Thomas Commentary.- “Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.” What is there, or was there, about Zion to justify the high eulogium of David? The situation is indeed eminently adapted to be the platform of a magnificent citadel. It was magnificently beautiful, and fortified by walls, towers, and bulwarks, the wonder and terror of the nations. “For the kings were assembled, they passed by together. They saw it, and so they marveled; they were troubled, and hastened away.” At the thought of it the royal Psalmist again bursts forth in triumph: “Walk about Zion, and go round about her: tell the towers thereof.”
“God is known in her palaces for a refuge.” And “this God is our God forever and ever.” How often is this name synonymous with the church of the living God! And no other spot but one can divide with it the affection of His people. The temporal Zion is now in the dust, but the true Zion is rising and shaking herself from it, and putting on her beautiful garments.
Barnes Commentary.- “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of His holiness.” That is, He is high and exalted; He is a Being of great power and glory. He is not weak and feeble, like the idols worshiped by other nations. He is able to defend His people; He has shown His great power in overthrowing the mighty forces that were gathered together against the city where He dwells.
In His own nature, He is worthy of adoration; in interposing to save the city from its foes, He has shown that He is worthy of exalted praise.
PSALM 48:3 “Beautiful on high, the joy of all the earth, (is) Mount Zion, in the sides of the north (of Jerusalem), the city of the great king. God is known in her citadels for a refuge. For behold, the kings met, they passed by together. They saw; so they marveled; they were troubled (and) fled. Trembling seized them there, (and) pain, as a woman in labor.”
Clarke Commentary.- Many of the neighboring potentates, at different times, envied the prosperity of Israel and coveted the riches of the Temple, but they had no power against it… In vain did they assemble- confederate, and invade the land. “They passed by together. They saw (they reconnoitered the place- gathered the information and explored the area); so they marveled (at it excellence and strength); they were troubled (struck with fear) (and) fled (for those who came to destroy the city were glad to make their own escape).”
Jamieson, Fausset, Brown Commentary.- They have taken crafty counsel against thy people and consulted against thy hidden ones. They have said, “Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation”…they are confederate against Thee O God, who said, “Let us take to ourselves the houses of God in possession.” No sooner had they come within sight of the city than they were panic-stricken. They marveled, or were stupefied with the involuntary sense of God’s fortress-like protection over His people, which the mere sight of the city-heights inspired.
Barnes Commentary.- The allusion here is to Jerusalem as it would appear to one approaching it, and especially as it appeared to the “kings” who came to invest (besiege) it, and who were so impressed with its marvelous beauty and strength, that they were afraid to attack it, and turned away.
“For, lo, the kings were assembled.” They were filled with anxiety and confusion. They even began to have apprehensions about their own safety. They saw that their preparations had been made in vain, and that all hopes of success must be abandoned. And hasted away. They fled in confusion. It may have been, however, that they approached the city, and were dismayed by its strength, so that they turned away before the internal conflict occurred which ended in their ruin. Trembling seized them; they were filled with sudden consternation. That is, as soon as they saw the city, or had a distinct view
of it, they became alarmed. The distress arising from disappointed hopes, and perhaps from the apprehension of their own safety. They were filled with dismay.
Spurgeon Commentary.- “The kings were assembled, they passed by together.” They came and they went. No sooner together than scattered. They came one way and fled twenty ways. Where they hoped to triumph, there they quivered with dismay. They did not take the city, but fear took hold on them.
Nickolson Commentary.- They were many and powerful. They were confederate kings. “The kings were assembled.” Forces united are the most powerful. But all the endeavors of these confederate kings came to nothing.
God makes Zion secure
Cook Commentary.- The psalmist now described the defeat of Zion’s enemies. Kings were assembled against her, but they were terrified when…they saw God’s Holy mountain. They were seized with terror and trembling like a woman in child labor.
Gaebelein Commentary.- The presence of the “Great King” evokes two kinds of responses: terror and joy. First, the enemies of God’s people fled in terror when they “saw” the workings of God. Second, the godly also “saw” His works and rejoiced. The God of Israel inspires both fear and joy, fear in His enemies and joy in His people. God’s protection of “the city” symbolizes the many ways in which He protected His people.
The description of the hostile forces is reminiscent of the description in Psalm 2. The kings of the nations have united together in their warfare against God. The united effort of the nations gave them confidence, - “they stormed furiously”.
