The Eastern Cross/Bible/Psalms/Psalm 47
The Book of Psalms · the Psalter
Psalm 48 in the KJV and most English Bibles
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A Psalm of praise for the sons of Korah on the second day of the week.
Ψαλμὸς ᾠδῆς τοῖς υἱοῖς Κορὲ δευτέρᾳ σαββάτου.
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised In the city of our God, in his holy mountain.
Μεγὰς Κύριος, καὶ αἰνετὸς σφόδρα ἐν πόλει τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν, ἐν ὄρει ἁγίῳ αὐτοῦ.
"Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised"....That is, "in the city of our God, in His holy mountain." This is the city set upon an hill, which cannot be hid: this is the candle which is not hidden under a bushel, [Matthew 5:14-15] to all known, to all proclaimed. Yet are not all men citizens thereof, but they in…
The city of the great King Is well planted on the mountains of Zion, With the joy of the whole earth, on the sides of the north.
Εὐρίζων, ἀγαλλιάματι πάσης τῆς γῆς, ὄρη Σιὼν τὰ πλευρὰ τοῦ βοῤῥᾶ, ἡ πόλις τοῦ βασιλέως τοῦ μεγάλου.
God is known in her palaces, When he undertakes to help her.
Ὁ Θεὸς ἐν ταῖς βάρεσιν αὐτῆς γινώσκεται, ὅταν ἀντιλαμβάνηται αὐτῆς.
For, behold, the kings of the earth were assembled, They came together.
Ὅτι ἰδοὺ οἱ βασιλεῖς τῆς γῆς συνήχθησαν, ἤλθοσαν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό.
"For, lo, the kings of the earth are gathered together". Behold now those sides of the North, see how they come, see how they say, "Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord: and He will teach us His way, and we will walk in it." [Isaiah 2:3] "And have come together in one." In what one, but that…
They saw, and so they wondered: They were troubled, they were moved.
Αὐτοὶ ἰδόντες οὕτως ἐθαύμασαν, ἐταράχθησαν, ἐσαλεύθησαν,
"They saw it, and so they marvelled". After their marvelling at the miracles and glory of Christ, what followed? "They were troubled, they were moved", "trembling took hold upon them." Whence took trembling hold upon them, but from the consciousness of sins? Let them run then, king after a king; kings, let them…
Trembling took hold on them: There were the pangs as of a woman in travail.
τρόμος ἐπελάβετο αὐτῶν· ἐκεῖ ὠδῖνες ὡς τικτούσης.
Thou wilt break the ships of Tarshish with a vehement wind.
Ἐν πνεύματι βιαίῳ συντρίψεις πλοῖα Θάρσις.
"With a strong wind You shall break the ships of Tarshish". Briefly understood, this is, You shall overthrow the pride of the nations. But where in this history is mentioned the overthrowing of the pride of the nations? Because of "the ships of Tarshish." Learned men have enquired for Tarshish a city, that is, what…
As we have heard, so have we also seen, In the city of the Lord of hosts, In the city of our God: God has founded it forever. Pause.
Καθάπερ ἠκούσαμεν, οὕτως καὶ εἴδομεν, ἐν πόλει Κυρίου τῶν δυνάμεων, ἐν πόλει τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν, ὁ Θεὸς ἐθεμελίωσεν αὐτὴν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα· διάψαλμα.
"As we have heard, so have we seen". Blessed Church! At one time you have heard, at another time you have seen. She heard in promises, sees in performance: heard in Prophecy, sees in the Gospel. For all things which are now fulfilled were before prophesied. Lift up your eyes then, and stretch them over the world; see…
We have thought of thy mercy, O God, In the midst of thy people.
Ὑπελάβομεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸ ἔλεός σου ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ λαοῦ σου.
For when he had said, "We have received Your mercy in the midst of Your people," he signified that there is a people not receiving the mercy of God, in the midst of whom some do receive the mercy of God: and then lest it should occur to men that there are so few, as to be nearly none, how did He console them in the…
"Let mount Zion rejoice, and the daughters of Judah be glad, because of Your judgments, O Lord". O mount Zion, O daughters of Judah, you labour now among tares, among chaff, among thorns ye labour: yet be glad because of God's judgments. God errs not in judgment. Live ye separate, though separate you were not born;…
"Walk about Zion, and embrace her". Be it said to them who live ill, in the midst of whom is the people, which has received the mercy of God. In the midst of you is a people living well, "Walk about Zion." But how? "embrace her." Not with scandals, but with love go round about her: that so those who live well in the…
Every note is a real passage, quoted word for word from a published English translation, with its source. Nothing here is summarised or written by us. Some verses have many notes and some have none, because the Fathers wrote more on some passages than others.
All of these translations are in the public domain. The passages were matched to their verses by the Historical Christian Commentaries project, which also hosts the full texts we link to. The Fathers are a treasury of the Church's mind, and they are best read alongside the life of the Church: if a passage raises a question, bring it to your priest.