Mazmur 48:1

Psalm 48 ¹ 

A song, a psalm by the Korahites.

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

in the city of our God, ²  his holy hill.

Mazmur 40:3

40:3 He gave me reason to sing a new song, ³ 

praising our God. ⁴ 

May many see what God has done,

so that they might swear allegiance to him and trust in the Lord! ⁵ 

Mazmur 65:1

Psalm 65 ⁶ 

For the music director; a psalm of David, a song.

65:1 Praise awaits you, ⁷  O God, in Zion.

Vows made to you are fulfilled.

Mazmur 131:1

Psalm 131 ⁸ 

A song of ascents, ⁹  by David.

131:1 O Lord, my heart is not proud,

nor do I have a haughty look. ¹⁰ 

I do not have great aspirations,

or concern myself with things that are beyond me. ¹¹ 

[48:1]  ¹ 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]  ² 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).

[40:3]  ³ sn A new song was appropriate because the Lord had intervened in the psalmist’s experience in a fresh and exciting way.

[40:3]  ⁴ tn Heb “and he placed in my mouth a new song, praise to our God.”

[40:3]  ⁵ tn Heb “may many see and fear and trust in the Lord.” The translation assumes that the initial prefixed verbal form is a jussive (“may many see”), rather than an imperfect (“many will see”). The following prefixed verbal forms with vav (ו) conjunctive are taken as indicating purpose or result (“so that they might swear allegiance…and trust”) after the introductory jussive.

[65:1]  ⁶ sn Psalm 65. The psalmist praises God because he forgives sin and blesses his people with an abundant harvest.

[65:1]  ⁷ tn Heb “for you, silence, praise.” Many prefer to emend the noun דֻּמִיָּה (dumiyyah, “silence”) to a participle דּוֹמִיָּה (domiyyah), from the root דָּמָה (damah, “be silent”), understood here in the sense of “wait.”

[131:1]  ⁸ sn Psalm 131. The psalmist affirms his humble dependence on the Lord and urges Israel to place its trust in God.

[131:1]  ⁹ sn The precise significance of this title, which appears in Pss 120-134, is unclear. Perhaps worshipers recited these psalms when they ascended the road to Jerusalem to celebrate annual religious festivals. For a discussion of their background see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 219-21.

[131:1]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “and my eyes are not lifted up.”

[131:1]  ¹¹ tn Heb “I do not walk in great things, and in things too marvelous for me.”