| Back to Home Page | Back to Book Index
|
Psalm Eighty-seven
New King James Version (NKJV)
YLT
By
sons of Korah. -- A Psalm, a song.
INTRODUCTION TO Psalm 87
A Psalm or Song for the sons of Korah. Whether this
psalm was composed by David, in a view of the temple to be built by his son
Solomon; or whether by one that returned from the Babylonish captivity, who
wrote it for the comfort of those that wept at the laying of the foundation of
the second temple; it seems evident that the subject matter of it is the church
of God in Gospel times, and especially in the latter day glory: the title in
the Syriac version is,
"concerning
the redemption of Jerusalem.'.
Psalm 87:1 His
foundation is in the holy mountains.
YLT
1 His foundation [is] in
holy mountains.
His foundation is in the holy mountains. The Jewish
writers connect these words with the title of the psalm, and make the sense to
be this; "the foundation" or argument "of it", the psalm,
"is concerning the holy mountains" of Zion and Jerusalem; so Aben
Ezra, Jarchi, and Kimchi; and the Targum joins them together thus,
"by
the hands of the sons of Korah is said a song, which is founded by the mouth of
the fathers that were of old:'
but
the words are a part of the song or psalm, which begins in an abrupt manner,
just as Song of Solomon 1:2 and may be rendered
either "its foundation", or "his foundation", and refer
either to the church, or to the Lord, and the sense is the same either way; for
the church's foundation is also the Lord's foundation, a foundation of his
laying; see Isaiah 14:32 and is laid "in the holy
mountains"; alluding to the mountains of Zion and Moriah, where the temple
stood, a type of the church; or to the mountains about Jerusalem, by which also
the church is frequently signified; and by those, in a mystical and spiritual
sense, may be meant the purposes and decrees of God, which are as mountains of
brass, Zechariah 6:1, they are like the ancient
mountains for the antiquity of them, and are high, and not to be reached and
searched into, and are firm, solid, and immoveable; and are also holy,
particularly the decree of election, that source of all true holiness, which
has sanctification for its end and means; and is the foundation of the church,
which supports and secures it, and stands sure, 2 Timothy 2:19, also the covenant of grace,
which is sure and immoveable, and in which are provisions for holiness,
internal and external; and is the foundation and security of the church, and
all believers; but especially Jesus Christ, the Rock of ages, is meant, the
Holy One of Israel, the sure foundation laid in Zion: some interpret these holy
mountains of the holy apostles, who were in an high and eminent station in the
church, and were doctrinally foundations, as they ministerially laid Christ, as
the only foundation; see Ephesians 2:20, it may be rendered,
"among the holy mountains"F23בהררי
קדש "inter montes sanctitatis", Junius
& Tremellius; so Ainsworth. ; and so may regard, as Cocceius explains it,
the several kingdoms and provinces of the world in which the Gospel shall be
preached; and the church shall be established and settled in the latter day
even upon the tops of mountains, which shall become holy to the Lord, Isaiah 2:2.
Psalm 87:2 2 The Lord loves the
gates of Zion More than all the dwellings of Jacob.
YLT
2Jehovah is loving the gates
of Zion Above all the tabernacles of Jacob.
The Lord loveth the gates of Zion,.... Which the Targum
interprets of the schools, as preferable to the synagogues: the Lord loves Zion
herself; that is, the church, and therefore has chosen it for his habitation,
took up his rest and residence in it, has founded it, and set Christ as King
over it, and by whom he has redeemed it; and he loves her gates, the public
ordinances; he loves them that come to Zion's gates, and wait and worship
there, and who enter in and become members thereof; and he loves what is done
there, he being there publicly prayed unto, and publicly praised by a large
number of his people; where his word is faithfully preached, and reverently
attended to, and his ordinances truly administered, and the graces of his
saints exercised on him: wherefore, because all this is done socially, and in a
public manner, and so much for his own manifestative glory, he esteems these
more than all the dwellings of Jacob; the private
habitations of his people; yet he has a regard to these, the bounds of which he
fixed from eternity, and where he was delighting himself before they were in
being; and he loves the persons that dwell in them, and what is done there in a
right manner, as closet and family worship; but when these are put in
competition with public worship, the latter is preferred unto them, because
done by more, and more publicly; Zion and its gates, the church and its
ordinances, are preferable to all the dwellings of Jacob put together.
