Psalm 147:12 kjv
Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem; praise thy God, O Zion.
Psalm 147:12 nkjv
Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem! Praise your God, O Zion!
Psalm 147:12 niv
Extol the LORD, Jerusalem; praise your God, Zion.
Psalm 147:12 esv
Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem! Praise your God, O Zion!
Psalm 147:12 nlt
Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem!
Praise your God, O Zion!
Psalm 147 12 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 147:1 | Praise the LORD! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and praise is lovely. | Similar call to praise at Psalm's beginning. |
| Ps 149:1 | Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, His praise in the assembly of the godly! | Exhortation to communal praise. |
| Ps 100:4 | Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise! Give thanks to Him; bless His name! | Direct call for temple worship, Jerusalem's function. |
| Ps 9:11 | Sing praises to the LORD, who dwells in Zion! Declare among the peoples His deeds! | Connecting praise with God's dwelling in Zion. |
| Isa 2:3 | ...For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. | Jerusalem/Zion as source of divine truth, deserving praise. |
| Isa 60:14 | ...and they shall call you the City of the LORD, Zion of the Holy One of Israel. | Identity of Jerusalem as God's chosen city. |
| Ps 48:1-2 | Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, in the city of our God, His holy mountain... Mount Zion. | Jerusalem and Zion as places for God's deserved praise. |
| Ps 50:2 | Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth. | Zion as the location of God's radiant presence. |
| Joel 2:15 | Blow the trumpet in Zion; consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly. | Zion as the place for sacred convocations and spiritual calls. |
| Zech 8:3 | Thus says the LORD: I have returned to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city... | God's promise to restore and dwell in Zion/Jerusalem. |
| Ps 122:6 | Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! May they be secure who love you! | Emphasis on the significance of Jerusalem to believers. |
| Heb 12:22 | But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem... | Spiritual continuity of Zion/Jerusalem for New Testament believers. |
| Rev 21:2 | And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God... | New Jerusalem as the ultimate dwelling place of God with His people. |
| 1 Pet 2:9 | But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him... | The church, as the new Israel, called to praise God. |
| Ex 15:2 | The LORD is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise Him... | Personal and corporate praise of "my God." |
| Deut 26:17-19 | You have declared today that the LORD is your God... and the LORD has declared today that you are a people for His treasured possession... | Covenantal relationship: "your God" and "His people." |
| Phil 2:9-11 | Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow... | Universal worship and exaltation, echoes 'praise the Lord'. |
| Eph 5:19 | addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart... | New Testament practice of corporate and individual praise. |
| Col 3:16 | Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs... | Praise as an outcome of Christ's word dwelling within the community. |
| Neh 12:43 | And on that day they offered great sacrifices and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy... and the joy of Jerusalem was heard far away. | Rejoicing and praise as a response to God's blessing upon Jerusalem. |
| Ps 137:5-6 | If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill! Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth, if I do not remember you... | Jerusalem's central place in the devotion of the faithful. |
Psalm 147 verses
Psalm 147 12 Meaning
Psalm 147:12 is a fervent call to the covenant community, represented by Jerusalem and Zion, to render heartfelt praise to the Lord (YHWH) and to their own God. It is an exhortation for the gathered people of God, embodied by the holy city, to recognize and declare the greatness, sovereignty, and faithfulness of the Almighty. The verse initiates a series of reasons for this praise, establishing a foundational declaration of worship for the subsequent affirmations of God's power and loving care.
Psalm 147 12 Context
Psalm 147 is a majestic hymn of praise, likely composed after the return from Babylonian exile, as suggested by its opening praise for God who "builds up Jerusalem" (v. 2). The chapter focuses on two primary themes that weave throughout the psalm: God's awesome power over the natural world and His tender care for His chosen people, Israel, especially Jerusalem and Zion.
The preceding verses (1-11) celebrate God's immense power, exemplified by His healing the brokenhearted, numbering the stars, and upholding the humble while casting down the wicked. The verse 12 stands as an explicit, imperative call to Jerusalem and Zion to offer praise. This command acts as a pivotal moment, shifting the focus from God's general acts of providence to His specific and covenantal relationship with His people and their holy city.
Historically, post-exilic Israel found immense comfort and hope in divine promises of restoration for Jerusalem. The city, devastated by conquest, was being rebuilt, representing renewed life and covenant faithfulness. Therefore, the command to praise is not merely a polite suggestion but a resounding declaration from a people experiencing God's rebuilding work, reinforcing their identity as the unique recipients of God's Word and statutes, unlike any other nation (vv. 19-20). The exhortation implies that recognizing God's work of restoration demands their worship. This hymn stands in subtle but firm contrast to any prevailing pagan practices, declaring YHWH alone as the rightful recipient of the holy city's adoration.
