Psalm 48

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This article is about Psalm 48 in Hebrew (Masoretic) numbering. For Psalm 48 in Greek Septuagint or Latin Vulgate numbering, see Psalm 49.

Psalm 48
"Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised"
Psalm 48 quoted on the back of a 17th-century double-sided icon held in Jerusalem
Other name
  • Psalm 47
  • "Magnus Dominus"
LanguageHebrew (original)
Psalm 48
BookBook of Psalms
Hebrew Bible partKetuvim
Order in the Hebrew part1
CategorySifrei Emet
Christian Bible partOld Testament
Order in the Christian part19

Psalm 48 is the 48th psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God". In the slightly different numbering system used in the Greek Septuagint version of the bible, and generally in its Latin translations, this psalm is Psalm 47. In the Vulgate, it begins "Magnus Dominus".[1] The psalm was composed by the sons of Korah, as "a celebration of the security of Zion",[2] In its heading it is referred to as both a "song" and a "psalm".[3]

The psalm forms a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican and other Protestant liturgies, and has been set to music. Bach's 1729 cantata Gott, wie dein Name, so ist auch dein Ruhm, BWV 171, begins with verse 10 in German, and Penderecki's 1996 Symphony No. 7 begins with the first verse.

Text[edit]

Hebrew[edit]

The following table shows the Hebrew text[4][5] of the Psalm with vowels alongside an English translation based upon the JPS 1917 translation (now in the public domain).

Verse Hebrew English translation (JPS 1917)
1 שִׁ֥יר מִ֝זְמ֗וֹר לִבְנֵי־קֹֽרַח׃‎ A Song; a Psalm of the sons of Korah.
2 גָּ֘ד֤וֹל יְהֹוָ֣ה וּמְהֻלָּ֣ל מְאֹ֑ד בְּעִ֥יר אֱ֝לֹהֵ֗ינוּ הַר־קׇדְשֽׁוֹ׃‎ Great is the LORD, and highly to be praised, In the city of our God, His holy mountain,
3 יְפֵ֥ה נוֹף֮ מְשׂ֢וֹשׂ כׇּל־הָ֫אָ֥רֶץ הַר־צִ֭יּוֹן יַרְכְּתֵ֣י צָפ֑וֹן קִ֝רְיַ֗ת מֶ֣לֶךְ רָֽב׃‎ Fair in situation, the joy of the whole earth; Even mount Zion, the uttermost parts of the north, The city of the great King.
4 אֱלֹהִ֥ים בְּאַרְמְנוֹתֶ֗יהָ נוֹדַ֥ע לְמִשְׂגָּֽב׃‎ God in her palaces Hath made Himself known for a stronghold.
5 כִּֽי־הִנֵּ֣ה הַ֭מְּלָכִים נ֥וֹעֲד֑וּ עָבְר֥וּ יַחְדָּֽו׃‎ For, lo, the kings assembled themselves, They came onward together.
6 הֵ֣מָּה רָ֭אוּ כֵּ֣ן תָּמָ֑הוּ נִבְהֲל֥וּ נֶחְפָּֽזוּ‎ They saw, straightway they were amazed; They were affrighted, they hasted away.
7 רְ֭עָדָה אֲחָזָ֣תַם שָׁ֑ם חִ֝֗יל כַּיּוֹלֵדָֽה׃‎ Trembling took hold of them there, Pangs, as of a woman in travail.
8 בְּר֥וּחַ קָדִ֑ים תְּ֝שַׁבֵּ֗ר אֳנִיּ֥וֹת תַּרְשִֽׁישׁ׃‎ With the east wind Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish.
9 כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר שָׁמַ֨עְנוּ ׀ כֵּ֤ן רָאִ֗ינוּ בְּעִיר־יְהֹוָ֣ה צְ֭בָאוֹת בְּעִ֣יר אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ אֱלֹ֘הִ֤ים יְכוֹנְנֶ֖הָ עַד־עוֹלָ֣ם סֶֽלָה׃‎ As we have heard, so have we seen In the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God— God establish it for ever. Selah
10 דִּמִּ֣ינוּ אֱלֹהִ֣ים חַסְדֶּ֑ךָ בְּ֝קֶ֗רֶב הֵיכָלֶֽךָ׃‎ We have thought on Thy lovingkindness, O God, In the midst of Thy temple.
11 כְּשִׁמְךָ֤ אֱלֹהִ֗ים כֵּ֣ן תְּ֭הִלָּתְךָ עַל־קַצְוֵי־אֶ֑רֶץ צֶ֝֗דֶק מָלְאָ֥ה יְמִינֶֽךָ׃‎ As is Thy name, O God, So is Thy praise unto the ends of the earth; Thy right hand is full of righteousness.
12 יִשְׂמַ֤ח ׀ הַר־צִיּ֗וֹן תָּ֭גֵלְנָה בְּנ֣וֹת יְהוּדָ֑ה לְ֝מַ֗עַן מִשְׁפָּטֶֽיךָ׃‎ Let mount Zion be glad, Let the daughters of Judah rejoice, Because of Thy judgments.
13 סֹ֣בּוּ צִ֭יּוֹן וְהַקִּיפ֑וּהָ סִ֝פְר֗וּ מִגְדָּלֶֽיהָ׃‎ Walk about Zion, and go round about her; Count the towers thereof.
14 שִׁ֤יתוּ לִבְּכֶ֨ם ׀ לְֽחֵילָ֗הֿ פַּסְּג֥וּ אַרְמְנוֹתֶ֑יהָ לְמַ֥עַן תְּ֝סַפְּר֗וּ לְד֣וֹר אַֽחֲרֽוֹן׃‎ Mark ye well her ramparts, Traverse her palaces; That ye may tell it to the generation following. .
15 כִּ֤י זֶ֨ה ׀ אֱלֹהִ֣ים אֱ֭לֹהֵינוּ עוֹלָ֣ם וָעֶ֑ד ה֖וּא יְנַהֲגֵ֣נוּ עַל־מֽוּת׃‎ For such is God, our God, for ever and ever; He will guide us eternally.

