Psalm 48 8

Psalm 48:8 kjv

As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God: God will establish it for ever. Selah.

Psalm 48:8 nkjv

As we have heard, So we have seen In the city of the LORD of hosts, In the city of our God: God will establish it forever. Selah

Psalm 48:8 niv

As we have heard, so we have seen in the city of the LORD Almighty, in the city of our God: God makes her secure forever.

Psalm 48:8 esv

As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God, which God will establish forever. Selah

Psalm 48:8 nlt

We had heard of the city's glory,
but now we have seen it ourselves ?
the city of the LORD of Heaven's Armies.
It is the city of our God;
he will make it safe forever. Interlude

Psalm 48 verses

Psalm 48 8 Meaning

Psalm 48:8 expresses a profound confirmation of God's promises through tangible experience. What God's people had "heard" through prophecy, tradition, and divine Word, they have now "seen" enacted in reality within Jerusalem, the "city of the LORD of hosts." This visual and experiential verification underscores God's faithfulness and power, leading to the confident declaration that God Himself will establish His city forever, guaranteeing its eternal security by His sovereign decree.

Psalm 48 8 Context

Psalm 48 is a hymn celebrating Zion as the beautiful, invincible city of God, often referred to as one of the "Songs of Zion." The psalm's immediate context is one of divine deliverance. Verses 4-7 vividly describe how kings gathered against Jerusalem, were struck with terror by God's presence, and fled in disarray, much like ships broken by a powerful east wind. This dramatic defeat of enemies is an observable act of God's protective power. Therefore, Psalm 48:8 acts as the confident theological conclusion drawn from this recent, verifiable experience. It shifts from reporting a historical event to a timeless declaration of God's eternal commitment to His chosen dwelling place. The historical background could align with various divine interventions, such as King Hezekiah's prayer and the angelic defeat of Sennacherib's Assyrian army (2 Ki 19; Isa 37), or other times of Judah's defense against invaders, demonstrating God's unique sovereignty over His city, unlike the fate of cities protected by impotent pagan deities.

Psalm 48 8 Word analysis

• As we have heard (כְּפִי שֶׁשָּׁמַעְנוּ - kephi shesham'anu): The Hebrew phrase kephi means "according to the mouth of" or "just as." Sham'anu is from the verb shama (to hear), indicating the act of receiving oral tradition, prophetic declaration, divine promises, or previous historical accounts. It implies faith based on God's communicated word and prior covenant experiences. This is the realm of divine revelation received by the ear and mind.
• so have we seen (כֵּן רָאִינוּ - ken ra'inu): Ken means "so, thus, exactly so." Ra'inu is from the verb ra'ah (to see), denoting direct, personal, visual observation and experiential verification. This is the realm of tangible manifestation and historical event. The phrase signifies a divine vindication: what was spoken has been demonstrated; prophecy has met fulfillment.
• in the city of the LORD of hosts (בְּעִיר יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת - be'ir YHVH Tzva'ot): "The city" specifically refers to Jerusalem/Zion, the dwelling place of God on Earth. "LORD of hosts" (Yahweh Sabaoth) is a powerful divine title emphasizing God's omnipotence and supreme authority, portraying Him as the commander of all heavenly and earthly armies. This signifies His unmatched power and ensures the city's invincibility because its protector is the Almighty Commander.
• in the city of our God (בְּעִיר אֱלֹהֵינוּ - be'ir Eloheinu): This phrase is a restatement for emphasis and personal identification, strengthening the concept of God's proprietorship and special relationship with this particular city and its inhabitants. "Our God" stresses the covenantal intimacy and relationship.
• God will establish it forever (אֱלֹהִים יְכוֹנְנֶהָ עַד עוֹלָם - Elohim yekonenāh ad 'olam): "God" (Elohim) as the active subject, powerful and faithful. Yekonenāh is from the verb kun (to establish, set up, make firm, fix firmly, prepare, secure). It conveys a sense of strong, enduring foundation and divine action. "Forever" (ad 'olam) denotes eternity, indicating an unchangeable, everlasting decree by God, not contingent on human efforts or strength. This declares God's ultimate plan for Jerusalem's stability and perpetuation.
• Selah (סֶלָה): A technical or musical term, often indicating a pause for reflection or emphasizing the preceding statement. It prompts the reader to consider the profundity of God's eternal establishment of His city.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "As we have heard, so have we seen": This phrase encapsulates a fundamental biblical principle: the reliability of God's spoken word verified by observable events. It signifies a transition from expectant faith in promises to assured faith confirmed by experience, demonstrating God's absolute trustworthiness and consistency in His actions across history. This direct correspondence is a strong polemic against the unfulfilled promises of pagan deities.
• "in the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God": This double designation strongly identifies Jerusalem as divinely owned and protected. "LORD of hosts" emphasizes God's sovereign power and capacity to defend, while "our God" highlights His intimate, covenantal relationship with His people in that specific place. The security of Jerusalem is rooted entirely in God's character and power, not its fortifications or military might.
• "God will establish it forever": This is a powerful declaration of divine purpose and ultimate destiny. It asserts God's unwavering intention and capability to ensure the perpetual existence and security of Zion. It speaks to God's eternal faithfulness and power over time and events, guaranteeing its unshakable nature against all adversaries.

Psalm 48 8 Bonus section

• The experiential nature of faith: This verse strongly highlights faith moving from reception ("heard") to verification ("seen"). True faith in God is not a blind leap, but an active trust continually affirmed by His manifest character and actions in the world. It provides a basis for continued trust in what has not yet been seen, given what has already been proven.
• Polemics against other gods: In the ancient Near East, a god's power was often measured by the stability of their city or temple. Many great cities fell to conquerors. The unwavering security of Jerusalem, preserved by the "LORD of hosts," served as undeniable proof of the incomparability of Yahweh over the local deities of surrounding nations, whose cities and empires eventually crumbled.
• Zion as a type and shadow: While Psalm 48 refers to the earthly city of Jerusalem, it also foreshadows the New Jerusalem (Rev 21-22) and God's eternal, unshakeable kingdom (Heb 12:28). The earthly stability God granted to Zion served as a divine guarantee for His ultimate eternal dwelling with His people in a perfect and everlasting state.

Psalm 48 8 Commentary

Psalm 48:8 encapsulates the essence of biblical faith: the fulfillment of God's Word in tangible reality. The generation singing this psalm bore witness to divine interventions, seeing with their own eyes the very things about which earlier generations had taught and prophets had foretold. This is not merely an abstract belief, but an experiential conviction that God is true to His promises. The confidence in God's enduring establishment of Jerusalem ("forever") is not based on wishful thinking but on the witnessed, historical reality of God's protecting presence. This provides assurance that just as God acted in the past, so He will continue to act, guaranteeing Zion's eternal security. It serves as a profound affirmation for believers that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is indeed the sovereign "LORD of hosts" who upholds His covenants. This assurance points ultimately to the unshakeable nature of God's spiritual kingdom and the New Jerusalem where He will eternally dwell with His people.