Charles Ellicott Commentary Psalms 48

To be praised. —See Psalms 18:3, Note.

Situation.—Hebrew, nôph. A word only found here, but explained from a cognate Arabic word to mean elevation. And this feature is quite distinctive enough of Jerusalem to lend confirmation to this explanation—“Its elevation is remarkable.” (See Stanley, Sinai and Palestine, p. 170.)

On the other hand, an adverbial use—highly beautiful or supremely beautiful (Compare to Lamentations 2:15, The perfection of beauty, the joy of the whole earth)—may be all that the poet intends.

Sides of the north.—A common phrase, generally taken to mean the quarter or region of the north (Ezekiel 38:15; Ezekiel 39:2; Isaiah 14:13), but which, from the various uses of the two words that make it up, might mean northern recesses or secret recesses, depending on whether we adopt the derived or the original meaning of tsâphôn.

With the former of the two meanings, we should see a reference to the relative position of the Temple and its precincts to the rest of the city. For the identification of the ancient Zion (not to be confused with the modern Zion) with the hill on which the Temple stood, see Smith’s Bib. Dict., article “Jerusalem.” (Compare to Stanley, Sinai and Palestine, p. 171.)

If, on the other hand, we choose to translate it as secret, or hidden, or secure recesses, we have a figure that renders the security and peace to be found in God’s holy city quite intelligible:

Beautiful for elevation,
The whole earth’s joy;
Mount Zion, a secure recess,
City of the great King.

And the thought is taken up in the word refuge in the next verse. (Compare to Ezekiel 7:22, where the Temple is actually called Jehovah’s secret place.)

Refuge. —See Note, Psalms 46:1. Prominence should be given to the idea of security from height. We might render, “God among her castles is known as a high and secure tower.”

The kings. — With the striking picture of the advance and sudden collapse of a hostile expedition that follows, compare Isaiah 10:28-34; possibly of the very same event.

The kings. — They were evidently known to the writer, but, alas! a matter of merest conjecture to us. Some suppose these were the kings of Ammon, Moab, and Edom, who attacked Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 20:25); others suggest they were the tributary princes of Sennacherib.

In his annals, as recently deciphered, this monarch speaks of setting up tributary kings or viceroys in Chaldea, Phoenicia, and Philistia after conquering these countries. (See Assyrian Discoveries, by George Smith, p. 303.)

Still others, referring the psalm to the time of Ahaz, understand them to be Pekah and Rezin (2 Kings 15:37). The touches of the picture, vivid as they are, are not historically defined enough to allow a definitive settlement of the question.

Assembled. — Used for the muster of confederate forces (Joshua 11:5).

Passed by —that is, marched by. So, according to the time reading, the Septuagint. A frequent military term (Judges 11:29; 2 Kings 8:21; Isaiah 8:8). Others suggest “passed away,” but it is doubtful if the verb can have this meaning.

Together. — Notice the parallelism: they came together, they passed by together.

They saw. —A verse like Psalms 46:6, vivid from the omission of the conjunctions, wrongly supplied by the Authorised Version. It has reminded commentators of Caesar’s Veni, vidi, vici.

They looked, and so were terrified, bewildered, panic-struck.

Hastened away. —Or, sprung up in alarm.