Psalms 48:1 · Bible study
Psalms 48:1 Commentary: Great is Yahweh
Hebrew · 12 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why the psalmist ties God's greatness to His dwelling in Zion. The meaning of 'greatly to be praised' in the city of our God.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God’s infinite greatness is made visible and praise-worthy in His chosen dwelling, Jerusalem.
- Key words: ‘Great’ (infinite in essence), ‘greatly to be praised’ (praise proportionate to His worth), ‘city of our God’ (the place of His special presence), ‘holy mountain’ (Zion, the temple hill).
- Main debate: Which historical deliverance occasioned the psalm, Jehoshaphat’s victory (2 Chronicles 20) or the defeat of Sennacherib (2 Kings 19)? Both readings are held by respected commentators.
- Theological theme: The relationship between God’s universal sovereignty and His particular presence with His covenant people.
- Best use: As a call to worship in corporate settings, a foundation for teaching on the security of the church, and a reminder that God’s name dwells among His people.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, His holy mountain.
WEB World English Bible 2000
A Song. A Psalm by the sons of Korah. Great is Yahweh, and greatly to be praised, in the city of our God, in his holy mountain.
KJV King James Version 1769
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Great is Jehovah, and greatly to be praised, In the city of our God, in his holy mountain.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
A Song, a Psalm, by sons of Korah. Great is Jehovah, and praised greatly, In the city of our God--His holy hill.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Great is Jehovah, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the hill of his holiness.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Unto the end, a psalm for the sons of Core.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Canción: Salmo de los hijos de Coré. GRANDE es Jehová y digno de ser en gran manera alabado, en la ciudad de nuestro Dios, en el monte de su santuario.
O SENHOR é grande e muito louvável, na cidade de nosso Deus, no monte de sua santidade.
Cantique. Psaume des fils de Koré.
Ein Psalmlied der Kinder Korah. Groß ist der HERR und hochberühmt in der Stadt unsers Gottes, auf seinem heiligen Berge.
Een lied, een psalm, voor de kinderen van Korach.
Canto. Salmo de’ figliuoli di Core. Grande è l’Eterno e lodato altamente nella città dell’Iddio nostro, sul monte della sua santità.
Pieśń psalmu synów Korego.
Начальнику хора. Сынов Кореевых. Псалом.
（可拉 後裔的 詩 歌。）耶和華 本為大！在我們 神 的城中，在他的聖 山上，該受大 讚美。
Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised, in the town of our God, in his holy mountain.
Verse in Context
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that this verse opens with a bold ascription of praise to Yahweh, grounding His worthiness in both His intrinsic greatness and His choice to dwell in Jerusalem. Adam Clarke notes that the phrase 'greatly to be praised' means God should receive praise ‘according to his greatness’, no common praise suffices. The Cambridge Bible adds that the same emphatic adverb appears in Psalms 46 and 47, forming a trilogy: God is a present help, He is exalted over the nations, and therefore He is supremely worthy of praise. Barnes and Calvin connect the verse to a historical deliverance, likely the siege by Jehoshaphat’s enemies or Sennacherib’s army, where God’s power was displayed specifically in Zion. Matthew Henry insists that whatever is said to the honour of the church must redound to the honour of the Church’s God. The verse thus declares that God’s universal majesty is made visible in one particular place: the city He chose as His dwelling.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: God’s greatness and praiseworthiness are manifest in His chosen dwelling place, and this verse calls God’s people to respond with praise proportioned to His majesty.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Historical occasion of the psalm | All commentators see it as celebrating a deliverance of Jerusalem from enemy kings. | Some (Calvin, De Wette) favour the siege of Sennacherib (2 Kings 19); others (Barnes, Keil & Delitzsch) prefer Jehoshaphat’s victory (2 Chronicles 20). A few connect it to the post-exilic rededication of the temple. |
| Meaning of 'greatly to be praised' | The phrase indicates that God deserves praise commensurate with His greatness, no ordinary praise is adequate. | No significant debate. Traditions agree that this calls for wholehearted, public worship. |
| Identity of the city and mountain | It refers to the literal Jerusalem, Mount Zion, and the temple site (Mount Moriah). | Christians differ on whether the city is typologically fulfilled in the church or the heavenly Jerusalem. Catholic and Orthodox traditions see a direct continuity with the earthly sanctuary; many Protestants read it as a type of the church; some Reformed see it as the heavenly Zion. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The title ‘A Song. A Psalm by the sons of Korah’ places this composition among the temple musicians appointed by David. The exact occasion is uncertain, but the psalm’s references to a sudden deliverance from attacking kings (vv. 4, 7) point to one of two events: the defeat of a coalition against King Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 20) or the destruction of Sennacherib’s army in Hezekiah’s reign (2 Kings 19). Calvin preferred the latter, while Barnes and Poole leave both options open. The city named is Jerusalem, specifically Mount Zion, where the temple stood. In ancient Israel, a god was honoured by the city where his temple was located, but Israel’s claim was unique: the one Creator God chose Zion as the place ‘to put his name’ (Deuteronomy 12:5). The psalmist speaks not of a local deity but of the Lord of all the earth making Himself known in a concrete, historical location. The phrase ‘in his holy mountain’ refers to Mount Moriah, the temple hill, which is part of the larger Zion ridge. For the post-exilic community, this psalm likely rekindled hope that God’s presence still guaranteed Jerusalem’s security, even after the exile.
