Psalms 48:1

Psalms 48:1 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness.
• New International Version (NIV)Great is the Lord, and most worthy of praise, in the city of our God, his holy mountain.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the city of our God! His holy mountain,
• New King James Version (NKJV)Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised In the city of our God, In His holy mountain.

Context of Psalms 48:1

Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, In the city of our God, His holy mountain. 2Fair and beautiful in elevation, the joy of all the earth, Is Mount Zion [the City of David] in the far north, The city of the great King. 3God, in her palaces, Has made Himself known as a stronghold.

Psalms 48:1 word by word

גָּ֘ד֤וֹל יְהוָ֣ה וּמְהֻלָּ֣ל מְאֹ֑ד בְּעִ֥יר אֱ֝לֹהֵ֗ינוּ הַר־קָדְשֽׁוֹ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Greatגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• and greatlyמְאֹדme'ôd · muchH3966
• to be praisedהָלַלhâlal · to boast: praiseH1984
• in the cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• of our Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• the mountainהַרhar · mountain: mountH2022
• of his holinessקֹ֫דֶשׁqôdesh · holinessH6944

Cross-references for Psalms 48:1

• Psalms 46:1God is our refuge and strength [mighty and impenetrable], A very present and well-proved help in trouble.
• Psalms 86:10For You are great and do wondrous works! You alone are God.
• Psalms 99:3Let them [reverently] praise Your great and awesome name; Holy is He.
• Psalms 145:3Great is the Lord, and highly to be praised, And His greatness is [so vast and profound as to be] unsearchable [incomprehensible to man].
• Psalms 147:5Great is our [majestic and mighty] Lord and abundant in strength; His understanding is inexhaustible [infinite, boundless].
• Psalms 89:1I will sing of the goodness and lovingkindness of the Lord forever; With my mouth I will make known Your faithfulness from generation to generation.
• Nehemiah 9:5Then the Levites—Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah—said, “Stand up and bless (praise, honor) the Lord your God from everlasting to everlasting. May Your glorious name be blessed And exalted above all blessing and praise.”
• Revelation 15:3And they sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, “Great and wonderful and awe-inspiring are Your works [in judgment], O Lord God, the Almighty [the Omnipotent, the Ruler of all]; Righteous and true are Your ways, O King of the nations!
• Revelation 19:5Then from the throne there came a voice, saying, “Praise our God, all you bond-servants of His, you who fear Him, the small (common) and the great (distinguished).”
• Psalms 46:4There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, The holy dwelling places of the Most High.
• Psalms 65:1To You belongs silence [the submissive wonder of reverence], and [it bursts into] praise in Zion, O God; And to You the vow shall be performed.
• Psalms 78:68But He chose the tribe of Judah [as Israel’s leader], Mount Zion, which He loved [to replace Shiloh as His capital].
• Psalms 87:3Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God [Jerusalem]. Selah.
• Hebrews 12:22But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels [in festive gathering],
• Revelation 21:2And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, arrayed like a bride adorned for her husband;
• Psalms 47:8God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne.

Commentaries on Psalms 48:1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1Great is the Lord - This verse should be joined to the last verse of the preceding Psalm, as it is a continuation of the same subject; and indeed in some of Kennicott's MSS. it is written as a part of the foregoing. That concluded with He is greatly exalted; this begins with Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; i.e., He should be praised according to his greatness; no common praise is suited to the nature and dignity of the Supreme God. In the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1Great is the Lord - 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 worshipped 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. And greatly to be praised - Worthy to be praised. In his own nature, he is worthy of adoration; in interposing to save the city from its…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1The glories of the church of Christ. Verses 1-7 Jerusalem is the city of our God: none on earth render him due honour except the citizens of the spiritual Jerusalem. Happy the kingdom, the city, the family, the heart, in which God is great, in which he is all. There God is known. The clearer discoveries are made to us of the Lord and his greatness, the more it is expected that we should abound in his praises. The earth is, by sin, covered with deformity…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-14This song of Zion (see also Psalms 46, 76, 87, 122) clearly describes Jerusalem (Zion) as the city of the Great King, where the godly find protection (48:1–3). God rules from Zion with faithfulness, righteousness, and justice, inspiring his people with confidence and joy (Psalm 48:9–11). They dedicate themselves to witnessing Zion's glory so they can share it with the next generation (Psalm 48:8, 12–14).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-141. to be praised--always: it is an epithet, as in Psa 18:3. mountain of his holiness--His Church (compare Is 2:2, 3; 25:6, 7, 10); the sanctuary was erected first on Mount Zion, then (as the temple) on Moriah; hence the figure.Read the comment

Topics related to Psalms 48:1

• Church
• God Continued...
• Praise

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Guide
• Hasted
• Psalms
• Bible, the
• Great; Greatness
• Korahites; Sons of Korah
• Pentateuch
• Psalms, Book of

Commentaries on Psalms 48

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• The Treasury of David
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings