Bible Commentaries
Psalms 87

Verses 1-3

Psa 87:1-3

GLORIOUS THINGS OF THEE ARE SPOKEN

The title we have chosen here is the title of a famous hymn which is founded upon this psalm. It is set to the music of the Austrian National Hymn, composed by Franz Joseph Haydn, and the words are those of John Newman.

Glorious things of thee are spoken.

Zion, City of our God!

He whose word cannot be broken

Formed thee for his own abode.

On the Rock of Ages founded,

What can shake thy sure repose?

With salvation’s walls surrounded,

Thou mayest smile at all thy foes.

"This marvelous little psalm is a prophecy of the glorification of the Church universal, when all the nations of the world have come into it.” "It is a Korahitic psalm; it is also prophetic of the time when God’s chosen and beloved city shall become the birthplace of all nations.”

What a wonderful way of saying that "The word of the Lord shall go forth from Jerusalem," and that souls of every nation under heaven will be born into the New Jerusalem of God’s Church. Born in Jerusalem? Indeed yes, by means of the New Birth.

There are only two divisions in the psalm: (1) Psalms 87:1-3, and (2) Psalms 87:4-6, with a final exclamation in Psalms 87:7.

The occasion for this psalm is unknown, but some have suggested that it might have been following the destruction of the Assyrian Army in the days of Hezekiah, following which, all the nations of the world of that era sent gifts and presents to Hezekiah in honor of the occasion.

Psalms 87:1-3

ZION IS GOD’S DWELLING PLACE

"His foundation is in the holy mountains.

Jehovah loveth the gates of Zion

More than all the dwellings of Jacob.

Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God.

(Selah)"

"In the holy mountains" (Psalms 87:1). God’s foundations are there in the holy mountains. Their holiness is due to God’s presence there, not the other way around. God is not there because the mountains are holy, but they are holy because God is there.

"God loveth the gates of Zion" (Psalms 87:2). This choice of Zion as God’s dwelling place on earth is as inscrutable as his choice of the "Seed of Abraham" through whom God would bring the Christ and salvation to all men.

"Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God" (Psalms 87:3). These words announce that God Himself is about to speak "glorious things of the city of God," the wonderful words spoken in the next three verses.

E.M. Zerr:

Psalms 87:1. His refers to the Lord who was named in the last verse of the preceding chapter. Holy mountains is figurative, meaning that the Lord has founded his institutions on a high plane, far above the characteristics of the world.

Psalms 87:2. This is another use of contrasts similar to that in ch. 84:10. The words contrasted are gates and dwellings, and Zion and Jacob. Gates would ordinarily be inferior to dwellings, and Jacob (the people in general) would be inferior to Zion which is the capital of the nation. David means that the Lord prefers the capital of the nation above the nation aside from the capital. That is appropriate, for a nation without the right kind of capital would be weak.

Psalms 87:3. Things is not in the original as a separate word. Glorious is from KABED, and Strong defines it, "numerous, rich, honorable; to make weighty." City of God refers to Zion, the capital of the nation, and headquarters of the religious activities of God’s people. The verse means that many and important things may, and have been said of that wonderful city of God. See comments at Psalms 3:2 for Selah.

Verses 4-6

Psa 87:4-6

Psalms 87:4-6

THE GLORIOUS THINGS

"I will make mention of Rahab and

Babylon as among them that know me;

Behold, Philistia, and Tyre, with Ethiopia:

This one was born there.

Yea, of Zion it shall be said,

This one and that one was born in her;

And the Most High himself will establish her.

Jehovah will count, when he writeth up the peoples,

This one was born there. (Selah)"

"Rahab and Babylon" (Psalms 87:4). "Rahab" here is a poetic word for Egypt; and the thought is that God shall be worshipped even in the oldest nations of the world. These nations, of course, were among the bitterest enemies of Israel and of Israel’s God; and "The thought is that, Those who were once strangers and foreigners shall become fellow-citizens with the saints of God (Ephesians 2:19)."`

"This one was born there" (Psalms 87:4). This is not a reference to merely one, for it becomes, "This one and that one" in Psalms 87:5; and in Psalms 87:6, it is revealed that when God "writes up the peoples of the earth," when he calculates the number of the redeemed, he shall count only those who indeed were "born in her."

All of the other nations mentioned in the passage are merely representatives of "all nations," harking back to God’s promise to Abraham, "in thee and in thy seed, all the families of the earth shall be blessed." (Genesis 28:14).

Thus what is prophesied here is the worldwide triumph of the gospel of Christ. All nations and all countries shall be represented in the roster of the redeemed.

"The Most High himself shall establish her" (Psalms 87:5). Christ established His Church upon the Rock, that Rock being Christ himself; and that foundation is the most sure of anything in heaven or upon earth.

E.M. Zerr:

Psalms 87:4. The preceding verse said that important things had been said or spoken of Zion, which referred to the capital city of God. Among them was the fact that even outside territories were benefited by that city; that is, by the good influences radiating from it. Some of those places are named in the verse. Rahab (a poetical name for Egypt), and Babylon were to be mentioned as places that had been benefited by Zion. God would mention it to them that know God. Philistia or Philistines (from which came the name "Palestine" for the country in general), Tyre and Ethiopia were all benefited by Zion. Man is not in the original and is not useful to the sense of the verse. The clause means that this trio of places (just mentioned) was born or received good effects there (Zion).

Psalms 87:5. To be born in Zion does not mean that the men had their bodily birth there. The idea is that they received their opportunity for accomplishing things from that source. Zion was to be established or made secure by the highest, meaning God.

Psalms 87:6. When the Lord makes his list (writeth up) of men whom he will recognize, he will include those who had been connected with Zion.

Verse 7

Psa 87:7

Psalms 87:7

"They that sing as well as they that dance shall say,

All my fountains are in thee."

"All my fountains are in thee" (Psalms 87:7). "These words mean that all my springs, all of my sources of life, and of joy, and of happiness are in God.” Apparently these are the words of the psalmist.

Not only the glorious success of God’s kingdom is prophesied here; but the time of the true exaltation of Zion will come, and will be accomplished, "By the gathering of the Gentiles into Zion.”

E.M. Zerr:

Psalms 87:7. Singers and players were different persons yet both were to be reckoned in the number. No one man has all of the talents or does all of the service to God. Springs means sources of good things. David declared that Zion was the source of all his favorsr