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Wisdom & Poetry · Old Testament

Psalms 87

Psalm 87: the city of God, where the Lord counts each one as born in her

General context

The psalm says his foundation is in the holy mountains, and that the Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are spoken of the city of God, and a Selah follows. A speaker says, I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that know me, and adds Philistia, Tyre and Ethiopia, saying this man was born there. Of Zion it shall be said that this and that man was born in her, and the highest himself shall establish her. The Lord shall count, when he writes up the people, that this man was born there; a second Selah follows. The last verse says singers and players on instruments shall be there, and ends with all my springs are in thee.

Cited passages: Psalms 87:1, Psalms 87:2, Psalms 87:3, Psalms 87:4, Psalms 87:5, Psalms 87:6, Psalms 87:7

Psalms 87 (KJV)

1His foundation is in the holy mountains.

2The Lord loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.

3Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. Selah.

4I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that know me: behold Philistia, and Tyre, with Ethiopia; this man was born there.

5And of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her: and the highest himself shall establish her.

6The Lord shall count, when he writeth up the people, that this man was born there. Selah.

7As well the singers as the players on instruments shall be there: all my springs are in thee.

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Historical context

This source prints no superscription; the psalm is seven verses and opens with His foundation is in the holy mountains, without saying in that line whose foundation is meant, though verse 2 names the Lord and Zion. Five names appear in verse 4: Rahab, Babylon, Philistia, Tyre and Ethiopia. The text does not explain Rahab here; it stands in a list with Babylon, Philistia, Tyre and Ethiopia and is followed by this man was born there, so the psalm treats it as a place of birth and not as the woman named Rahab in Joshua. The speaker of I will make mention and to them that know me is not identified, and the phrase this man was born there is repeated three times without saying who this man is. The Lord is said to count when he writeth up the people, a register the text does not describe further. Two Selah markers stand after verses 3 and 6. The city is called Zion and the city of God, and the final my springs belongs to an unnamed voice.

Cited passages: Psalms 87:1, Psalms 87:2, Psalms 87:4, Psalms 87:6, Psalms 87:3, Psalms 87:7

Literary context

The psalm is short and built on repetition of one phrase: born there, born in her, born there, across verses 4 to 6. The first mention attaches to foreign names, Rahab, Babylon, Philistia, Tyre and Ethiopia; the second attaches to Zion; the third is the Lord's own count in a written register. The comparison in verse 2, more than all the dwellings of Jacob, sets one city above the rest of the people's homes. The address shifts from third person, his foundation, the Lord loveth, to second person, glorious things are spoken of thee, and then to a first-person voice, I will make mention. The closing verse adds sound, singers and players, and an image of water, all my springs are in thee, to a poem otherwise about gates, foundations and a written list.

Cited passages: Psalms 87:4, Psalms 87:5, Psalms 87:6, Psalms 87:2, Psalms 87:3, Psalms 87:7

Key moments

  1. The gates of Zion loved (Psalms 87:2). The Lord is said to love Zion's gates above all the dwellings of Jacob.
  2. Rahab and Babylon named (Psalms 87:4). Foreign peoples are mentioned with the words this man was born there.
  3. Born in her (Psalms 87:5). Of Zion it is said that this and that man was born in her.
  4. The Lord writes up the people (Psalms 87:6). The Lord counts each one as born there when he writes the register.
  5. All my springs (Psalms 87:7). Singers and players are there, and the speaker's springs are in the city.

For reflection

The Lord's register counts people from Babylon, Philistia, Tyre and Ethiopia as born in Zion. What is the psalm claiming about belonging when birthplace is something the Lord writes rather than something that simply happened?

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