PS 48 The glory and excellency of the church, ver. 1-3. Which God preserves from her enemies, ver. 4-8. God is praised for this, ver. 9, 10. Who effectually provides for its safety, ver. 11-14 A song and psalm for the sons of Korah.

Verse 1. The city - In Jerusalem. Mountain - In his holy mountain.

Verse 2. The joy - This is spoken prophetically, because the joyful doctrine of the gospel was to go from thence to all nations. The city - Of God, who justly calls himself a great king.

Verse 3. Known - By long experience. Palaces - Possibly he may point at the king's palace and the temple, which was the palace of the king of heaven; which two palaces God did in a singular manner protect, and by protecting them, protected the whole city and people.

Verse 4. The kings - Either those kings confederate against Jehoshaphat, 2 Chron. xx, 1, or the Assyrian princes; whom they vain- gloriously called kings, Isaiah x, 8. Passed - In their march towards Jerusalem.

Verse 5. Saw it - They did only look upon it, but not come into it, nor shoot an arrow there - nor cast a bank against it, 2 Kings xix, 32. Marvelled - At the wonderful works wrought by God.

Verse 6. Fear - At the tidings of Tirhakah's coming against them, 2 Kings xix, 9, and at that terrible slaughter of their army, ver. 35.

Verse 7. Breakest - Thou didst no less violently and suddenly destroy these raging enemies of Jerusalem, than sometimes thou destroyest the ships at sea with a fierce and vehement wind, such as the eastern winds were in those parts.

Verse 8. Heard - The predictions of the prophets have been verified by the events. Establish - God will defend her in all succeeding ages. And so God would have done, if Jerusalem had not forsaken him, and forfeited his protection.

Verse 9. Thought - It hath been the matter of our serious and deep meditation, when we have been worshipping in thy temple.

Verse 10. So - Thou art acknowledged to be such an one as thou hast affirmed thyself to be in thy Word, God Almighty, or All- sufficient, the Lord of hosts, and a strong tower to all that trust in thee. Righteousness - Of righteous actions; by which thou discoverest thy holiness.

Verse 11. Judgments - Upon thine and their enemies.

Verse 12. Tell - He bids them mark well her towers, bulwarks, and palaces, with thankfulness to God, when they should find upon enquiry, that not one of them were demolished.