Psalms
Chapter 48
The City or the Great King
Great is the Lord, most worthy of praise in the City of God, his holy mountain.
Beautifully elevated, it is the joy of all the earth —Mount Zion, heavenly mountain, the City of the great King.
Here, within her lines of defense, God has shown himself to be a sure fortress.
The kings assembled together, advanced toward the city.
But as soon as they saw it, they were astounded; they panicked and took to flight.
Seized with fear, they trembled, like a woman in travail,
or like the ships of Tarshish, shattered by a strong wind from the east.
As we have heard, so have we seen, in the City of the Lord of hosts, in the City of our God, the City God founded forever.
Let us recall your unfailing love, O God, inside your temple.
Let your praise, as does your name, O God, reach to the ends of the earth. Your right hand is ever victorious.
Let Mount Zion rejoice; let the villages of Judah be glad, for your justice prevails.
Walk around Zion; count her towers;
consider her ramparts; examine her castles, that you may tell the next generation,
that such is God; God is our guide forever.
Commentaries
48
The pagans may speak of the mountains of the terrifying and inaccessible gods, but the small hill of Zion is honored by the presence of the one God. It is a humble place (v. 13). Despite its insignificance, it can look down on every high place on earth (Ps 68:17). There is a strong sense of national pride in this psalm. The claim of innocence is softened by acknowledging that all comes from God. A complete acceptance of moral responsibility also accompanies it. The Temple is the place to reflect on God’s love for his people, but it is also here that his commands must be joyfully received.
What are the places of God’s presence? The outskirts of the city? Refugee camps? Sick or injured bodies? We need to tell the next generation where our God is. God is our Guide. So, no matter how complicated our lives become, we need not fear, for God will guide us to our destination.