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Psalms 87

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Zion: The City God Loves 1–3

1
His foundation is in the holy mountains. ​
2
Jehovah loveth the gates of Zion More than all the dwellings of Jacob. ​
3
Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. [Selah ​

The Nations Registered in Zion 4–7

4
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. ​
5
Yea, of Zion it shall be said, This one and that one was born in her; And the Most High himself will establish her.
6
Jehovah will count, when he writeth up the peoples, This one was born there. [Selah ​
7
They that sing as well as they that dance shall say, All my fountains are in thee. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Psalm 87

Verse 1

His foundation is in the holy mountains — The psalm is for the sons of Korah, and ‘his’ is the LORD’s. Yesudah, ‘foundation’, is found only here. The ‘holy mountains’ (plural) are the heights of Zion and the hills around, as in ‘the mountains are round about Jerusalem’ (Ps 125:2). Isaiah has the LORD say, ‘I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone’ (Isa 28:16).

Verse 2

loveth the gates of Zion — Ahav, to love: Ps 78:68 says the LORD ‘chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved’, after he ‘refused the tabernacle of Joseph’ (v.67). ‘Dwellings’ is mishkan, the word for the tabernacle itself.

Verse 3

Glorious things are spoken of thee — ‘Glorious’ is kabad, weighty and honoured, and the speaking is still going on, as of things ‘spoken’ of the city. ‘City of God’ is also the title in Ps 46:4, and Ps 48:1 has ‘the city of our God’. Hebrews says believers ‘are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem’ (Heb 12:22).

Verse 4

Rahab and Babylon… this man was born there — Rahab is a poetic name for Egypt, found also in Ps 89:10. Egypt, Babylon, Philistia, Tyre and Ethiopia (Cush) are named ‘to them that know me’ (yada), and each has a man ‘born’ (yalad) in Zion. Isaiah foretells Egypt and Assyria blessed with Israel (Isa 19:23–25); an Ethiopian came ‘to Jerusalem for to worship’ (Acts 8:27).

Verse 6

when he writeth up the people — The LORD himself counts (saphar) and writes (kathab) the names: ‘every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem’ (Isa 4:3). Christ says, ‘your names are written in heaven’ (Luke 10:20), and John sees those admitted to the city as ‘written in the Lamb’s book of life’ (Rev 21:27).

Verse 7

all my springs are in thee — ‘Springs’ is maayan, a fountain or well, the word of ‘the wells of salvation’ (Isa 12:3). The singers and ‘players on instruments’ (chalal, piping, as the people ‘piped with pipes’ at Solomon’s anointing, 1 Kings 1:40) say that every source of their life is in Zion. Christ says, ‘out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water’ (John 7:38).