Textual Notes
The Masoretic Text is stable for this verse. Adam Clarke notes that the Vulgate, Septuagint, Ethiopic, and Arabic add a superscription ‘for the second day of the week,’ which he considers spurious. No other significant textual variants are mentioned in the consulted sources.
Reception History
In Jewish tradition, this psalm has been part of the daily or festival liturgy (some sources associate it with the second day of the week). Early Christian readers, from Augustine onward, interpreted the ‘city of our God’ as a type of the Church, the new Jerusalem. Matthew Henry and Spurgeon developed this ecclesiological reading, seeing in the psalm a description of the security and beauty of the congregation of believers. The verse has also been sung in hymns that celebrate God’s presence among His people, though specific titles are not recorded in the supplied sources. Across both testaments, the psalm affirms that the universal God is not remote but dwells with those who call on His name.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God is great. The psalm does not argue this; it declares it. All commentators affirm that Yahweh’s greatness is infinite, incomprehensible. The preacher can show that this confession forms the foundation of worship: we praise not because we feel like it, but because God is worthy.
- God is greatly to be praised. Clarke stresses that the praise must match the object. The same word ‘greatly’ (in Hebrew, a superlative adverb) echoes through Psalms 46, 47. This is not perfunctory praise; it demands whole-hearted, loud, public celebration.
- God dwells in the city of His people. The verse binds God’s greatness to a specific place: Jerusalem, the temple, the holy mountain. This teaches that God is not distant; He chooses to be with His people. The church today inherits this promise, God dwells among us by His Spirit.
Five-point outline
- Greatness declared. The verse opens with a universal claim.
- Praise proportioned. ‘Greatly to be praised’ means our worship must match His worth.
- Presence localised. God chooses a place to make His name known.
- Deliverance remembered. The historical context of the psalm reminds us that God acts in real history.
- Community engaged. ‘Our God’, the city belongs to a people, not just a location.
Illustration hooks
- Embassy of a great king. A small building in a foreign land is respected not for its size but because it represents a powerful ruler. Zion is the embassy of the King of the universe.
- Family home. No matter how modest a house feels, if a beloved parent lives there, the address carries weight. God’s presence makes Jerusalem, and the church, sacred.
- Fortress in a storm. People instinctively flee to a strong shelter during a hurricane. The city of God is that refuge (compare Psalm 46:1).
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does God still have a special dwelling place today, or was that only for ancient Israel?
- If God is great everywhere, why does the psalm insist on praising Him in the city? What difference does place make?
- How can I ‘greatly praise’ God when I don’t feel especially joyful?
Leading a Discussion
This verse calls us to consider both the greatness of God and the specific ways He makes Himself known. The psalmist does not worship in the abstract; he worships with a community in a particular place where God has acted. As you discuss, think about where you have seen God’s greatness most clearly.
Discussion questions
- Read Psalm 48:1 aloud. What stands out to you about the way the verse describes God?
