Psalm 48:1 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the city of our God! His holy mountain,

NIV: A song. A psalm of the Sons of Korah. Great is the Lord, and most worthy of praise, in the city of our God, his holy mountain.

NASB: Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised In the city of our God, His holy mountain.

CSB: A song. A psalm of the sons of Korah. The Lord is great and highly praised in the city of our God. His holy mountain,

NLT: How great is the Lord, how deserving of praise, in the city of our God, which sits on his holy mountain!

KJV: A Song and Psalm for the sons of Korah. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness.

NKJV: {A Song. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.} Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised In the city of our God, In His holy mountain.

The city of Jerusalem serves as a symbol of God's power and majesty. The city of Israel's great God (Matthew 5:35) was located on Mount Zion (Psalm 2:6). David had seized Mount Zion from the Jebusites (2 Samuel 5:6–9; 2 Chronicles 11:4–7), but it was not "holy" until David brought the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem and installed it there. Thus, Mount Zion became God's holy dwelling (Psalm 99:9). Only the presence of a holy God makes a place holy. Even a spot in the desert was declared holy because God chose to be present there (Exodus 3:4–5).

The psalmist will soon refer to kings of other nations who flee from Jerusalem, rather than conquering it (Psalm 48:4–8). Commentators are divided over what historical event the psalm mentions, if any. Some assign this description to the end-times glory of Jerusalem during the reign of the Messiah. Others suggest a connection to incidents recorded in the Bible.

A possible inspiration for this psalm was the Lord's overwhelming defeat of the Assyrian forces laying siege to Jerusalem. Although the attacking army was vast, the Lord was far greater. During the night, the angel of the Lord passed through the camp of the Assyrians and killed a terrifying number of them (2 Kings 19:35).

This passage may also reflect the defeat of enemies who came against Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 20); these armies were defeated without Israel even needing to fight.

The "Sons of Korah" were likely a group of worshippers especially devoted to music. They would be descendants of survivors of judgment on Korah and others for rebelling against God (Numbers 16:25–32; 26:9–11).

Psalm 48:1–9 extols the Lord's excellence and power. These verses establish Jerusalem, "the city of our God," as a shining example of His greatness. Scholars suggest this passage may refer to God's miraculous acts during the reign of Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 20), or to the defeat of the Assyrian army who attacked Hezekiah (2 Kings 19).

The psalm begins with a declaration of God's superiority and that He is worthy of worship. In this song, Jerusalem is used as an example of the Lord's greatness. Prior victories over enemies and the preservation of city walls and defenses attest to His loyal, persistent love for the city. Notes about assembled kings fleeing may refer to the miraculous rescue of Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 20), where Israel didn't even need to fight to see her enemies flee. This psalm echoes themes found in Psalms 46 and 47, as well as the concept of passing along these truths to successive generations, as seen in Psalm 44:1–3.

Like Psalm 47, this psalm celebrates the Lord's deliverance of Jerusalem. This might refer to the defeat of Sennacherib (2 Kings 19) or the miraculous rout of an enemy coalition (2 Chronicles 20). The focus of the psalm is on Jerusalem as a living example of God's love and power. This shares themes with Psalms 46 and 47. Phrasing in certain verses resembles text found in Isaiah (Isaiah 33:14, 18, 21, 22). The "Sons of Korah" appear to be descendants of those who survived God's judgment during the exodus (Numbers 16:25–32; 26:9–11) and were especially connected to the tabernacle (1 Chronicles 9:19–21:).

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.