Psalm 87:3 3 Glorious things are spoken
of you, O city of God! Selah
YLT
3Honourable things are
spoken in Thee, O city of God. Selah.
Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. Which is to be
understood not of the city of Jerusalem literally, which was a magnificent
city, compact together, full of inhabitants, and spacious houses, the
metropolis of Judea, and seat of the kings of Judah; and what was most glorious
of all that could be said of it, it was the city of God; and so Jarchi
interprets it, the glory spoken of it is, that it is the city of God; here the
temple was built, and many glorious things were in it; here God granted his
presence, and his worship was kept up: and besides, there were other and more
glorious things spoken of it, by way of prophecy; as, that the Messiah should
come in person into it, as the owner of it, and give it a greater glory than
the first temple had; here he was to preach his doctrines, and do his miracles,
which he accordingly did; near this city he suffered, died, and was buried;
rose again, ascended to heaven; and here he poured forth the gifts of the Holy
Spirit in an extraordinary manner: but rather this is to be interpreted of the
church of God, comparable to a city, and which is of God's building, and where
he dwells; See Gill on Psalm 48:1 of which glorious things are
spoken for the present; as, that it is the city of the King of kings, the name
of which is "Jehovah Shammah", the Lord is there; its foundation is
Christ; its walls and bulwarks are salvation; its gates are praise; glorious
ordinances are administered in it, and glorious truths are preached here; and
so the words may be rendered, "glorious things are spoken in thee"F24בך "in te", Montanus, Tigurine version, Cocceius,
Schmidt, Syr. vers. : and of it also glorious things are spoken, by way of
prophecy, as, what shall be in the latter day; a great effusion of the Spirit
upon it; the gracious presence of Christ in it in a more visible manner; a
great increase of converts both among Jews and Gentiles, which shall flock into
it; and the great spread of the Gospel, which shall be the means of it; the
unity, harmony, and concord of professors of religion; the holiness of their
lives and conversation; and the very great peace and prosperity which will
everywhere abound; and especially glorious things are spoken of the New
Jerusalem, the city of our God; of which see Revelation 21:1.
Selah. See Gill on Psalm 3:2.
Psalm 87:4 4 “I will make mention of
Rahab and Babylon to those who know Me; Behold, O Philistia and Tyre, with
Ethiopia: ‘This one was born there.’”
YLT
4I mention Rahab and Babel
to those knowing Me, Lo, Philistia, and Tyre, with Cush! This [one] was born
there.
I will make mention of Rahab,.... Not of Rahab the
harlot, as Jerom and others of the ancientsF25Aug. Euthymius,
Theodoret, & alii, in Amama, Antibarbar. Bibl. I. 3. p. 820. interpret it;
for the letters of both words are not the same in Hebrew; though mention is made
of her in the Gospel, and Gospel times, in the genealogy of Christ, and by two
of the apostles, Matthew 1:5, but of Egypt; and so the
Targum interprets it, which is so called, as it is in Psalm 89:10 either from the pride of its
inhabitants, the word having in it the sense of pride and haughtiness, and
these being naturally proud and haughty, as PhiloF26De Agricultura,
p. 196. the Jew observes; or from some city of this name in it; or rather this
respects that part of Egypt called Delta, which was in the form of a pear;
which "raab", or "rib", in the Egyptian language,
signifies; in the midst of which was the city of Athribis of PtolemyF1Geograph.
