Psalms 48:2

Psalms 48:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.
• New International Version (NIV)Beautiful in its loftiness, the joy of the whole earth, like the heights of Zaphon is Mount Zion, the city of the Great King.
• English Standard Version (ESV)beautiful in elevation, is the joy of all the earth, Mount Zion, in the far north, the city of the great King.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Beautiful in elevation, The joy of the whole earth, Is Mount Zion on the sides of the north, The city of the great King.

Context of Psalms 48:2

1The Lord is great. He deserves that people praise him in the city of our God, on his holy mountain. That place is high up and it is beautiful. It brings joy to the whole world. Mount Zion is the city of the great King. It is where the true God lives. 3God is there in its strong places and he keeps the city safe. 4Look! There are kings of other nations who join together to attack our city.

Psalms 48:2 word by word

יְפֵ֥ה נוֹף֮ מְשׂ֪וֹשׂ כָּל־הָ֫אָ֥רֶץ הַר־צִ֭יּוֹן יַרְכְּתֵ֣י צָפ֑וֹן קִ֝רְיַ֗ת מֶ֣לֶךְ רָֽב׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Beautifulיָפֶהyâpheh · beautifulH3303
• for situationנוֹףnôph · elevationH5131
• the joyמָשׂוֹשׂmâώôώ · rejoicingH4885
• of the whole earthאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• mountהַרhar · mountain: mountH2022
• Zionצִיּוֹןtsîyôn · ZionH6726
• the sidesיַרְכָהyerêkâh · flankH3411
• of the northצָפוֹןtsâphôn tsâphôn · ZaphonH6828
• the cityקִרְיָהqiryâh · townH7151
• of the greatרַבrab · manyH7227
• Kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428

Cross-references for Psalms 48:2

• Psalms 50:2God is shining out from Zion, that most beautiful place.
• Jeremiah 3:19I thought this: “I want you people of Israel to be my children. That would make me very happy. I want to give you a good land as your home. It is a more beautiful land than any other nation enjoys.” I thought that you would call me “Father”. I thought that you would always be faithful to me.
• Lamentations 2:15Everyone who goes by laughs at you. They are happy because you are sad. They see how the enemy has destroyed everything in Jerusalem. ‘Surely this cannot be the city that men called most beautiful,’ they say. ‘People have said that this city is the best city on earth.’
• Daniel 8:9Then a little horn grew out of one of these large horns. It grew to become very big. Its power reached towards the south, towards the east and towards the Beautiful Land.
• Daniel 11:16The king who attacked from the north will do whatever he wants to do. Nobody will be able to stop him. He will march into the Beautiful Land. He will have the power to destroy it.
• Isaiah 60:15At one time, people kept away from you, and they hated you. Nobody travelled through you. But now I will make you a great city, so that people will be proud of you for ever. Your people and their descendants will be very happy.
• Isaiah 66:10All you people who love Jerusalem, join together with its people and be happy. You have been sad to see what has happened to the city, but now you should shout with joy!
• Ezekiel 20:6On that day, I promised them that I would bring them out of Egypt. I promised to take them to a land that I had chosen for them. That land would give them plenty of good food and drink, enough for everyone. It was more beautiful than any other land.
• Malachi 3:12You will be happy to live in your land. The people of all the other nations will see that God has blessed you.’ That is what the Lord Almighty says.
• Hebrews 12:22But as believers in Christ, you have not come to God in that way. You have come to Mount Zion. You have come to the city of the true God who lives. You have come to the city of Jerusalem that is in heaven. There are many thousands of happy angels all together in that place.
• Isaiah 14:13You said to yourself, “I will go up into heaven. I will put my throne above the stars of God. I will rule as king on the mountain in the far north, where the gods of the nations meet together.
• Psalms 47:7God is the King who rules over the whole earth! So sing a special song to praise him!
• Malachi 1:14‘You may promise to offer to me a valuable male animal from among your sheep. But then you change your mind. Instead, you offer to me an animal that has no value. I will surely punish you when you cheat me like that. Remember that I am a great king. People of all nations in the world respect my name with fear.’ That is what the Lord Almighty says.
• Matthew 5:35Do not use the words “by Jerusalem” to make a promise stronger. Jerusalem is God's city. He is the great King who rules from there.

Commentaries on Psalms 48:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2The joy of the whole earth - Commentators have been greatly puzzled to show in what sense Zion, or the temple, could be said to be the joy of the whole earth. If we take the earth here for the habitable globe, there is no sense in which it ever was the joy of the whole earth; but If we take הארץ כל col haarets, as signifying the whole of this land, (and it has no other meaning), the assertion is plain and easy to be understood, for the temple was…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2Beautiful for situation - The word rendered “situation” - נוף nôph - means properly “elevation, height,” (Ges. Lexicon); and the idea here is, that the mountain referred to is “beautiful for elevation;” that is, it rises gracefully. The allusion here is to Jerusalem as it would appear to one approaching it, and especially as it appeared to the “kings” Psalm 48:4 who came to invest it, and who were so impressed with its marvelous beauty and strength, that…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. 2-32-3. situation--literally, "elevation." joy of, &c.--source of joy. sides of the north--poetically for eminent, lofty, distinguished, as the ancients believed the north to be the highest part of the earth (compare Is 14:13).Read the comment

Topics related to Psalms 48:2

• Church
• Jerusalem
• Zion

In the dictionaries

• Guide
• Hasted
• Psalms
• Bible, the
• Ethics
• Korahites; Sons of Korah
• Omnipresence
• Pentateuch
• Psalms, Book of
• Korahite

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