His foundation is in the holy mountains. The LORD loves Zion's gates more than all Jacob's dwellings. Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God. I will mention Rahab and Babylon among those who know Me; Philistia, Tyre, and Ethiopia were born there. Of Zion it will be said, 'This one and that one were born in her.' The LORD records the peoples. All my springs are in you.
Read Psalms Chapter 87 Summary
Original
Characters in This Chapter
David
Primary author of the Psalms, writing about half of the collection
Asaph
Levitical musician who wrote twelve psalms about suffering and God's justice
Moses
Author of Psalm 90, reflecting on God's eternity and human frailty
Korah
Levite who Rebelled Against Moses
Jacob
Father of the Twelve Tribes of Israel
Rahab
Woman of Jericho who hid the spies
Places in This Chapter
Babylon
View on MapBabylon was the capital of the Neo-Babylonian Empire and a symbol of human pride and rebellion against God. King Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem and took the Jews into exile here for 70 years. Daniel and his friends served in the Babylonian court. The Tower of Babel, where God confused human language, was built in this region. In Revelation, Babylon symbolizes worldly power opposed to God.
Position in Book
Book IChapters 1-41
Book IIChapters 42-72
Book IIIChapters 73-89
Mostly Asaph's psalms, wrestling with suffering and God's faithfulness to His covenant.
Book IVChapters 90-106
Book VChapters 107-150
Bible Bites
'The apple of my eye' comes from the Bible
The everyday phrase 'the apple of my eye', meaning someone deeply cherished, comes straight from Scripture: 'Keep me as the apple of your eye' (Psalm 17:8). Many common English sayings, from 'a drop in the bucket' to 'the writing on the wall,' were born in the Bible.
Psalm 17:8The Longest Book by Chapter Count
With 150 chapters (psalms), the book of Psalms contains more chapters than any other book in the Bible. These ancient songs range from the shortest chapter in Scripture (Psalm 117 with just 2 verses) to the longest (Psalm 119 with 176 verses).
PsalmsNobody knows what 'Selah' means
The little word 'Selah' appears about 74 times in the Psalms, and its exact meaning has been lost. It may signal a musical pause, a swelling of the instruments, or a moment to stop and reflect. After thousands of years, it remains one of the Bible's small unsolved mysteries.
Psalms