Psalm 48:13 - Printer Friendly

ESV: consider well her ramparts, go through her citadels, that you may tell the next generation

NIV: consider well her ramparts, view her citadels, that you may tell of them to the next generation.

NASB: Consider her ramparts; Go through her palaces, So that you may tell of her to the next generation.

CSB: note its ramparts; tour its citadels so that you can tell a future generation:

NLT: Take note of the fortified walls, and tour all the citadels, that you may describe them to future generations.

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

NKJV: Mark well her bulwarks; Consider her palaces; That you may tell it to the generation following.

The theme of this psalm has been God's glory, exemplified in Jerusalem and the Lord's miraculous preservation of the city (Psalm 48:1–11). The writer has noted the continued existence of Jerusalem's walls and defensive towers (Psalm 48:12). The verb translated "consider" can also imply "to divide." The idea is to regard the ramparts and citadels one by one. Attacks by various enemies had not succeeded (2 Kings 19; 2 Chronicles 20). This proof of the Lord's prior work was to be passed down to children (Psalm 44:1–3) so Israel would always remember.

Though Jerusalem was well fortified, her strength did not ultimately lie in her physical walls; it was in the Lord God. The strong man Samson discovered that his own strength was no match for the Philistines, Arising from Delilah's lap to battle the Philistines, he said, "I will go out as at other times and shake myself free." But "he did not know that the LORD had left him" (Judges 16:20). As a result, he became the Philistines' captive. His power wasn't in muscles or weapons, but in the Lord's strength.

In his second letter to Timothy, a young pastor, the apostle Paul encouraged him to "be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 2:1). Timothy's ministry needed to be fortified not by his natural abilities but by the strength that rests in Jesus Christ. Jesus told His disciples that they could accomplish nothing apart from Him (John 15:5).

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.