John Calvin Commentary Psalms 48:2

"Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, Is mount Zion, [on] the sides of the north, The city of the great King." — Psalms 48:2 (ASV)

Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion. For the confirmation of the statement made in the preceding sentence, the prophet celebrates the excellencies for which Mount Zion was at that time renowned; and in them was to be seen the glory of God, of which I have just spoken.

The beauty of its situation, which he mentions first, was indeed natural; but through it, he helps us understand that from the very beginning, the agreeable appearance of the city had engraved upon it marks of God’s favor. Thus, its appearance alone showed that God had in a special way adorned and enriched that place, with the intention that it would, at some future period, be consecrated to sacred purposes.

I do not, however, think that the situation is called beautiful and pleasant merely because it was unequalled in the country of Judea; for there were other cities, as is well known, which were in no way inferior to Jerusalem, regarding fertility, pleasantness of situation, or other advantages.

In my opinion, along with the city’s situation, the Psalmist includes the glory it derived from another source—namely, the fact that the temple of God was built there. Therefore, when we hear the beauty of the city celebrated here, let us remember that spiritual beauty which was added to the natural beauty of the place, after the prophecy was declared that the ark would remain there forever.

Regarding the word נופ, noph, which I have translated as situation, commentators do not agree. Some understand it as meaning height or elevation, as if it were said that Jerusalem was situated on high, elevated ground. Others render it as climate because the Jews metaphorically call climates branches, due to the extent to which they are spread out.

In a matter like this, which is not very important, I am not inclined to be overly critical. I have simply selected the translation that seemed most probable to me: namely, that the country in its appearance was pre-eminently pleasant and delightful. When the Psalmist speaks of Mount Zion being on the sides of the north, it is doubtful whether he states this as a commendation of Mount Zion, meaning that it lay toward or faced the north, or whether we should explain the sentence this way: Although Mount Zion faces the north, that does not in any way diminish its beauty.

However, the former interpretation seems to me to offer the more natural meaning. We find the prophet Isaiah, also intending to touch upon the excellence of this mountain, applying to it the very expression used here. In Isaiah 14:13, he represents Sennacherib as speaking as follows: I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north.

Next, the Psalmist calls Mount Zion the joy of the whole earth. He describes it this way not only because, as the Jews foolishly talk, that country was healthy due to the mildness of the climate, or because it produced sweet and excellent fruits that might gratify and yield delight to foreign nations (for this too is a cold and unsatisfactory speculation), but because from there salvation was to come forth to the whole world, just as all nations have borrowed from there the light of life and the testimony of heavenly grace.

If the joy that people experience and cherish is without God, the outcome of their joy will eventually be destruction, and their laughter will be turned into gnashing of teeth. But Christ appeared with His Gospel out of Zion to fill the world with true joy and everlasting felicity.

It is true that in the prophet’s time, the knowledge of the Gospel had not yet reached foreign nations; but he uses this manner of expression very appropriately to teach the Jews that true blessedness was to be sought only from the gracious covenant of God, which was deposited in that holy place.

At the same time, he also foretold what was eventually fulfilled in the last days by the coming of Christ. From this we may learn that God’s favor alone is abundantly sufficient to cause the hearts of the godly to rejoice; conversely, when it is withdrawn, all people must inevitably be thrown into a state of wretchedness and sorrow.

What is added immediately after, concerning the city of the great King, is intended to show that Mount Zion was not only holy itself, but also that this high prerogative had been conferred upon it to make the whole city sacred—the city where God had chosen His seat, so that He might rule over all people.