1 By sons of Korah. -- A Psalm, a song. His foundation `is' in holy mountains.
2 Jehovah is loving the gates of Zion Above all the tabernacles of Jacob.
3 Honourable things are spoken in Thee, O city of God. Selah.
4 I mention Rahab and Babel to those knowing Me, Lo, Philistia, and Tyre, with Cush! This `one' was born there.
5 And of Zion it is said: Each one was born in her, And He, the Most High, doth establish her.
6 Jehovah doth recount in the describing of the peoples, `This `one' was born there.' Selah.
7 Singers also as players on instruments, All my fountains `are' in Thee!
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Psalms 87
Commentary on Psalms 87 Matthew Henry Commentary
Psalm 87
The foregoing psalm was very plain and easy, but in this are things dark and hard to be understood. It is an encomium of Zion, as a type and figure of the gospel-church, to which what is here spoken is very applicable. Zion, for the temple's sake, is here preferred,
Some think it was penned to express the joy of God's people when Zion was in a flourishing state; others think it was penned to encourage their faith and hope when Zion was in ruins and was to be rebuilt after the captivity. Though no man cared for her (Jer. 30:17, "This is Zion whom no man seeketh after'), yet God had done great things for her, and spoken glorious things of her, which should all have their perfection and accomplishment in the gospel-church; to that therefore we must have an eye in singing this psalm.
A psalm or song for the sons of Korah.
Psa 87:1-3
Some make the first words of the psalm to be part of the title; it is a psalm or song whose subject is the holy mountains-the temple built in Zion upon Mount Moriah. This is the foundation of the argument, or beginning of the psalm. Or we may suppose the psalmist had now the tabernacle or temple in view and was contemplating the glories of it, and at length he breaks out into this expression, which has reference, though not to what he had written before, yet to what he had thought of; every one knew what he meant when he said thus abruptly, Its foundation is in the holy mountains. Three things are here observed, in praise of the temple:-
Psa 87:4-7
Zion is here compared with other places, and preferred before them; the church of Christ is more glorious and excellent than the nations of the earth.