Psalm 48:12

12 Umgehet Zion und umkreiset es, zählet seine Türme;

Psalm 48:12 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 48:12

Walk about Zion, and go round about her
These words are either an address to the enemies of the church, sarcastically delivered; calling upon them to come, and surround, and besiege Zion, and see what the issue and consequence of it will he, even the same as that of the kings, ( Psalms 48:4-6 ) ; or to the builders of Zion, as Jarchi observes, to come and take a survey of it, and see what repairs were necessary; or rather to the saints, to the daughters of Judah before mentioned, to take a view of the strength and defence of the church, for their own comfort and encouragement, and to report the same to others for theirs also; for by walking around it may be observed the foundation, the rock and eminence on which it is built, Christ Jesus; the wall of it, the Lord himself, a wall of fire; the entrance into it, Christ the gate of righteousness; the fortress and strong hold of it the same; and the guards about it, the watch men on its walls, the ministers of the Gospel, and an innumerable company of angels, that in a circle surround both ministers and people; see ( Revelation 7:11 ) ;

tell the towers thereof;
see ( 2 Chronicles 26:9 ) ( Isaiah 33:18 ) ; the Lord himself is the tower of his people, high and strong, which secures and defends them from all their enemies, ( Psalms 18:2 ) ( 62:3 ) ( Proverbs 18:10 ) ; the ministers of the Gospel, who are immovable, and are set for the defence of it, ( Jeremiah 6:27 ) ; the Scriptures of truth, which are like a tower built for an armoury, out of which the saints are furnished and provided with proper armour, whereby they are able to engage with false teachers, and to overcome the evil one, ( Song of Solomon 4:4 ) ; and the ordinances of the Gospel, the church's two breasts, said to be as towers, ( Song of Solomon 8:10 ) ; some render the words, "tell in the towers" ^F9; publish on the house tops, declare in the high places of the city, in the most public manner, the great things of the Gospel, which relate to the glory of Christ and his church.

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FOOTNOTES:

F9 (hyldgm) (en toiv purgoiv authv) , Sept. "in turribus ejus", V. L.

Psalm 48:12 In-Context

10 Wie dein Name, Gott, also ist dein Lob bis an die Enden der Erde; mit Gerechtigkeit ist gefüllt deine Rechte.

11 Es freue sich der Berg Zion, es mögen frohlocken die Töchter Judas um deiner Gerichte willen!

12 Umgehet Zion und umkreiset es, zählet seine Türme;

13 betrachtet genau seine Wälle, mustert seine Paläste, damit ihr's erzählet dem künftigen Geschlecht!

14 Denn dieser Gott ist unser Gott immer und ewiglich! Er wird uns leiten bis an den Tod.