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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》