Psalm 48: Great Is the Lord in Zion
A hymn celebrating Mount Zion as the city of the great King.
Psalm 48 praises Zion as 'beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth,' known in her palaces as a refuge. It describes kings who assembled against the city, saw it, and 'hasted away' in fear, much like the deliverance recalled in Psalms 47.
<A Song. A Psalm. Of the sons of Korah.> Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised, in the town of our God, in his holy mountain.
Beautiful in its high position, the joy of all the earth, is the mountain of Zion, the mountain of God, the town of the great King.
In its buildings God is seen to be a high tower.
For see! the kings came together by agreement, they were joined together.
They saw it, and so were full of wonder; they were troubled, and went quickly away in fear.
Shaking came on them and pain, as on a woman in childbirth.
By you the ships of Tarshish are broken as by an east wind.
As it came to our ears so have we seen it, in the town of the Lord of armies, in the town of our God; God will keep it fixed for ever. (Selah.)
Our thoughts were of your mercy, O God, while we were in your Temple.
As your name is, O God, so is your praise to the ends of the earth; your right hand is full of righteousness.
Let there be joy in the mountain of Zion, and let the daughters of Judah be glad, because of your wise decisions.
Make your way about Zion, and go round it, numbering its towers.
Take note of its strong walls, looking well at its fair buildings; so that you may give word of it to the generation which comes after.
Because this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide.