Psalm 48:12 kjv
Walk about Zion, and go round about her: tell the towers thereof.
Psalm 48:12 nkjv
Walk about Zion, And go all around her. Count her towers;
Psalm 48:12 niv
Walk about Zion, go around her, count her towers,
Psalm 48:12 esv
Walk about Zion, go around her, number her towers,
Psalm 48:12 nlt
Go, inspect the city of Jerusalem.
Walk around and count the many towers.
Psalm 48 12 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Psa 48:1 | Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in his holy mountain. | God's greatness and presence in Zion |
| Psa 48:3 | God is in her citadels; he has shown himself a stronghold. | God as Jerusalem's defender |
| Psa 87:2 | The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwelling places of Jacob. | God's special affection for Zion |
| Psa 125:1 | Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. | Security and steadfastness in God |
| Isa 26:1 | We have a strong city; he sets up salvation as walls and bulwarks. | God as the builder of salvation-walls |
| Isa 33:20 | Look upon Zion, the city of our appointed feasts! Your eyes will see Jerusalem, a quiet habitation, an immovable tent… | Zion's secure dwelling and future |
| Neh 3:1-32 | (Entire chapter describing the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls and gates.) | Restoration and strength of city walls |
| Jer 31:38-40 | Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when the city shall be rebuilt for the Lord from the Tower of Hananel to the Gate of the Corner… | Future restoration and divine design of Jerusalem |
| Zeph 3:14-15 | Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion… The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst. You shall never again fear evil. | God's protective presence in Zion |
| Zec 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 dwelling and faithfulness to Zion |
| Psa 46:4 | There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. | Divine provision for God's city |
| Psa 99:2 | The Lord is great in Zion; he is exalted above all the peoples. | God's sovereign greatness in Zion |
| Lam 2:8 | The Lord determined to lay in ruins the wall of the daughter of Zion… | Lament over Zion's destroyed walls (contrast) |
| Isa 60:18 | Violence shall no more be heard in your land… You shall call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise. | New Jerusalem's eternal peace and glory |
| Joel 3:17 | So you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who dwells in Zion, my holy mountain… | God's enduring dwelling in Zion |
| Heb 12:22-24 | But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem… | Believers in spiritual heavenly Zion |
| Rev 21:10-27 | And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God… | Description of the New Jerusalem's defenses |
| Eph 2:19-22 | So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God… | The Church as God's spiritual building/city |
| 1 Cor 3:9 | For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building. | Believers as God's spiritual construction |
| Psa 2:6 | “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.” | God's appointment of His King on Zion |
| Rev 14:1 | Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000… | Christ and His redeemed on Mount Zion |
| Matt 16:18 | ...on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. | Church's spiritual impregnability |
Psalm 48 verses
Psalm 48 12 Meaning
Psalm 48:12 serves as an invitation to behold and appreciate the enduring strength and divine protection of Jerusalem, specifically Mount Zion. It urges observers to meticulously survey the city's defenses—its walls and towers—as a testimony to God's preserving power. The command to "walk about Zion" and "count her towers" is an exhortation to recognize the security that flows not from human might alone, but from the presence of the Almighty within His holy city. It signifies an awe-filled examination meant to confirm God's steadfast care and the city's invulnerability under His watch.
Psalm 48 12 Context
Psalm 48 is a hymn celebrating Jerusalem as the city of God, dwelling place of the King, and the object of divine favor and protection. The surrounding verses in Psalm 48 highlight God's power and greatness, His dwelling in Zion, and how kings who came against her were astonished and fled (Psa 48:4-7). This implies a historical context where Jerusalem faced external threats but was divinely preserved. Verse 12 serves as a confident exclamation following such deliverance, inviting the populace to survey the intact defenses of the city as proof of God's miraculous intervention. Historically, this could resonate with events like Sennacherib's siege of Jerusalem (Isa 36-37), where the city was remarkably saved by divine action. The psalm emphasizes that Jerusalem's strength is ultimately rooted in the presence of God within its walls.
Psalm 48 12 Word analysis
- Walk about (סַבְבוּ, sāḇəḇū): This is from the Hebrew verb סָבַב (savav), meaning "to go around, to encircle, to survey." It's an active command, implying a deliberate, comprehensive inspection, not a casual stroll. The intent is to observe carefully.
- Zion (צִיּוֹן, Tziyon): Initially the name of the Jebusite stronghold conquered by David, it became synonymous with Jerusalem, especially the Temple Mount, as the seat of God's presence and kingdom. It symbolizes God's dwelling place, His people, and the spiritual center of His rule.
- go around her (הַקִּיפֻהָ, haqqîfūhā): Derived from the verb נָקַף (naqaf), meaning "to surround, to encompass, to make a circuit." This phrase reinforces "walk about," emphasizing a complete perimeter inspection. It suggests a thorough examination of every side.
- count (סִפְרוּ, sif'rū): From the verb סָפַר (sāfar), "to count, to number, to tally, to recount." This is not merely an inventory, but an appraisal. It implies acknowledging and valuing the impressive number and robust nature of the city's defenses. It's an invitation to appreciate the scale of protection.
- her towers (מִגְדָּלֶיהָ, mig'daleyhā): These are fortified watchtowers, essential components of ancient city defenses, signifying strength, surveillance, and protection. Symbolically, they represent the impenetrable security God provides.
- "Walk about Zion, go around her": This dual command emphasizes the necessity of a thorough and detailed inspection. It's a directive to experience firsthand the physical evidence of God's protection. The repetition underscores the urgency and importance of the observation. It's a sensory command to witness divine work.
- "count her towers": This instruction specifies the focus of the observation: the defensive structures. By "counting" them, one is meant to grasp the extensive nature of the city's fortifications, implying that its strength is not accidental or temporary but well-established and Divinely secured.
Psalm 48 12 Bonus section
The act of "counting towers" might also carry a subtle polemical undertone against pagan beliefs in a time when city-states relied on their patron gods for protection. This psalm declares that Zion's invulnerability is due to Yahweh, the one true God, not a territorial deity or the strength of its army. The invitation is a boast not in human fortifications, but in the divine hand behind them, which preserves the city unlike any pagan god could. It's a statement of faith in a God who keeps His covenant promises to protect His dwelling place and His people. The "counting" becomes a census of divine faithfulness.
Psalm 48 12 Commentary
Psalm 48:12 is a triumphal invitation for all to survey Jerusalem, specifically its formidable towers, not just for their architectural grandeur but as a testament to God's active protection. The psalm encourages an intimate physical engagement with the city's defenses to internalize the truth of God's presence and safeguarding power. It's a challenge to skepticism, an open display of Zion's enduring stability, which stems directly from God's presence (Psa 48:3). This confidence transcends human military prowess, rooting itself entirely in the divine. Practically, it calls believers today to "walk about" the spiritual Zion (the Church), observing the enduring strength, resilience, and growth that God provides, reminding us to count the "towers" of His grace, His Word, and His faithfulness, confirming His eternal reign and protection over His people.