Psalm 147:2
ESV
The Lord builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the outcasts of Israel.
NIV
The Lord builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the exiles of Israel.
NASB
The Lord builds up Jerusalem; He gathers the outcasts of Israel.
CSB
The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem; he gathers Israel’s exiled people.
NLT
The Lord is rebuilding Jerusalem and bringing the exiles back to Israel.
KJV
The Lord doth build up Jerusalem: he gathereth together the outcasts of Israel.
NKJV
The Lord builds up Jerusalem; He gathers together the outcasts of Israel.
What does Psalm 147:2 mean?
Please see our chapter commentary on Psalm 147; verse-level content coming soon!Psalm 147:1–6 summons the congregation to praise the Lord in song. For those who love God, offering this type of worship is a pleasure. The psalmist thanks the Lord for restoring Jerusalem (Ezra 1:3–4) and gathering the na-tion's exiles (Ezra 2:1). He describes the Lord as compassionate, all-knowing, and all-powerful.
This psalm praises the Lord God for many of His great acts and attributes. These include His power as shown in the crea-tion of the universe, His authority over weather and nature, His unlimited knowledge, and His mercy, love, and loyal care. Only Israel was privileged to be given God's Word in the years before Christ. The first and last phrases of this psalm are the Hebrew expression halelu-yāh, a command to "praise the Lord!"
