The English translators have rendered verse 4 as a quotation. Who is saying these words? Evidently these are the words of those who speak glorious things concerning Zion (v. 3). What are they saying? They appear to be ascribing equal glory to Zion with the other great nations mentioned. Rahab (lit. tumult) is a nickname for Egypt (cf. 89:10; Isa. 30:7; 51:9). It may have been the name of a powerful demonic force thought to be behind Egypt.151The statement, "This one was born there,"means, "I was born there."In other words, people would take pride in having been born in Zion as they did in having been born in one of these other great nations.
However two kinds of people would trace their ancestry back to Zion in the future (v. 5). Verse 5 apparently distinguishes those physically born there and those with spiritual roots there. The latter group would include all the redeemed since Zion was the home of their heavenly Father (to use New Testament terminology).
When God judges all people He will note that every redeemed person stemmed from Zion spiritually (v. 6). Zion was not only the capital of the Israelites but it is also the home of many others who trust in Israel's God (cf. Gal. 4:26-27; Heb. 12:23-24; Rev. 3:12; 21:2, 10). In this way the psalmist showed the surpassing glory of Zion.
"These people who had come to faith in Yahweh as proselytes had been born in a variety of places, among ethnic peoples, across the known world. But in their coming to faith in the living God, He, Yahweh, declared them born again.' They were born there,' that is, in Zion. Here, then, is one passage in Hebrew Scripture to which Jesus may have alluded when He expected that Nicodemus knew about being born again' (John 3:3, 10)."152
