Psalms 48

The AIT Bible

0A song. A psalm of the sons of Korah.

Zion, the City of the Great King

1Great is Yahweh, and greatly to be praised, in the city of our God, his holy mountain.

2Beautiful in elevation, the joy of all the earth, is Mount Zion, the far reaches of the north, the city of the great King.

3God, in her citadels, has made himself known as a stronghold.

4For behold, the kings assembled; they passed by together.

5They themselves saw, and so they were astounded; they were terrified, they fled in alarm.

6Trembling seized them there, anguish like a woman giving birth.

7With an east wind you shatter the ships of Tarshish.

8As we have heard, so we have seen, in the city of Yahweh of hosts, in the city of our God; God establishes her forever. Selah.

9We have pondered your loyal love, God, within the midst of your temple.

10Like 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; count her towers.

13Set your heart to her ramparts, pass through her citadels, so that you may recount it to a later generation.

14For this is God, our God forever and ever; he himself will guide us until death.

Where this passage connects across Scripture — each link typed and reasoned, part of the AIT Bible Nexus Chart.

quotation Matthew 5:35 — Jesus refers to Jerusalem as 'the city of the great King,' echoing this psalm's distinctive title for Zion.
allusion Ezekiel 27:26 — Shared imagery of an east wind wrecking mighty ships as an instrument of judgment.
echoed in Ezekiel 27:1 — The image of the east wind shattering the ships of Tarshish is shared imagery of divine judgment on maritime pride.
allusion Isaiah 2:16 — Shared image of the ships of Tarshish being shattered/humbled in a divine judgment context.
echoed in Isaiah 14:3 — The 'mount of assembly, in the far reaches of the north' echoes the cosmic-mountain language of God's holy mountain in the far north.
allusion Jeremiah 6:24 — Shared simile of terror seizing enemies like the anguish of a woman in labor.
echoed in Lamentations 2:11 — Jerusalem's former titles 'perfection of beauty' and 'joy of all the earth' echo the Zion psalms' praise of the city.
echoed in Matthew 5:33 — 'Jerusalem, the city of the great King' echoes the psalm's description of Zion.
echoed in Psalms 145:1 — Shared formula 'Great is Yahweh, and greatly to be praised.'
thematic Psalms 50:2 — Both describe Zion as the epitome of beauty from which God shines forth ('beautiful in elevation' / 'perfection of beauty').
thematic Psalms 46:4 — Companion Korahite psalm celebrating God's inviolable city and mountain where God dwells and cannot be moved.
thematic Psalms 87:1 — Both praise Zion as God's city founded on his holy mountain, beautiful and glorious.

allusion Psalms 97:8 — Shared summons for Zion and the daughters of Judah to rejoice because of God's judgments.