Psalms 147:2

The LORD doth build up Jerusalem: he gathereth together the outcasts of Israel.

The LORD {H3068} doth build up {H1129} Jerusalem {H3389}: he gathereth together {H3664} the outcasts {H1760} of Israel {H3478}.

ADONAI is rebuilding Yerushalayim, gathering the dispersed of Isra'el.

The LORD builds up Jerusalem; He gathers the exiles of Israel.

Jehovah doth build up Jerusalem; He gathereth together the outcasts of Israel.

Commentary

Psalm 147:2 highlights God's magnificent power and compassionate care, specifically focusing on His work of restoration for His chosen people. It presents a dual action of the LORD: rebuilding the physical and spiritual center of His people, and gathering those who have been dispersed.

Context

Psalm 147 is a hymn of praise, likely composed during or after the return of the Jewish exiles from Babylonian captivity. The period following the exile was marked by the monumental task of rebuilding Jerusalem's walls, its temple, and the spiritual life of the community. This verse captures the essence of God's direct involvement in this national renewal. It contrasts with the previous state of desolation and scattering, emphasizing divine intervention as the source of recovery and hope for Israel.

Key Themes

  • Divine Restoration: The verse unequivocally states that it is "The LORD" who initiates and completes the rebuilding. This underscores God's active role in bringing about renewal, not just permitting it. It speaks to both physical reconstruction and spiritual revival.
  • God's Faithfulness to Israel: Despite Israel's past disobedience that led to their exile and scattering, God remains faithful to His covenant promises. He actively works to restore their homeland and their community, demonstrating His enduring love and commitment.
  • Compassion for the Outcasts: The phrase "he gathereth together the outcasts of Israel" reveals God's tender care for those who were dispersed, marginalized, or forgotten. It speaks to His desire to bring all His scattered children back into fellowship and their rightful place. This theme is echoed throughout prophetic literature, promising a future gathering of His people from all corners of the earth.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew word for "build up" (Χ‘ΦΌΧ•ΦΉΧ ΦΆΧ” - boneh) implies an active and ongoing process, not merely a single event. It conveys the sense of God continually working to establish and strengthen. The term "outcasts" (Χ Φ΄Χ“Φ°Χ—Φ΅Χ™ - nidchei) literally means "driven away" or "dispersed," highlighting the vulnerable state of those who were separated from their homeland and community, yet whom God compassionately remembers and restores.

Practical Application

This verse offers profound encouragement for individuals and communities today. Just as God rebuilt Jerusalem and gathered His scattered people, He is still in the business of restoration. If you feel broken, scattered, or an "outcast" in any sense, this verse reminds us that God sees, cares, and actively works to bring healing and integration. It speaks to God's ability to restore what was lost or destroyed, whether it be personal well-being, relationships, or even the spiritual health of a church or nation. We can trust in His sovereign power to rebuild and gather, even from the most desolate circumstances.

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Cross-References

  • Deuteronomy 30:3

    That then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee.

  • Isaiah 56:8

    The Lord GOD which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather [others] to him, beside those that are gathered unto him.

  • Psalms 51:18

    Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem.

  • Isaiah 62:7

    And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.

  • Ezekiel 38:8

    After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land [that is] brought back from the sword, [and is] gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.

  • Isaiah 14:32

    What shall [one] then answer the messengers of the nation? That the LORD hath founded Zion, and the poor of his people shall trust in it.

  • Ezekiel 39:27

    When I have brought them again from the people, and gathered them out of their enemies' lands, and am sanctified in them in the sight of many nations;
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