1The seat and glory of the church: 4the honourable distinction of its members.
0 A1 Psalm or Song for the sons of Korah.
1 See Psalm 48 in the title.
1HIS2 foundation is in the holy mountains.
2 Namely, of the temple, which was built upon Mount Moriah, joining to Mount Zion, 2 Chron. 3:1. Some understand by the word his in this very psalm, whose ground or foundation is to speak of the church of Christ, which met together in the temple to praise the Lord.
2The LORD loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of 3Jacob.
3 That is, of the Israelites.
3Glorious things are spoken 4of thee, 5O city of God. 6Selah.
4 That is, concerning thee. Other, in thee. See Isaiah 40; 41; 42. See likewise Job 27 on verse 11.
5 That is, Jerusalem, which God had hallowed to Himself to establish His worship there and to take up His habitation as it were. Of the glorious things spoken of this city, see Isaiah 54; 60; 62; 65; Revelation 21; 22, and here the following verse, where God Himself mentions of the church.
6 See Psalm 3 on verse 2.
4I will make 7mention of 8Rahab and Babylon to them that know me: behold 9Philistia, and 10Tyre, with 11Ethiopia; 12this man was born there.
7 Namely, for their good, that is, they shall likewise in due time be brought to the knowledge of God by the preaching of the Holy Gospel.
8 By Rahab is understood Egypt, as it is likewise called, Psalm 89:10; Isa. 30:7; 51:9. The sense of these words is that the time shall come when God shall count the Egyptians and Babylonians among His people, imparting His knowledge unto them, whereof they were strangers formerly and going about to oppress God’s people. See Isa. 19:19, 21, 25. Egypt is called Rahab by reason of its pride and haughtiness (which is signified by that word) or from the one or other strong city situated therein. Among the names mentioned in this verse we are to understand all kind of people and nations. See Acts 2:9, 10; Eph. 2:12; Col. 3:11.
9 Or, the Philistine.
10Or, the Tyrian. Of the Tyrians’ conversion, see Psalm 45:12.
11Hebr. Cush. Of the Ethiopians’ conversion to Christ see Psalm 68:31; 72:10; Acts 8:27.
12 As if he said: The time shall come that it shall be said of the Philistines, Tyrians and Ethiopians, that they are born at Jerusalem (which is the mother of us all, Gal. 4:26), that is, in the christian church; that is, that they belong to the church of God and the heavenly Jerusalem.
5And 13of Zion it shall be said, 14This and that man was 15born 16in her: and 17the highest himself shall establish her.
13 That is, of the city of Jerusalem, situated at Mount Zion, meaning the christian church.
14 Hebr. man and man, that is, this man and that man, that is, men and people of all sorts and nations. See Acts 2:9, 10, 11.
15Born, namely, through the preaching of the Holy Gospel and by the Holy Spirit.
16 Namely, in the city of Jerusalem.
17 That is, the most High shall Himself so secure the church, that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it, Mat. 16:18.
6The LORD 18shall count, when he 19writeth up the people, that this man was born 20there. Selah.
18 Those namely, who shall resort to the christian church.
19 A kind of speech by way of similitude taken from magistrates, keeping certain books or registers of the inhabitants of their cities to distinguish between the foreigners and the ones born within the city. See Psalm 22:30.
20 Namely, at Jerusalem, or in Zion; that is, he belongs to the Lord. See verse 4.
721As well the singers as the players on instruments shall be there: 22all my springs 23are in thee.
21 Other, Therefore do all my fountains sing and leap. The sense is: God shall be praised with great rejoicing in His church, which is to be gathered as well of the Gentiles as of the Jews. A kind of expression taken from the custom of the church in the Old Testament, where God was usually praised with musical instruments, 1 Chron. 9:33; 25:1, 2.
22 That is, all my wholehearted affections and inmost thoughts of the heart, which are like fountains or well-springs, from which all the words and works do issue. See Psalm 103:1. There may also be understood by the springs here the manifold gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit.
23 Or, are of thee, namely, Zion. Here is foretold what joy and rejoicing there would be in the world by reason of the conversion of the Gentiles unto Christ.