5 And of Zion it is said: Each one was born in her, And He, the Most High, doth establish her.
but as many as did receive him to them he gave authority to become sons of God -- to those believing in his name, who -- not of blood nor of a will of flesh, nor of a will of man but -- of God were begotten. And the Word became flesh, and did tabernacle among us, and we beheld his glory, glory as of an only begotten of a father, full of grace and truth.
Jesus answered and said to him, `Verily, verily, I say to thee, If any one may not be born from above, he is not able to see the reign of God;' Nicodemus saith unto him, `How is a man able to be born, being old? is he able into the womb of his mother a second time to enter, and to be born?' Jesus answered, `Verily, verily, I say to thee, If any one may not be born of water, and the Spirit, he is not able to enter into the reign of God;
for ye are all sons of God through the faith in Christ Jesus, for as many as to Christ were baptized did put on Christ; there is not here Jew or Greek, there is not here servant nor freeman, there is not here male and female, for all ye are one in Christ Jesus;
being begotten again, not out of seed corruptible, but incorruptible, through a word of God -- living and remaining -- to the age; because all flesh `is' as grass, and all glory of man as flower of grass; wither did the grass, and the flower of it fell away,
And they have sprung up as among grass, As willows by streams of water. This `one' saith, For Jehovah I `am', And this calleth `himself' by the name of Jacob, And this `one' writeth `with' his hand, `For Jehovah,' and by the name of Israel surnameth himself.
Arise, be bright, for come hath thy light, And the honour of Jehovah hath risen on thee. For, lo, the darkness doth cover the earth, And thick darkness the peoples, And on thee rise doth Jehovah, And His honour on thee is seen. And come have nations to thy light, And kings to the brightness of thy rising. Lift up round about thine eyes and see, All of them have been gathered, they have come to thee, Thy sons from afar do come, And thy daughters on the side are supported. Then thou seest, and hast become bright, And thine heart hath been afraid and enlarged, For turn unto thee doth the multitude of the sea, The forces of nations do come to thee. A company of camels covereth thee, Dromedaries of Midian and Ephah, All of them from Sheba do come, Gold and frankincense they bear, And of the praises of Jehovah they proclaim the tidings. All the flock of Kedar are gathered to thee, The rams of Nebaioth do serve thee, They ascend for acceptance Mine altar, And the house of My beauty I beautify. Who `are' these -- as a thick cloud they fly, And as doves unto their windows? Surely for Me isles do wait, And ships of Tarshish first, To bring thy sons from afar, Their silver and their gold with them, To the name of Jehovah thy God, And to the Holy One of Israel, Because He hath beautified thee.
But, ye came to Mount Zion, and to a city of the living God, to the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of messengers, to the company and assembly of the first-born in heaven enrolled, and to God the judge of all, and to spirits of righteous men made perfect, and to a mediator of a new covenant -- Jesus, and to blood of sprinkling, speaking better things than that of Abel!
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Psalms 87
Commentary on Psalms 87 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
PSALM 87
Ps 87:1-7. This triumphal song was probably occasioned by the same event as the forty-sixth [see on Ps 46:1, title]. The writer celebrates the glory of the Church, as the means of spiritual blessing to the nation.
1. His—that is, God's
foundation—or, what He has founded, that is, Zion (Isa 14:32).
is in the holy mountains—the location of Zion, in the wide sense, for the capital, or Jerusalem, being on several hills.
2. gates—for the enclosures, or city to which they opened (Ps 9:14; 122:2; compare Ps 132:13, 14).
3. spoken of thee—or, "in thee," that is, the city of God (Ps 46:4; 48:2).
4. This is what is spoken by God.
to them … me—literally, "for My knowers," they are true worshippers (Ps 36:10; Isa 19:21). These are mentioned as specimens.
this—that is, nation
was born there—Of each it is said, "This was born," or is a native of Zion, spiritually.
5. The writer resumes—
This and that man—literally, "man and man," or many (Ge 14:10; Ex 8:10, 14), or all (Isa 44:5; Ga 3:28).
the highest … her—God is her protector.
6. The same idea is set forth under the figure of a register made by God (compare Isa 4:3).
7. As in a great procession of those thus written up, or registered, seeking Zion (Isa 2:3; Jer 50:5), "the singers" and "players," or pipers, shall precede.
all my springs—So each shall say, "All my sources of spiritual joy are in Thee" (Ps 46:4; 84:6).