- The psalmist says God is ‘greatly to be praised.’ What does that mean for the kind of worship we offer on Sunday mornings?
- Why does the psalmist link God’s greatness with a specific city, Jerusalem, the holy mountain? How does that shape our understanding of God’s presence?
- Barnes and Calvin connect this psalm to a historical deliverance. How does remembering God’s past acts strengthen faith in the present?
- Matthew Henry said that whatever is said to the honour of the church must honour God. How can we apply that principle to our own church community?
- If God is great everywhere, why is it important to gather in a specific place for worship? What does this teach about the value of local congregations?
- How can we ‘greatly praise’ God in times when we feel distant or discouraged? What resources does the psalm offer?
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| II Chronicles 20:1 | After this, the children of Moab, the children of Ammon, and with them some of the Meunites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle. |
| II Chronicles 20:37 | Then Eliezer the son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, “Because you have joined yourself with Ahaziah, Yahweh has destroyed your works.” The ships were wrecked, so that they were not able to go to Tarshish. |
| Nehemiah 9:5 | Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, “Stand up and bless Yahweh your God from everlasting to everlasting! Blessed be your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise! |
| Psalms 2:6 | “Yet I have set my King on my holy hill of Zion.” |
| Psalms 30:1 | A Psalm. A Song for the Dedication of the Temple. By David. I will extol you, Yahweh, for you have raised me up, and have not made my foes to rejoice over me. |
| Psalms 46:1 | For the Chief Musician. By the sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. |
| Psalms 46:4 | There is a river, the streams of which make the city of God glad, the holy place of the tents of the Most High. |
| Psalms 47:8 | God reigns over the nations. God sits on his holy throne. |
Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
11 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke connects this psalm directly to the one before it, treating the opening as a continuation of the same thought. He also clarifies the geography: the temple stood on Mount Moriah north of the city, so "the sides of the north" describes the temple's location, not the city's.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes emphasizes that the praise in this psalm rests on two grounds: God's own inherent greatness and His specific act of delivering Jerusalem from its assembled enemies. The city is the proper place for this praise because God dwells there as its protector, showing His power over the gathered kings.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin argues that Psalm 48 must have been written after David's reign, because it describes a siege and miraculous rescue that never happened in David's day. He suggests the psalm likely celebrates God's deliverance during Ahaz, Jehoshaphat, or Asa, when Jerusalem was saved only by heaven's intervention.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentary highlights the emphatic adverb "greatly" or "exceedingly" that runs through Psalms 46, 47 and here. Because God proved an exceedingly present help and was exceedingly exalted over the nations, He is now exceedingly worthy of praise. Praise is the very essence of Israel's worship, reflected in the Psalter's Hebrew title Tehillim, meaning Praises.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The note highlights that this psalm is specifically assigned to the sons of Korah for musical worship. It then focuses on the location of praise: God is to be praised in His city, on His holy mountain, identifying Jerusalem and Mount Zion as the rightful place for declaring His greatness.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill reads this psalm as a prophecy about Christ, the great King, and the praise due to him in his church. He identifies the city of God as Jerusalem, which foreshadows the Gospel church, where Christ displayed his greatness through his incarnation, miracles, death, resurrection, and the outpouring of the Spirit.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB views this psalm as a spirited song that celebrates God's spiritual rule. Its distinctive point is the dual effect of that dominion: it strikes terror in the wicked while bringing joy to the righteous. The commentator links it to the preceding psalm as sharing the same occasion.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch reads "sides of the north" in this psalm as a literal topographical description of the Temple hill, not a mythological reference to a pagan mountain of the gods. They argue that the phrase designates the northern angle of ancient Jerusalem where Mount Moriah stood.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange treats Zion's physical beauty and elevation as a symbol of the Church's spiritual glory, the true reality behind what pagan myths only dreamed about a mountain of gods. For him, God's historical revelations center on Zion, the place where His name is made known and from which His praise spreads to every generation.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry observes that the psalmist frames all praise of Jerusalem within praise of God, opening and closing with God's greatness and goodness. The city's true honor is that heaven's King chose it as his own, a point Christ himself confirms by calling it the city of the great King.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
The city - In Jerusalem. Mountain - In his holy mountain.