King James Version[edit]

  1. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness.
  2. Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.
  3. God is known in her palaces for a refuge.
  4. For, lo, the kings were assembled, they passed by together.
  5. They saw it, and so they marvelled; they were troubled, and hasted away.
  6. Fear took hold upon them there, and pain, as of a woman in travail.
  7. Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east wind.
  8. As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God: God will establish it for ever. Selah.
  9. We have thought of thy lovingkindness, O God, in the midst of thy temple.
  10. According to thy name, O God, so is thy praise unto the ends of the earth: thy right hand is full of righteousness.
  11. Let mount Zion rejoice, let the daughters of Judah be glad, because of thy judgments.
  12. Walk about Zion, and go round about her: tell the towers thereof.
  13. Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces; that ye may tell it to the generation following.
  14. For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.

Heading[edit]

The psalm is described initially as A Song. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.[6] Theologian Albert Barnes writes: "The two appellations, song and psalm, would seem to imply that it was intended to 'combine' what was implied in both these words; that is, that it embraced what was usually understood by the word psalm, and that it was intended also specifically to be sung.[3]

Uses[edit]

Judaism[edit]

  • This psalm is the psalm of the day in the Shir Shel Yom for Monday.[7]
  • Verse 2 is part of Mishnah Tamid 7:4.[8]
  • Verse 12 is part of the blessings before the Shema.[9]

New Testament[edit]

In the New Testament, verse 2 of Psalm 48 is quoted in Matthew 5 5:35.[10]

Book of Common Prayer[edit]

In the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer, this psalm is appointed to be read on the evening of the ninth day of the month,[11] as well as at Mattins on Whitsunday.[12]

Musical settings[edit]

Heinrich Schütz wrote a setting of a paraphrase of Psalm 48 in German, "Groß ist der Herr und hoch gepreist", SWV 145, for the Becker Psalter, published first in 1628. Magnus Dominus, in Latin, was set to music by François Giroust (1778), Charles Levens and Joseph Cassanéa de Mondonville (1734) and by Richard Smallwood (1992).

Bach's cantata Gott, wie dein Name, so ist auch dein Ruhm, BWV 171, begins with verse 10 in German.

Penderecki's 1996 Symphony No. 7, a choral symphony subtitled "The Seven Gates of Jerusalem", begins with the first verse.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Parallel Latin/English Psalter / Psalmus 47 (48) Archived May 7, 2017, at the Wayback Machine medievalist.net
  2. ^ Psalm 48: footnote at verse 2 in the Amplified Bible, Classic Edition, accessed 23 October 2020
  3. ^ a b Barnes, A. (1834), Barnes' Notes on Psalm 48, accessed 17 November 2021
  4. ^ "Psalms – Chapter 48". Mechon Mamre.
  5. ^ "Psalms 48 - JPS 1917". Sefaria.org.
  6. ^ Psalm 48: New King James Version
  7. ^ The Complete Artscroll Siddur, page 162
  8. ^ The Complete Artscroll Siddur, page 479
  9. ^ The Complete Artscroll Machzor for Rosh Hashanah, page 275
  10. ^ Kirkpatrick, A. F. (1901). The Book of Psalms: with Introduction and Notes. The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges. Vol. Book IV and V: Psalms XC-CL. Cambridge: At the University Press. p. 839. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  11. ^ Church of England, Book of Common Prayer: The Psalter as printed by John Baskerville in 1762, pp. 196ff
  12. ^ "The Book of Common Prayer: Proper Psalms On Certain Days" (PDF). The Church of England. p. 6. Retrieved 19 April 2023.

External links[edit]

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