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Broken Bondage
Psalm 48 is a song of praise about Yahweh, Zion, and the safety found in God. It moves from declaring God’s greatness, to describing failed opposition, to urging God’s people to remember and tell others.
Understanding the passage
Read these words in context
This psalm speaks about the city of God, Mount Zion, and God’s temple. It says God has shown himself in Zion’s citadels as a refuge. It also describes kings assembling, seeing, and then hurrying away. The ending calls people to look carefully at Zion and tell the next generation about God.
Psalms 48:1–14Main takeaway
Psalm 48 teaches that God is great, shows himself as a refuge, and is to be remembered and spoken of from one generation to the next.
Explore the poem and its images
Open a card to explore the full explanation and its Bible references.
01Great is Yahweh in his cityThe psalm opens with praise. Yahweh is called great and greatly to be praised in the city of our God and on his holy mountain.
Explanation
The psalm opens with praise. Yahweh is called great and greatly to be praised in the city of our God and on his holy mountain. Mount Zion is described as beautiful and as the joy of the whole earth. The city is also called the city of the great King.
02God is a refuge when kings gatherGod has shown himself in Zion’s citadels as a refuge. Then the psalm describes kings assembling together, seeing, becoming amazed and dismayed, and hurrying away.
Explanation
God has shown himself in Zion’s citadels as a refuge. Then the psalm describes kings assembling together, seeing, becoming amazed and dismayed, and hurrying away. Their fear is pictured with trembling and pain. Another image of God’s power appears when the psalm says he breaks the ships of Tarshish with the east wind.
03What was heard is now seenThe singers say, “As we have heard, so we have seen,” in the city of Yahweh of Armies. They say God will establish it forever.
Explanation
The singers say, “As we have heard, so we have seen,” in the city of Yahweh of Armies. They say God will establish it forever. In the temple they think about God’s loving kindness. God’s name and praise reach to the ends of the earth, and his right hand is full of righteousness.
04Look carefully and tell the next generationMount Zion and the daughters of Judah are called to rejoice because of God’s judgments. People are told to walk around Zion, count its towers, and notice its bulwarks and palaces.
Explanation
Mount Zion and the daughters of Judah are called to rejoice because of God’s judgments. People are told to walk around Zion, count its towers, and notice its bulwarks and palaces. The purpose is clear: tell the next generation that this God is our God forever and ever, and he will be our guide even to death.
Questions to explore
Pause, look back at the verses and talk together.
01What words in the opening verses show both the beauty and importance of Zion?
Look for the phrases that describe Zion as God’s holy mountain, the joy of the whole earth, and the city of the great King.
02How does the psalm describe the reaction of the kings when they saw?
Follow the sequence in the text itself: they saw, were amazed, were dismayed, hurried away, and trembled.
03Why are people told to walk about Zion and notice its strong places?
The reason is given in the passage: this careful noticing helps God’s people tell the next generation about him.
Read the Bible passage
World English Bible ClassicScripture quotation · Public domain
Psalms 48:1–14
1Great is Yahweh, and greatly to be praised, in the city of our God, in his holy mountain.
2Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion, on the north sides, the city of the great King.
3God has shown himself in her citadels as a refuge.
4For, behold, the kings assembled themselves, they passed by together.
5They saw it, then they were amazed. They were dismayed. They hurried away.
6Trembling took hold of them there, pain, as of a woman in travail.
7With the east wind, you break the ships of Tarshish.
8As we have heard, so we have seen, in the city of Yahweh of Armies, in the city of our God. God will establish it forever. Selah.
9We have thought about your loving kindness, God, in the middle of your temple.
10As is your name, God, so is your praise to the ends of the earth. Your right hand is full of righteousness.
11Let Mount Zion be glad! Let the daughters of Judah rejoice because of your judgments.
12Walk about Zion, and go around her. Number its towers.
13Notice her bulwarks. Consider her palaces, that you may tell it to the next generation.
14For this God is our God forever and ever. He will be our guide even to death.