Psalms 78:54
in Psalms 78He brought them to His holy land, to the mountain His right hand had acquired.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary, To this mountain, which his right hand had gotten.
KJV
And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary, even to this mountain, which his right hand had purchased.
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This verse in Psalms 78
Commentary
9 notes on this verseThe border of his sanctuary - קדשו kodsho, “of his holy place,” that is, the land of Canaan, called afterwards the mountain which his right hand had purchased; because it was a mountainous country, widely differing from Egypt, which was a long, continued, and almost perfect level.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
In the next place there followeth, "And He led them into the mountain of His sanctification." How much better into Holy Church! "The mountain which His right hand hath gotten." How much higher is the Church which Christ hath gotten, concerning whom has been said, "And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?"
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Holy place - The land of Canaan, separated by God from all other lands. Mountain - The mountainous country of Canaan; the word mountain is often used in scripture for a mountainous country.
And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary,....
God could have turned the uninhabited uncultivated wilderness (which perhaps was nearly of the same extent as Canaan) into fruitful soil, and have planted them there; but the land he designed for them was to be a type of heaven, and therefore must be the glory of all lands; it must likewise be fought for, for the kingdom of heaven suffers violence.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
border of his sanctuary--or, "holy border"--i. e., region of which-- this mountain--(Zion) was, as the seat of civil and religious government, the representative, used for the whole land, as afterwards for the Church (Isa 25:6, 7). purchased--or, "procured by His right hand" or power (Ps 60:5).
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3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary. He conducted them to the frontier of the Holy Land, where he intended the tabernacle to become the permanent symbol of his abode among his people. He did not leave them halfway upon their journey to their heritage; his power and wisdom preserved the nation till the palm trees of Jericho were within sight on the other side of the river. Even to this mountain, which his right hand had purchased.
And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary. He conducted them to the frontier of the Holy Land, where he intended the tabernacle to become the permanent symbol of his abode among his people. He did not leave them halfway upon their journey to their heritage; his power and wisdom preserved the nation till the palm trees of Jericho were within sight on the other side of the river. Even to this mountain, which his right hand had purchased. Nor did he leave them then, but still conducted them till they were in the region round about Zion, which was to be the central seat of his worship. This the Lord had purchased in type of old by the sacrifice of Isaac, fit symbol of the greater sacrifice which was in due season to be presented there: that mountain was also redeemed by power, when the Lord's right hand enabled his valiant men to smite the Jebusites, and take the sacred hill from the insulting Canaanite. Thus shall the elect of God enjoy the sure protection of the Lord of hosts, even to the border land of death, and through the river, up to the hill of the Lord in glory. The purchased people shall safely reach the purchased inheritance.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary - The Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate render this, “to the mountain of his holiness”; that is, his holy mountain. But the reference is rather to the whole land of Canaan. He brought them to the borders of that land - the land of promise - the holy land. They who came out from Egypt did not indeed enter that land, except Caleb and Joshua, but they were conveyed to its borders before all of them fell. It was true also that the people - the Hebrew people - came to the promised land, and secured its possession. Even to this mountain - Mount Zion, for the object of the psalm was to show that the worship of God was properly celebrated there. See Psa 78:68. The meaning is not that the people who came out of Egypt actually inherited that mountain, but that their descendants - the people of God - had been put in possession of it. Which his right hand had purchased - Had procured, or obtained possession of. That is, he had secured it by his power.
The words behind it
8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַ֭יְבִיאֵם | vayviem | and he brought them | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| גְּב֣וּל | gevul | [the] territory of | H1366 → | 240 times |
| קָדְשׁ֑וֹ | kadesho | holiness his | H6944 → | 469 times |
| הַר־ | har- | [the] mountain | H2022 → | 546 times |
| זֶ֝֗ה | zeh | which | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| קָנְתָ֥ה | kanetah | it had acquired | H7069 → | 84 times |
| יְמִינֽוֹ׃ | yemino | right [hand] his | H3225 → | 140 times |
וַ֭יְבִיאֵםand he brought them
vayviemH935 →2568 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
גְּב֣וּל[the] territory of
gevulH1366 →240 times
קָדְשׁ֑וֹholiness his
kadeshoH6944 →469 times
הַר־[the] mountain
har-H2022 →546 times
זֶ֝֗הwhich
zehH2088 →1180 times
קָנְתָ֥הit had acquired
kanetahH7069 →84 times
יְמִינֽוֹ׃right [hand] his
yeminoH3225 →140 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
Ephesians 1:14who is the pledge of our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession, to the praise of His glory.
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 1:22
placed His seal on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a pledge of what is to come.
- 2 Corinthians 5:5
And God has prepared us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a pledge of what is to come.
- Ephesians 4:30
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
- Galatians 4:6
And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”
- Romans 8:15–17
For you did not receive a spirit of slavery that returns you to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
- 2 Corinthians 1:22
Through
Isaiah 11:9They will neither harm nor destroy on all My holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the sea is full of water.
it leads to
- Habakkuk 2:14
For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.
- Habakkuk 2:14
Through
Psalms 44:3For it was not by their sword that they took the land; their arm did not bring them victory. It was by Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your face, because…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 7:7–8
The LORD did not set His affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than the other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples.
- Deuteronomy 8:17–18
You might say in your heart, “The power and strength of my hands have made this wealth for me.”
- Deuteronomy 7:7–8
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies13
About Psalms
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, On the Psalms: Psalm 78; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 3; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.