l. 4. c. 5. , which has its name from hence, and signifies the heart of a pear;
and still this part of the country is called Errifia, as Leo AfricanusF2Descriptio
Africae, l. 8. c. 2. relates, and is here put for the whole country: the
passage respects the conversion of it, and are the words of God foretelling it,
and of which mention is made in Isaiah 19:18 and had its accomplishment, at
least in part, on the day of Pentecost, Acts 2:10 and will be further accomplished
in the latter day, when the people that now inhabit that country shall be
converted, which will be when the kingdoms of this world become Christ's: and
Babylon; the country of the Assyrians and Chaldeans, of which Babylon was the
metropolis: mention is made of the conversion of these in Isaiah 19:24 and which also was fulfilled,
in part, on the day of Pentecost, Acts 2:9 and in Babylon there was a church,
in the times of the Apostle Peter, 1 Peter 5:13 these the Lord promises that
he would make mention of:
to them that know me; says he, that so they
might expect their conversion, and take notice of them, and receive them, when
converted;
or among them that know meF3לידעי "inter scientes me", Vatablus, Gejerus, Schmidt;
"apud noscentes me", Junius & Tremellius; "apud familiares
meos", Piscator; "apud notos meos", Amama. ; that is, I will
make mention of them, as such that know me, and belong to that number; even
such that love the Lord, believe in him, own and confess him, and yield obedience
to him, and whom he takes into communion and fellowship with himself, and makes
his friends, familiars, and acquaintance:
behold Philistia, and Tyre, with Ethiopia; where also
will be many converts, regenerate persons, and such as know the Lord; of which
there has been a partial accomplishment already; of Philistia, see Acts 8:40, for Azotus, or Ashdod, was a
city of the Philistines; and of Tyre, see Psalm 45:12 and of Ethiopia, and its
conversion, mention is made in Psalm 68:31, and the Ethiopian eunuch is
one instance of it, Acts 8:27 of all which there will be
abundance of instances in the latter day; and thus, as the church is commended
from her foundation, from the superlative love the Lord bears to her, and the
glorious things spoken of her; so from the number of her converts in different
nations, in which her glory in Gospel times would greatly lie; see Isaiah 49:18,
this man was born there; not any particular man;
any single individual, famous for piety, wisdom, wealth, or power; as if it
suggested that now and then such a person might be born in the above countries;
whereas in Zion there were frequently many such persons born: nor is it to be
understood of the Messiah, that should come out of Zion, as if that was the
reason why multitudes from the above places should flock thither, because of
the birth of this illustrious Person: the Targum understands it of a great
personage, a king; and paraphrases it,
"a
king is educated there;'
but
it designs many persons in each of those countries that should be born again,
of water, and of the Spirit, of the incorruptible seed of grace, by the
ministry of the word; who, because they should be regenerated by means of the
Gospel preached in Zion, therefore are said to be born there; and besides,
being born again, they are admitted members of Zion, and to all the privileges
of Zion, as true born Israelites; and are brought up there, are nourished with
the sincere milk of the word, and nursed with the breasts of Gospel ordinances
there administered; and so Zion, or Jerusalem, the Gospel church, is truly the
mother of them all, Galatians 4:26.
Psalm 87:5 5 And of Zion it will be
said, “This one and that one were born in her; And the Most High
Himself shall establish her.”
YLT
5And of Zion it is said:
Each one was born in her, And He, the Most High, doth establish her.
