Psalm 48:14 - Printer Friendly

ESV: that this is God, our God forever and ever. He will guide us forever.

NIV: For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end.

NASB: For such is God, Our God forever and ever; He will lead us until death.

CSB: "This God, our God forever and ever -- he will always lead us."

NLT: For that is what God is like. He is our God forever and ever, and he will guide us until we die.

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

NKJV: For this is God, Our God forever and ever; He will be our guide Even to death.

The psalmist wanted those who walked around Jerusalem to tell the next generation what they saw (Psalm 48:13). Past victories were proof the Lord was miraculously protecting the city (2 Kings 19; 2 Chronicles 20). These stories needed to be told to each age group (Psalm 44:1–3) so they would trust God's plans. More importantly, so they would know to credit the Lord, not their own power, for any success they might have.

God had led the people of Israel safely through the desert by the shekinah glory cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night (Exodus 13:21). He had led them to victory in the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 7:7–9; 9:6–8; Joshua 12:1–6), and He had led them to establish Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 11:4–8).

Psalm 18:30 affirms that God's way is perfect. God still leads His people. Christians can trust Him to guide them as they face important decisions (James 1:5–8). Proverbs 3:5–7 tells believers to resist the tendency to rely on their own wisdom but rather to trust God with every aspect of their lives, trusting Him to show them the best way to live (James 3:17–18).

Psalm 48:10–14 builds appropriately on what the people of Jerusalem had observed of the Lord's almighty power. Their gratitude caused them to praise the Lord and to ponder Jerusalem's greatness because of God's presence.

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.