PSALM 87 [1]

Born in Zion

1 His foundation is in the holy mountains.

2 Yahweh loves the gates of Zion		More than all the other dwelling places of Jacob.
3 Glorious things are spoken of you,		O city of God. Selah.[2]
4 “I shall mention Rahab (89:10) and Babylon among those who know[3] Me;	Behold, Philistia and Tyre with Ethiopia:		‘This one was born there.’ ”[4]
But of Zion it shall be said,	5 “This one and that one were born in her”;		And the Most High Himself will establish her.

6 Yahweh will count when He registers the peoples,	“This one was born there.” Selah.
7 Then those who sing as well as those who play [dance] the flutes shall say,	“All my springs of joy are in you.”[5]

[1] This is a Psalm of Korah (see also 42-49,84,85,88) and is also classified as a “song of Zion” along with 48; 76; 84; 122.

[2] “City of God” occurs only here and Psalms 46:4; 48:1,8 in the Old Testament. Psalm 87:2 was the motto for Augustine’s, “The City of God.”

[3] See Exodus 5:2; 7:5; 14:4,18; Josh.4:24; 1 Sam.17:46; 1 Kings 8:43,60//2 Chron.6:33; 2 Kings 19:19//Isa.37:20; Psalm 46:10; 59:13; 83:18;100:3; Isaiah 45:6; Ezek.25:3-5; cf. Job 37:7; Isaiah 11:6-9; Habakkuk 2:14.

[4] This was also the hope of the previous Psalm, “All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, And they shall glorify Your name” (Psalm 86:9).

[5] In one way or another “Zion” is found in every verse:

v.1 “His foundation is in the holy mountains”

v.2 “gates of Zion”

v.3 “you”; “city of God”

v.4 “there”; “Zion”

v.5 “in her;” “her”

v.6 “there”

v.7 “in you”