BibleInTonguesWEB
Psalms 48
A song of Zion the city, not Zion the symbol. It walks you onto Mount Zion's heights, then watches a coalition of kings approach, see something, and flee in panic — gripped by pain "as of a woman in travail" — before the east wind shatters the ships of Tarshish. Watch how the poem turns from threat to a guided tour: the worshippers are told to walk around the walls, count the towers, and inspect the ramparts so the next generation can be told what God defended.
- 1
Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, in the city of our God, in his holy mountain.
- 2
Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion, on the north sides, the city of the great King.
- 3
God has shown himself in her citadels as a refuge.
- 4
For, behold, the kings assembled themselves, they passed by together.
- 5
They saw it, then they were amazed. They were dismayed. They hurried away.
- 6
Trembling took hold of them there, pain, as of a woman in travail.
- 7
With the east wind, you break the ships of Tarshish.
- 8
As we have heard, so we have seen, in the city of the LORD of Armies, in the city of our God. God will establish it forever. Selah.
- 9
We have thought about your loving kindness, God, in the middle of your temple.
- 10
As is your name, God, so is your praise to the ends of the earth. Your right hand is full of righteousness.
- 11
Let Mount Zion be glad! Let the daughters of Judah rejoice because of your judgments.
- 12
Walk about Zion, and go around her. Number its towers.
- 13
Notice her bulwarks. Consider her palaces, that you may tell it to the next generation.
- 14
For this God is our God forever and ever. He will be our guide even to death.
Counting towers as testimony
The closing instruction (v.12-13) is oddly concrete: number the towers, notice the bulwarks, consider the palaces. The point is memory — "that you may tell it to the next generation." The stones become evidence that the rumor matched reality: "As we have heard, so we have seen" (v.8).
It ends not with the architecture but with the architect: "this God is our God forever" who will guide "even to death" (v.14).
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