שִׁיר מִזְמוֹר לִבְנֵי קֹרַח

A song, a psalm by the sons of Korah.

גָּדוֹל ה' וּמְהֻלָּל מְאֹד בְּעִיר אֱלֹהֵינוּ הַר קָדְשׁוֹ

The Lord is great and exceedingly praised when He appears in the city of our God, Jerusalem, and particularly when He appears on His holy mountain, the Temple Mount.

יְפֵה נוֹף מְשׂוֹשׂ כָּל הָאָרֶץ הַר צִיּוֹן יַרְכְּתֵי צָפוֹן קִרְיַת מֶלֶךְ רָב

Beautiful in its views, joy of all the world. Nof, translated here as “views,” refers literally to the foliage of a tree. But the expression “beautiful foliage” is expanded to allude to the beauty of the entire city. The entire world sees Jerusalem as a paradigm of magnificence, whose pinnacle is Mount Zion, apparently a reference to the Temple Mount, as well as the northern summit, which contained palaces and, later, defense fortifications. It is the city of the great king. The “great king” may be a reference to King Solomon, whose palace was apparently situated in this northern part of the city.

אֱלֹהִים בְּאַרְמְנוֹתֶיהָ נוֹדַע לְמִשְׂגָּב

God, through its palaces, referring to Jerusalem’s largest and most exquisite structures, including public buildings and fortifications as well as homes of the wealthy and powerful, is known as its stronghold. For these structures are testimony to the city’s greatness and strength.

כִּי הִנֵּה הַמְּלָכִים נוֹעֲדוּ עָבְרוּ יַחְדָּו

Behold, the kings convened there, passing through the city together.

הֵמָּה רָאוּ כֵּן תָּמָהוּ נִבְהֲלוּ נֶחְפָּזוּ

They saw it in all its splendor and were amazed. They were terrified by its strength; they hastened to leave the city, feeling overwhelmed and even threatened by its might.

רְעָדָה אֲחָזָתַם שָׁם חִיל כַּיּוֹלֵדָה

A fearful trembling seized them there, like the pangs of a woman giving birth,

בְּרוּחַ קָדִים תְּשַׁבֵּר אֳנִיּוֹת תַּרְשִׁישׁ

or like the terror of a seafarer who experiences an east wind that breaks the ships of Tarshish. Although the east wind is rarely dangerous, it can acquire gale force during a severe storm, becoming powerful enough to destroy large ships. “Ships of Tarshish” were large, sturdy vessels built for long voyages, as Tarshish was a faraway port. Some say it was in Spain; others place its location in the eastern Mediterranean.

כַּאֲשֶׁר שָׁמַעְנוּ כֵּן רָאִינוּ בְּעִיר ה' צְבָאוֹת בְּעִיר אֱלֹהֵינוּ אלֹהִים יְכוֹנְנֶהָ עַד עוֹלָם סֶלָה

Those people who visit Jerusalem exclaim: As we have heard about Jerusalem in our home countries, so we have seen with our own eyes in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God; may God establish it forever, Selah.

דִּמִּינוּ אֱלֹהִים חַסְדֶּךָ בְּקֶרֶב הֵיכָלֶךָ

Having witnessed the splendor of Jerusalem, we envisage a very different aspect of Godliness in Jerusalem, namely, Your kindness, God, which we do not see here, but is revealed in the midst of Your Sanctuary.

כְּשִׁמְךָ אֱלֹהִים כֵּן תְּהִלָּתְךָ עַל קַצְוֵי אֶרֶץ צֶדֶק מָלְאָה יְמִינֶךָ

As with Your name, God, so Your praise, which people declare, is widespread and reaches to the ends of the earth. Your right hand is filled with righteousness. The image of God’s “right hand” represents His power as well as His upright justice, an allusion to His faithfulness to His covenant.

יִשְׂמַח הַר צִיּוֹן תָּגֵלְנָה בְּנוֹת יְהוּדָה לְמַעַן מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ

Let Mount Zion be glad; let the daughters of Judah rejoice because of Your judgments.

סֹבּוּ צִיּוֹן וְהַקִּיפוּהָ סִפְרוּ מִגְדָּלֶיהָ

What follows is a call directed to those coming to Jerusalem: Go about Zion, the Temple Mount, which was surrounded by its own wall, and encircle it; count all its towers, the towers of the city as a whole.

שִׁיתוּ לִבְּכֶם לְחֵילָה פַּסְּגוּ אַרְמְנוֹתֶיהָ לְמַעַן תְּסַפְּרוּ לְדוֹר אַחֲרוֹן

Pay attention to its ramparts and climb up to its palaces, so you may tell of it to the next generation. Go from place to place so that you will be able to describe fully Jerusalem’s greatness and glory.

כִּי זֶה אֱלֹהִים אֱלֹהֵינוּ עוֹלָם וָעֶד הוּא יְנַהֲגֵנוּ עַל מוּת

Because Jerusalem is “the city of our God” and not merely the capital of a small country, the psalmist concludes with the following words: For this is God, our God, forever and ever. He will guide us forever, even beyond death.