Bible Commentaries
Psalms 48

Verses 1-14

Psalms 48:0

Psalms 48:1 (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.

Psalms 48:1 “A Song and Psalm for the sons of Korah” Comments - Origen tells us the psalms that include the title “sons of Korah” in its opening verse (42 through 49, 84, 85, 87, 88) were written by the sons of Korah, who worked together in the unity of the Spirit to produce it. He justifies this statement by quoting Psalms 44:1, which says, “O God, we have heard with our ears.”

“But if it be necessary also from the ancient Scriptures to bring forward the three who made a symphony on earth, so that the Word was in the midst of them making them one, attend to the superscription of the Psalms, as for example to that of the forty-first, which is as follows: ‘Unto the end, unto understanding, for the sons of Korah.’ For though there were three sons of Korah whose names we find in the Book of Exodus, Aser, which is, by interpretation, ‘instruction,’ and the second Elkana, which is translated, ‘possession of God,’ and the third Abiasaph, which in the Greek tongue might be rendered, ‘congregation of the father,’ yet the prophecies were not divided but were both spoken and written by one spirit, and one voice, and one soul, which wrought with true harmony, and the three speak as one, ‘As the heart panteth after the springs of the water, so panteth my soul alter thee, O God.’ But also they say in the plural in the forty-fourth Psalm, ‘O God, we have heard with our ears.’” ( Origen’s Commentary on Matthew 14:1) [70]

[70] Origen, Origen’s Commentary on Matthew, trans. Allan Menzies, in The Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 9, ed. Allan Menzies (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, c1896, 1906), 495.

Psalms 48:2 Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.

Psalms 48:2 “is mount Zion, on the sides of the north” - Comments - Note that the Temple was located on the northern side of the city.

Psalms 48:3 God is known in her palaces for a refuge.

Psalms 48:4 For, lo, the kings were assembled, they passed by together.

Psalms 48:5 They saw it, and so they marvelled; they were troubled, and hasted away.

Psalms 48:6 Fear took hold upon them there, and pain, as of a woman in travail.

Psalms 48:6 “as of a woman in travail” - Comments - This is figurative of the suddenness of a calamity (1 Thessalonians 5:3).

1 Thessalonians 5:3, “For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.”

Psalms 48:14 For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.

Psalms 48:14 “he will be our guide even unto death” - Comments - The LXX reads, “ he will be our guide for evermore.” ( Brenton)