What does Psalm 147:2 mean?
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.
Verse Commentary:
Verse Context:
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.
Chapter Summary:
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!"
Chapter Context:
In Hebrew, only the psalms use the phrase halelu-yāh, which literally means "praise the Lord!" Psalm 147 begins and ends with this phrase. This song uses many images and themes seen across the other psalms. Zion is Jerusalem, the capital of Israel (2 Samul 5:7; 1 Kings 8:1). God gave Jacob the new name Israel, and Jacob's sons became the tribes of that nation. Only these people—God's cho-sen people (Deuteronomy 7:6)—were privileged to receive His statements in the Old Testament era (Exodus 19:5–6). References to the restoration of Jerusalem (Ezra 1:3–4) and the gathering of exiles (Ezra 2:1) refer to the return from Babylonian captivity (2 Chronicles 36:17–21).
Book Summary:
The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.
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