(Continuing Psalm 48) Verse 9 “You (Jehovah) break the ships of Tarshish [regarded as the caravans that bore the merchandise of the mistress of the sea] with an east wind.”
“God is known in her palaces for a refuge.” And “this God is our God forever and ever.” How often is this name synonymous with the church of the living God! And no other spot but one can divide with it the affection of His people. The temporal Zion is now in the dust, but the true Zion is rising and shaking herself from it, and putting on her beautiful garments.
Barnes Commentary.- “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of His holiness.” That is, He is high and exalted; He is a Being of great power and glory. He is not weak and feeble, like the idols worshiped by other nations. He is able to defend His people; He has shown His great power in overthrowing the mighty forces that were gathered together against the city where He dwells.
In His own nature, He is worthy of adoration; in interposing to save the city from its foes, He has shown that He is worthy of exalted praise.
PSALM 48:3 “Beautiful on high, the joy of all the earth, (is) Mount Zion, in the sides of the north (of Jerusalem), the city of the great king. God is known in her citadels for a refuge. For behold, the kings met, they passed by together. They saw; so they marveled; they were troubled (and) fled. Trembling seized them there, (and) pain, as a woman in labor.”
Clarke Commentary.- Many of the neighboring potentates, at different times, envied the prosperity of Israel and coveted the riches of the Temple, but they had no power against it… In vain did they assemble- confederate, and invade the land. “They passed by together. They saw (they reconnoitered the place- gathered the information and explored the area); so they marveled (at it excellence and strength); they were troubled (struck with fear) (and) fled (for those who came to destroy the city were glad to make their own escape).”
Jamieson, Fausset, Brown Commentary.- They have taken crafty counsel against thy people and consulted against thy hidden ones. They have said, “Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation”…they are confederate against Thee O God, who said, “Let us take to ourselves the houses of God in possession.” No sooner had they come within sight of the city than they were panic-stricken. They marveled, or were stupefied with the involuntary sense of God’s fortress-like protection over His people, which the mere sight of the city-heights inspired.
Barnes Commentary.- The allusion here is to Jerusalem as it would appear to one approaching it, and especially as it appeared to the “kings” who came to invest (besiege) it, and who were so impressed with its marvelous beauty and strength, that they were afraid to attack it, and turned away.
“For, lo, the kings were assembled.” They were filled with anxiety and confusion. They even began to have apprehensions about their own safety. They saw that their preparations had been made in vain, and that all hopes of success must be abandoned. And hasted away. They fled in confusion. It may have been, however, that they approached the city, and were dismayed by its strength, so that they turned away before the internal conflict occurred which ended in their ruin. Trembling seized them; they were filled with sudden consternation. That is, as soon as they saw the city, or had a distinct view
of it, they became alarmed. The distress arising from disappointed hopes, and perhaps from the apprehension of their own safety. They were filled with dismay.
Spurgeon Commentary.- “The kings were assembled, they passed by together.” They came and they went. No sooner together than scattered. They came one way and fled twenty ways. Where they hoped to triumph, there they quivered with dismay. They did not take the city, but fear took hold on them.
Nickolson Commentary.- They were many and powerful. They were confederate kings. “The kings were assembled.” Forces united are the most powerful. But all the endeavors of these confederate kings came to nothing.
God makes Zion secure
Cook Commentary.- The psalmist now described the defeat of Zion’s enemies. Kings were assembled against her, but they were terrified when…they saw God’s Holy mountain. They were seized with terror and trembling like a woman in child labor.
Gaebelein Commentary.- The presence of the “Great King” evokes two kinds of responses: terror and joy. First, the enemies of God’s people fled in terror when they “saw” the workings of God. Second, the godly also “saw” His works and rejoiced. The God of Israel inspires both fear and joy, fear in His enemies and joy in His people. God’s protection of “the city” symbolizes the many ways in which He protected His people.
The description of the hostile forces is reminiscent of the description in Psalm 2. The kings of the nations have united together in their warfare against God. The united effort of the nations gave them confidence, - “they stormed furiously”.
(Continuing Psalm 48) Verse 9 “You (Jehovah) break the ships of Tarshish [regarded as the caravans that bore the merchandise of the mistress of the sea] with an east wind.”