Psalm 147 12 Word analysis
- Praise (הַלְלִי / hallelî): An imperative verb, feminine singular, from the root halal, meaning "to praise, boast, commend, shine." The feminine singular form directs the command to Jerusalem and Zion, which are grammatically feminine. It signifies an active, joyful, and public expression of reverence and adoration, not merely passive acknowledgment. The repetition of the command emphasizes its urgency and importance.
- the LORD (יְהוָה / YHWH): The Tetragrammaton, the sacred, unutterable personal name of God, revealing His covenant faithfulness to Israel. Its presence highlights that the praise is directed not to a generic deity, but to the specific God who has historically intervened for and entered into covenant with His people.
- O Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלִָם / Yərûšālaim): The capital city of Judah, chosen by God as the center of His worship and the dwelling place of His temple. It represents not just a physical location but the entire community of Israel residing there and gathered for worship. The vocative address emphasizes a direct, personal appeal to the heart of the nation.
- Praise (הַלְלִי / hallelî): Repeated, reinforcing the previous imperative. This literary device (anaphora) serves to underline the intensity and absolute necessity of this call to worship.
- your God (אֱלֹהָיִךְ / ʾĕlōhāyik): Combines ʾelohim (generic term for God) with a feminine singular suffix "-yik" meaning "your." This possessive emphasizes the unique, intimate, and covenantal relationship between God and His people (represented by Jerusalem/Zion). He is not just a God, but their God, bound to them by steadfast love.
- O Zion (צִיּוֹן / Ṣiyyôn): Often synonymous with Jerusalem, especially referring to the Temple Mount or the fortified hill upon which David's city was built. Spiritually, it signifies the spiritual home of God's people and the dwelling place of God's presence. Its inclusion alongside Jerusalem broadens the scope to encompass both the physical city and its spiritual essence/population.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem! Praise your God, O Zion!": This constitutes a classic example of synonymous parallelism, a hallmark of Hebrew poetry. The phrases mirror each other, reinforcing the same central message: worship is due to YHWH from His holy city. The interchangeable use of "Jerusalem" and "Zion" demonstrates their close association, with "Zion" often emphasizing the sacred, religious aspect of the city, especially its connection to the temple. The parallel titles for God ("the LORD" / "your God") highlight both His transcendent, personal covenant name (YHWH) and His immanent, relational aspect ("your God"), demonstrating the multifaceted nature of the object of their praise. The structure functions as an urgent, collective summons to corporate worship, setting the stage for the specific reasons for praise detailed in the subsequent verses.
Psalm 147 12 Bonus section
The repetitive imperative "Praise!" is a stylistic choice designed to impress upon the hearers the non-negotiable and joyous responsibility of worship. It also implies that praise is not just an internal feeling but an outward declaration, meant to be seen and heard by all. The identification of God as both "the LORD" (YHWH) and "your God" is significant; it bridges the gap between God's transcendent, mighty nature and His immanent, relational bond with His people. This duality encourages both reverential awe and intimate, filial devotion. The summons to Jerusalem and Zion also serves as a polemic against the idolatry of surrounding nations. While other peoples worshipped their various deities tied to specific locales, this psalm firmly anchors praise in YHWH alone as the rightful "God" of their specific and sacred place, challenging any rival claims to sovereignty or worship from false gods or worldly powers.
Psalm 147 12 Commentary
Psalm 147:12 serves as a vibrant liturgical command, calling upon Jerusalem and Zion – symbolic of the entire community of God’s people – to engage in deliberate and joyous praise. This verse encapsulates the foundational truth that worship is the inherent and rightful response of those who belong to the Lord. It underscores God's personal connection to His people ("your God") and their unique status as the beneficiaries of His covenant blessings. The dual mention of "Jerusalem" and "Zion" emphasizes the collective nature of this worship, portraying the city not just as a location but as a living entity, an assembly called to magnify its Creator and Deliverer. It signifies that the praise should emanate from the spiritual and physical heart of God’s redemptive work. This active worship isn't based on obligation but flows from the profound recognition of who God is (the sovereign YHWH) and what He has done, particularly in the restoration and sustainment of His beloved city. It serves as an ongoing example for all who belong to Christ, the new spiritual Jerusalem, to constantly render praise for His manifold mercies.