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Wisdom & Poetry · WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE

Psalm 48

Psalm 48 is read especially through the theme of pilgrimage, within Book II (Psalms 42–72). Its language invites attentive prayer before quick application.

PilgrimagePraiseKingship
Old Testament

Psalm 48

1A Song. A Psalm by the sons of Korah. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, in the city of our God, in his holy mountain.

2Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion, on the north sides, the city of the great King.

3God has shown himself in her citadels as a refuge.

4For, behold, the kings assembled themselves, they passed by together.

5They saw it, then they were amazed. They were dismayed. They hurried away.

6Trembling took hold of them there, pain, as of a woman in travail.

7With the east wind, you break the ships of Tarshish.

8As we have heard, so we have seen, in the city of the LORD of Armies, in the city of our God. God will establish it forever. Selah.

9We have thought about your loving kindness, God, in the middle of your temple.

10As is your name, God, so is your praise to the ends of the earth. Your right hand is full of righteousness.

11Let Mount Zion be glad! Let the daughters of Judah rejoice because of your judgments.

12Walk about Zion, and go around her. Number its towers.

13Notice her bulwarks. Consider her palaces, that you may tell it to the next generation.

14For this God is our God forever and ever. He will be our guide even to death.

READ IN CONTEXT

Understanding Psalm 48

Psalm 48 is read especially through the theme of pilgrimage, within Book II (Psalms 42–72). Its language invites attentive prayer before quick application. Read it within the complete five-book Psalms collection, then compare its prayer language with the types of prayer found across Scripture. Classification is a reading aid rather than a replacement for the Psalm's own movement and tension.

Collection

Book II (Psalms 42–72). The five-book shape of the Psalter helps readers hear individual prayers within a deliberately arranged collection.

Themes detected

Pilgrimage, Praise, Kingship. Read for these themes while remaining open to tension and secondary movements.

TEXT-DERIVED READING NOTES

What to notice in Psalm 48

Psalm 48 contains 14 verses and about 223 words in this translation. These observations come from the chapter itself; they are prompts for close reading, not claims about its only possible meaning.

The opening movement

Verse 1 begins: “A Song. A Psalm by the sons of Korah. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, in the city of our God, in his holy mountain.” Ask what situation, voice, image, or argument this opening establishes for everything that follows.

The closing movement

Verse 14 closes: “For this God is our God forever and ever. He will be our guide even to death.” Compare the ending with the opening and note what changed, resolved, intensified, or remained open.

Vocabulary worth tracing

Recurring or prominent content words include city, zion, great, earth, mount, will. Follow where each word appears and whether its meaning shifts with the speaker or setting.

COMMON QUESTIONS

About Psalm 48

Which Bible translation is shown here?+

This page reproduces the World English Bible Protestant edition (WEBP), a modern-English translation dedicated to the public domain.

How should I cite a specific verse?+

Use the book, chapter, and verse—for example, Psalms 48:1—and name the World English Bible if the wording matters. Each verse number above is a direct anchor link.

Does the chapter number define the complete literary unit?+

Not always. Chapter and verse numbers were added for navigation. Check the paragraphs, scenes, poetic stanzas, or argument before and after this chapter.

What kind of Psalm is this?+

Our reading profile emphasizes pilgrimage, with related themes of Pilgrimage, Praise, Kingship. Many Psalms blend genres or move between moods, so this label is a guide rather than a rigid classification.

A SMALL NEXT STEP

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