RR Psalm 48:1-3 Part 1
Rabbi’s Reflections - Thursday, February 26, 2026
Shalom,
Psalm 48:1 A song, a psalm of the sons of Korah. 2 Great is Adonai, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God—His holy mountain. 3 A beautiful height—the joy of the whole earth—is Mount Zion, on the northern side of the city of the great King.
This Psalm may have been put to music more than any other, and that’s saying a lot. Here are two such efforts from very different styles and time periods. This first link is to a tune I heard as a new believer 44 years ago.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kg-phxnVdM
This next song is performed by Miqedem (or an earlier version with many of the same members) in Jerusalem as described in the RR from February 4th on Psalm 46:1,2. It uses verse 2 as the chorus.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chG6xRsX7ns
“Great” and “greatly” are in the English translation. “Gadol” and “Me’od” are in the original Hebrew. “Gadol” is rightly translated as “great,” while “Me’od” means “very much” or “abundant.” The point being that our praise for our great God should be offered in abundance. This is supported throughout the Bible. Worthy of our attention is Psalm 117, the shortest of all Psalms, which is quoted here in its entirety.
Psalm 117:1 Praise Adonai, all you nations! Glorify Him, all you peoples. 2 For great is His lovingkindness toward us, and Adonai’s truth endures forever. Halleluyah!
The second half of Psalm 48:2 has to do with God’s location. God is to be praised… Psalm 48:2b …in the city of our God—His holy mountain. Directly north of the City of David is the Temple Mount. But I thought that God is everywhere, you know, omnipresent. Yes, He is everywhere, God inhabits the praises of His people. And prophetically speaking, He will inhabit His Holy Temple on Mount Zion.
Habakuk 2:20 But Adonai is in His holy Temple. Let all the land be silent before Him.
Which is it? Are we to shout His praises or keep silent? Again, the answer is “yes” to both options. There will be times to sing praises to the King of kings, and times to be silent in reverence of His holiness.
Zephaniah 1:7 Be silent before Adonai God. For the day of Adonai is at hand! Adonai has prepared a sacrifice, He has consecrated his guests.
Yeshua is that once and for all time sacrifice. It has taken 2,000 years to prepare a people who will sit together with Him at the marriage supper of the Lamb. Revelation 19:7 Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready. Shalom shalom.
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Thu26-Feb-20269th of Adar, 5786
Ex 29:19-372 Ki 25Ps 149-150Jn 21(Heb 6)
Shalom,
Psalm 48:1 A song, a psalm of the sons of Korah. 2 Great is Adonai, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God—His holy mountain. 3 A beautiful height—the joy of the whole earth—is Mount Zion, on the northern side of the city of the great King.
This Psalm may have been put to music more than any other, and that’s saying a lot. Here are two such efforts from very different styles and time periods. This first link is to a tune I heard as a new believer 44 years ago.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kg-phxnVdM
This next song is performed by Miqedem (or an earlier version with many of the same members) in Jerusalem as described in the RR from February 4th on Psalm 46:1,2. It uses verse 2 as the chorus.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chG6xRsX7ns
“Great” and “greatly” are in the English translation. “Gadol” and “Me’od” are in the original Hebrew. “Gadol” is rightly translated as “great,” while “Me’od” means “very much” or “abundant.” The point being that our praise for our great God should be offered in abundance. This is supported throughout the Bible. Worthy of our attention is Psalm 117, the shortest of all Psalms, which is quoted here in its entirety.
Psalm 117:1 Praise Adonai, all you nations! Glorify Him, all you peoples. 2 For great is His lovingkindness toward us, and Adonai’s truth endures forever. Halleluyah!
The second half of Psalm 48:2 has to do with God’s location. God is to be praised… Psalm 48:2b …in the city of our God—His holy mountain. Directly north of the City of David is the Temple Mount. But I thought that God is everywhere, you know, omnipresent. Yes, He is everywhere, God inhabits the praises of His people. And prophetically speaking, He will inhabit His Holy Temple on Mount Zion.
Habakuk 2:20 But Adonai is in His holy Temple. Let all the land be silent before Him.
Which is it? Are we to shout His praises or keep silent? Again, the answer is “yes” to both options. There will be times to sing praises to the King of kings, and times to be silent in reverence of His holiness.
Zephaniah 1:7 Be silent before Adonai God. For the day of Adonai is at hand! Adonai has prepared a sacrifice, He has consecrated his guests.
Yeshua is that once and for all time sacrifice. It has taken 2,000 years to prepare a people who will sit together with Him at the marriage supper of the Lamb. Revelation 19:7 Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready. Shalom shalom.
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Thu26-Feb-20269th of Adar, 5786
Ex 29:19-372 Ki 25Ps 149-150Jn 21(Heb 6)
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