | lah | <to> it | ||
| וַ֭יהוָה | vayahweh | and Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| סָבִ֣יב | saviv | [is] around | H5439 → | 336 times |
| לְעַמּ֑וֹ | leamo | <to> people his | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| מֵ֝עַתָּ֗ה | meatah | from now | H6258 → | 433 times |
| וְעַד־ | vead- | and until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| עוֹלָֽם׃ | olam | perpetuity | H5769 → | 438 times |
יְֽרוּשָׁלִַ֗םJerusalem
yerushalimH3389 →643 times
הָרִים֮mountains
harimH2022 →546 times
סָבִ֪יב[are] around
savivH5439 →336 times
לָ֥הּ<to> it
lah
וַ֭יהוָהand Yahweh
vayahwehH3068 →6520 times
סָבִ֣יב[is] around
savivH5439 →336 times
לְעַמּ֑וֹ<to> people his
leamoH5971 →1873 times
מֵ֝עַתָּ֗הfrom now
meatahH6258 →433 times
וְעַד־and until
vead-H5704 →1261 times
עוֹלָֽם׃perpetuity
olamH5769 →438 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Psalms 121:8The LORD will watch over your coming and going, both now and forevermore.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 28:6
You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.
- Proverbs 3:6
in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.
- Proverbs 2:8
to guard the paths of justice and protect the way of His saints.
- Psalms 113:2
Blessed be the name of the LORD both now and forevermore.
- Ezra 8:31
On the twelfth day of the first month we set out from the Ahava Canal to go to Jerusalem, and the hand of our God was upon us to protect us from the hands…
- Deuteronomy 28:6
Through
Deuteronomy 33:27The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He drives out the enemy before you, giving the command, ‘Destroy him!’
it leads to
- Psalms 90:1–2
Lord, You have been our dwelling place through all generations.
- Psalms 18:2
The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer. My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
- Psalms 90:1–2
Through
Zechariah 2:5For I will be a wall of fire around it, declares the LORD, and I will be the glory within it.’”
it leads to
- Isaiah 4:5
Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud of smoke by day and a glowing flame of fire by night. For over all the glory there…
- Isaiah 4:5
Where this verse is studied
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Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, Exposition on Psalm 125; Bonaventure, Collations on the Hexaemeron, Collation 17; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 7; Charles Spurgeon, The New Park Street Pulpit, Sermon No. 161: “The Security of the Church” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Psalms; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.