And of Zion it shall be said,.... The same with the
city of God, the church before commended:
this and that man was born in her; this and that great man,
in opposition to a mean person, in the preceding verse: "or a man and
man"F4איש ואיש
"vir et vir", Pagninus, Montanus, Tigurine version, Vatablus,
Gejerus, Michaelis. ; men of all sorts, and of different nations, Jews and
Gentiles, and great numbers of them:
and the Highest himself shall establish her; the church of
God, though founded by him, and laid on a sure foundation, on the Rock of ages,
against which the gates of hell cannot prevail, yet is sometimes fluctuating
and unsettled;
it is tossed with tempests, the persecutions of men,
the errors and heresies of false teachers, and the contentions and divisions of
its own members; and is not always in one place, but is removed from one place
to another, and is obliged to flee into the wilderness; but in the latter day
it will be established and settled; it will be a tabernacle that shall not be
taken down nor removed; but shall be established for ever, Psalm 89:37, and this is the work of God,
the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, whatever instruments he
may make use of, as ministers of the word, and kings of the earth; as it is his
work, and his only, to establish particular believers, 2 Corinthians 1:21, so it is his to
establish the church in general: or it may be rendered, "he shall
establish her on high"F5So the Targum, and Ainsworth. , which
will be the case when she is established upon the top of the mountains, and exalted
above the hills, Isaiah 2:2.
Psalm 87:6 6 The Lord will record, When
He registers the peoples: “This one was born there.” Selah
YLT
6Jehovah doth recount in the
describing of the peoples, `This [one] was born there.' Selah.
The Lord shall count when he writeth up the people, Not in the
Lamb's book of life; for that was written from eternity, Revelation 13:8 but in the writing of the
house of Israel, among the living in Jerusalem, and with his righteous ones;
which is done at effectual calling, and when admitted members of Gospel
churches, whereby they openly appear to be the children of God, and are taken
into the list and catalogue of saints; see Ezekiel 13:9 or in the last day, when the
Lord will take the number of his people,
and cause them again to pass under the rod of him that telleth
them; and will make up his jewels, complete the number of them in
conversion, and collect them all together; and his counting and writing them
may denote his exact knowledge of them, and his care that he lose none; but
this will only concern regenerate persons; the Lord will not count nor make any
account of any others, as follows:
that this man was born there; and the man that is born
in Zion, even every regenerate man, will be counted and numbered by him, and
declared to be his, when he makes a general survey and muster of his saints
another day.
Selah. See Gill on Psalm 3:2.
Psalm 87:7 7 Both the singers and the
players on instruments say, “All my springs are in you.”
YLT
7Singers also as players on
instruments, All my fountains [are] in Thee!
As well the singers as the players on the instruments shall be
there,.... In Zion, in the church; signifying that there should be
great spiritual joy there when the above things should be accomplished; great
joy in the churches, because of the conversion of Jews and Gentiles; and great
joy in the persons themselves, born again, and brought to Zion; in allusion to
the vocal and instrumental music used in the temple service; see Isaiah 35:10.
all my springs are in thee; which are either the
words of the psalmist, or rather of the souls born in Zion; who, in their
spiritual songs, will thus express themselves concerning the church, in which
are the word and ordinances, compared to fountains of living water, and are
springs of spiritual peace and refreshment to converted persons; see Joel 3:18, where also the Spirit and his
graces are communicated by the ministry of the word and ordinances in the
church, which are signified by wells and rivers of living water, John 4:14 and particularly here stands
Christ, the fountain of gardens, and well of living waters, for the supply and
comfort of saints, and his blood a fountain opened for cleansing and
purification, Song of Solomon 4:15, yea, here flows the
river of God's love, the streams whereof make glad the city of God; and which,
like the waters in Ezekiel's vision, come from under the threshold of the
sanctuary, Psalm 46:4 or the words may be considered
as an address of the psalmist, or of the church, or of regenerate persons, unto
Christ:
all my springs or fountains are in thee; the fulness
of grace dwells in him, the springs of all joy, and peace, and comfort, are
with him; the wells of salvation are in him, and both grace and glory are from
him; he is the spring of all grace now, and the fountain of all happiness
hereafter. GussetiusF26Comment. Ebr. p. 845. has a very peculiar
version of the whole text, which he renders thus
"all
my fountains will be singing in thee, or of thee, as those that dance at the
sound of the pipe:'
taking
the allusion to be to the playing of fountains in gardens, and to the
delightful sound the waters make; but the accents will not admit of such a
sense.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》