Psalms 43:3

43:3 Reveal ¹  your light ²  and your faithfulness!

They will lead me, ³ 

they will escort ⁴  me back to your holy hill, ⁵ 

and to the place where you live. ⁶ 

Psalms 48:1

Psalm 48 ⁷ 

A song, a psalm by the Korahites.

48:1 The Lord is great and certainly worthy of praise

in the city of our God, ⁸  his holy hill.

Psalms 48:11

48:11 Mount Zion rejoices;

the towns ⁹  of Judah are happy, ¹⁰ 

because of your acts of judgment. ¹¹ 

Psalms 74:2

74:2 Remember your people ¹²  whom you acquired in ancient times,

whom you rescued ¹³  so they could be your very own nation, ¹⁴ 

as well as Mount Zion, where you dwell!

Psalms 78:68

78:68 He chose the tribe of Judah,

and Mount Zion, which he loves.

[43:3]  ¹ tn Heb “send.”

[43:3]  ² sn God’s deliverance is compared here to a light which will lead the psalmist back home to the Lord’s temple. Divine deliverance will in turn demonstrate the Lord’s faithfulness to his people.

[43:3]  ³ tn Or “may they lead me.” The prefixed verbal forms here and in the next line may be taken as jussives.

[43:3]  ⁴ tn Heb “bring.”

[43:3]  ⁵ sn In this context the Lord’s holy hill is Zion/Jerusalem. See Isa 66:20; Joel 2:1; 3:17; Zech 8:3; Pss 2:6; 15:1; 48:1; 87:1; Dan 9:16.

[43:3]  ⁶ tn Or “to your dwelling place[s].” The plural form of the noun may indicate degree or quality; this is the Lord’s special dwelling place (see Pss 46:4; 84:1; 132:5, 7).

[48:1]  ⁷ sn Psalm 48. This so-called “Song of Zion” celebrates the greatness and glory of the Lord’s dwelling place, Jerusalem. His presence in the city elevates it above all others and assures its security.

[48:1]  ⁸ sn The city of our God is Jerusalem, which is also referred to here as “his holy hill,” that is, Zion (see v. 2, as well as Isa 66:20; Joel 2:1; 3:17; Zech 8:3; Pss 2:6; 15:1; 43:3; 87:1; Dan 9:16).

[48:11]  ¹³ tn Heb “daughters.” The reference is to the cities of Judah surrounding Zion (see Ps 97:8 and H. Haag, TDOT 2:336).

[48:11]  ¹⁴ tn The prefixed verbal forms are understood as generalizing imperfects. (For other examples of an imperfect followed by causal לְמַעַן [lÿma’an], see Ps 23:3; Isa 49:7; 55:5.) Another option is to interpret the forms as jussives, “Let Mount Zion rejoice! Let the towns of Judah be happy!” (cf. NASB, NRSV; note the imperatives in vv. 12-13.)

[48:11]  ¹⁵ sn These acts of judgment are described in vv. 4-7.

[74:2]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “your assembly,” which pictures God’s people as an assembled community.

[74:2]  ²⁰ tn Heb “redeemed.” The verb “redeem” casts God in the role of a leader who protects members of his extended family in times of need and crisis (see Ps 19:14).

[74:2]  ²¹ tn Heb “the tribe of your inheritance” (see Jer 10:16; 51:19).