Psalm 132:8 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Arise, O Lord, and go to your resting place, you and the ark of your might.

NIV: ‘Arise, Lord, and come to your resting place, you and the ark of your might.

NASB: Arise, Lord, to Your resting place, You and the ark of Your strength.

CSB: Rise up, Lord, come to your resting place, you and your powerful ark.

NLT: Arise, O Lord, and enter your resting place, along with the Ark, the symbol of your power.

KJV: Arise, O Lord, into thy rest; thou, and the ark of thy strength.

NKJV: Arise, O Lord, to Your resting place, You and the ark of Your strength.

Psalm 132:6–10 refers to the ark of the covenant (Exodus 25:10–16). After being recovered from the Philistines (1 Samuel 6:21) it was kept for many years at Kiriath-jearim (1 Samuel 7:1–2), also known as Jaar. The reference to Ephrathah is unclear; it may be a poetic reference to the region around Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). The prayer asks for the Lord to bring His presence to the people and righteous priests at the site of the ark.

David vowed to create a permanent home for the Lord. This involved the ark of the covenant, which was eventually placed in Solomon's temple (1 Kings 8:1). God vowed that David's descendants would be the kings of Israel. The Lord also chose Jerusalem—sometimes referred to as "Zion"—as the symbolic seat of His power. From David's line, the Lord would produce an "anointed one" (Daniel 9:25–26), also called "Messiah."

When Israel was taken into exile, everything associated with worship of the Lord was destroyed or confiscated (2 Chronicles 36:17–20). This psalm speaks of the ark (Exodus 25:10–22) and God's presence near it, so it was most likely written before then. This is one of the songs "of ascents" (Psalms 120—134) which were used during festival times (Deuteronomy 16:16). Verses 8–10 and 2 Chronicles 6:41–42 suggest this song may have been written to celebrate Solomon's dedication of the temple.

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.

Accessed 12/27/2024 5:36:41 AM