Bible Commentaries
Psalms 48

Verse 1

Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness.

The city — In Jerusalem.

Mountain — In his holy mountain.

Verse 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.

The joy — This is spoken prophetically, because the joyful doctrine of the gospel was to go from thence to all nations.

The city — Of God, who justly calls himself a great king.

Verse 3

God is known in her palaces for a refuge.

Known — By long experience.

Palaces — Possibly he may point at the king’s palace and the temple, which was the palace of the king of heaven; which two palaces God did in a singular manner protect, and by protecting them, protected the whole city and people.

Verse 4

For, lo, the kings were assembled, they passed by together.

The kings — Either those kings confederate against Jehoshaphat, 2 Chronicles 20:1, or the Assyrian princes; whom they vain-gloriously called kings, Isaiah 10:8.

Passed — In their march towards Jerusalem.

Verse 5

They saw it, and so they marvelled; they were troubled, and hasted away.

Saw it — They did only look upon it, but not come into it, nor shoot an arrow there - nor cast a bank against it, 2 Kings 19:32.

Marvelled — At the wonderful works wrought by God.

Verse 6

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

Fear — At the tidings of Tirhakah’s coming against them, 2 Kings 19:9, and at that terrible slaughter of their army, verse2Kings19:35.

Verse 7

Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east wind.

Breakest — Thou didst no less violently and suddenly destroy these raging enemies of Jerusalem, than sometimes thou destroyest the ships at sea with a fierce and vehement wind, such as the eastern winds were in those parts.

Verse 8

As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God: God will establish it for ever. /*Selah*/.

Heard — The predictions of the prophets have been verified by the events.

Establish — God will defend her in all succeeding ages. And so God would have done, if Jerusalem had not forsaken him, and forfeited his protection.

Verse 9

We have thought of thy lovingkindness, O God, in the midst of thy temple.

Thought — It hath been the matter of our serious and deep meditation, when we have been worshipping in thy temple.

Verse 10

According to thy name, O God, so is thy praise unto the ends of the earth: thy right hand is full of righteousness.

So — Thou art acknowledged to be such an one as thou hast affirmed thyself to be in thy Word, God Almighty, or All-sufficient, the Lord of hosts, and a strong tower to all that trust in thee.

Righteousness — Of righteous actions; by which thou discoverest thy holiness.

Verse 11

Let mount Zion rejoice, let the daughters of Judah be glad, because of thy judgments.

Judgments — Upon thine and their enemies.

Verse 12

Walk about Zion, and go round about her: tell the towers thereof.

Tell — He bids them mark well her towers, bulwarks, and palaces, with thankfulness to God, when they should find upon enquiry, that not one of them were demolished.

Verse 13

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

Tell it — That they may continue their praises to God for this mercy, by which they hold and enjoy all their blessings.