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Wisdom & Poetry · Old Testament

Psalms 48

Psalm 48: mount Zion, the kings who fled and the towers to be counted

General context

The psalm declares the Lord great and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness. Mount Zion is beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King, and God is known in her palaces for a refuge. The kings were assembled and passed by together; they saw it, marvelled, were troubled and hurried away, taken by fear and pain like a woman in travail. God breaks the ships of Tarshish with an east wind. As the speakers have heard, so they have seen in the city of the Lord of hosts, which God will establish for ever; Selah follows. They have thought of God's lovingkindness in the midst of his temple; his praise reaches to the ends of the earth as his name does, and his right hand is full of righteousness. Mount Zion and the daughters of Judah are told to rejoice because of God's judgments. The hearers are told to walk around Zion, count her towers, mark her bulwarks and consider her palaces so that they can tell it to the following generation, because this God is our God for ever and will be our guide even to death.

Cited passages: Psalms 48:1, Psalms 48:2, Psalms 48:3, Psalms 48:4, Psalms 48:5, Psalms 48:6, Psalms 48:7, Psalms 48:8, Psalms 48:9, Psalms 48:10, Psalms 48:11, Psalms 48:12, Psalms 48:13, Psalms 48:14

Psalms 48 (KJV)

1Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness.

2Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.

3God is known in her palaces for a refuge.

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

5They saw it, and so they marvelled; they were troubled, and hasted away.

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

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

8As 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.

9We have thought of thy lovingkindness, O God, in the midst of thy temple.

10According to thy name, O God, so is thy praise unto the ends of the earth: thy right hand is full of righteousness.

11Let mount Zion rejoice, let the daughters of Judah be glad, because of thy judgments.

12Walk about Zion, and go round about her: tell the towers thereof.

13Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces; that ye may tell it to the generation following.

14For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.

This page shows the King James Version. In the app, reading opens in the Berean Standard Bible unless you have chosen another translation. The reader includes five translations: the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), the King James Version (KJV), the World English Bible (WEB), the Bible in Basic English (BBE), and the American Standard Version (ASV). Search covers three of them: Berean Standard, King James, and World English. Basic English and American Standard readers search the King James words.

Historical context

The text as printed here carries no heading; verse 1 opens with "Great is the Lord", so this source names no author, occasion or musical direction. The voice is a plural "we" and "our", and God is addressed directly in verses 7, 9, 10 and 11. The city is named: "mount Zion", "the city of the great King", "the city of the Lord of hosts", with a "temple", "palaces", "towers" and "bulwarks". "The daughters of Judah" tie it to Judah. The kings who assembled, passed by, marvelled and fled are not named or counted, and no battle is described; the text records their fear and flight only. "The ships of Tarshish" broken by an east wind are stated without saying when or whose ships. The phrase "on the sides of the north" is given as a description of Zion's position without further explanation. "As we have heard, so have we seen" claims that what was reported has now been witnessed, but the event itself is not narrated. Selah stands once, after verse 8.

Cited passages: Psalms 48:1, Psalms 48:2, Psalms 48:11, Psalms 48:4, Psalms 48:7, Psalms 48:8, Psalms 48:9

Literary context

The psalm moves from praise of the city to a short scene, then to reflection, then to a walking tour. The kings' episode is told in quick verbs, assembled, passed by, saw, marvelled, were troubled, hasted away, and is closed with an image of labour pains and a broken fleet. Hearing and seeing are paired: "As we have heard, so have we seen". Refuge is the word the palaces know God by, which echoes Psalm 46, "God is our refuge and strength". The last movement turns outward to the hearers with commands, walk, go round, tell, mark, consider, and its purpose is memory, "that ye may tell it to the generation following". The city is measured in towers and bulwarks, yet the closing line moves from walls to a guide "even unto death". Where Psalm 47 had God going up with a shout, this psalm has him known and thought of inside a city.

Cited passages: Psalms 48:5, Psalms 48:6, Psalms 48:8, Psalms 48:3, Psalms 46:1, Psalms 48:12, Psalms 48:13, Psalms 48:14, Psalms 47:5

Key moments

  1. Great is the Lord in his city (Psalms 48:1). The psalm praises the Lord in the city of our God on his holy mountain.
  2. Mount Zion, joy of the whole earth (Psalms 48:2). Zion is called beautiful for situation and the city of the great King.
  3. The kings marvel and flee (Psalms 48:5). Assembled kings see the city, are troubled and hurry away in fear.
  4. As we have heard, so have we seen (Psalms 48:8). The speakers say what they heard they have now seen, and Selah follows.
  5. Lovingkindness in the temple (Psalms 48:9). They have thought of God's lovingkindness in the midst of his temple.
  6. Walk about Zion (Psalms 48:12). The hearers are told to go round Zion and count her towers.
  7. Our guide even unto death (Psalms 48:14). This God is their God for ever and their guide to death.

For reflection

The hearers are told to count towers and mark bulwarks so they can describe them to the next generation, and then told that God, not the walls, is their guide; what is the counting for?

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