Psalms 48:12 — Word Study
WLCסֹ֣בּוּ צִ֭יּוֹן וְהַקִּיפ֑וּהָ סִ֝פְר֗וּ מִגְדָּלֶֽיהָ׃
BSAZionTsîyôwn [the city of God, a mountain in Jerusalem]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| סֹ֣בּוּ | go around | Verb, Qal, imperative second person masculine plural |
| צִ֭יּוֹן | Zion | Noun proper |
| וְהַקִּיפ֑וּהָ | and go round it | Conjunction, verb hiphil imperative second person masculine plural, suffix |
| סִ֝פְר֗וּ | count | Verb, Qal, imperative second person masculine plural |
| מִגְדָּלֶֽיהָ׃ | towers its | Noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | March around Zion, encircle her, count her towers, |
| KJV | Walk about Zion, and go round about her: tell the towers thereof. |
| ASV | Walk about Zion, and go round about her; Number the towers thereof; |
| YLT | Compass Zion, and go round her, count her towers, |
| WEB | Walk about Zion, and go around her. Number its towers. |
| BBE | Make your way about Zion, and go round it, numbering its towers. |
Where they part company is not significant in meaning or interpretation.
The structure emphasizes the actions directed at Zion, creating a rhythmic and communal call to worship.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbשָׂמַח
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Psalms 48:12
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — Celebrating Ziongenerated
Psalm 48:12 invites the people to march around Zion, a symbol of God's presence, and to recognize its towers and fortifications. This reflects a communal act of reverence and remembrance, as seen in the surrounding verses that celebrate God's judgments and eternal guidance, culminating in a call to pass this knowledge to future generations.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nehemiah 12:31–40 | Then I brought the leaders of Judah up on the wall, and I appointed two great thanksgiving choirs. One was to proceed along the top of the wall to the right, toward the Dung Gate. |
| 2 | Matthew 24:1–2 | As Jesus left the temple and was walking away, His disciples came up to Him to point out its buildings. |
| 3 | Isaiah 33:18–20 | Your mind will ponder the former terror: “Where is he who tallies? Where is he who weighs? Where is he who counts the towers?” |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 3 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — סֹ֣בּוּ, So.bugenerated
The Hebrew word סָבַב (savav) means to turn or go around. It encompasses actions such as surrounding or marching, and can be used both literally and figuratively. The imperative form here calls the people to actively engage in this act of circling Zion.
This word's usage in the context of the psalm suggests a celebration of God's protection and presence in Zion, reinforcing the community's connection to their sacred city.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which aligns with the KJV and ASV in using March for סֹ֣בּוּ.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The verse consists of three main clauses, with the first verb סֹ֣בּוּ (go around) leading the action. The following verbs הַקִּיפ֑וּהָ (and encircle) and סִ֝פְר֗וּ (count) build upon the initial command, creating a rhythmic structure that emphasizes the communal act.
The order of the Hebrew words places emphasis on the actions directed at Zion, highlighting the importance of each command in the context of the psalm.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates סֹ֣בּוּ as εὐφρανθήτω, suggesting a nuance of joy in the act of surrounding Zion. This choice may reflect an interpretative angle, emphasizing the celebratory nature of the procession.
The other words align closely with their Hebrew counterparts, maintaining the overall message of reverence and recognition of Zion's significance.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 48:12 calls the people to march around Zion, to encircle it, and to count its towers. This act of walking around the city serves as a reminder of God's presence and strength, encouraging the community to remember and share this knowledge.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Marching around Zion symbolizes a communal recognition of God's presence and protection over the city, celebrating its significance.
Counting the towers serves as a way to acknowledge the strength and fortifications of Zion, reinforcing the community's identity and faith.
This verse is part of a larger celebration of Zion, where the psalmist emphasizes God's judgments and the joy of the people, creating a narrative of reverence and remembrance.
Zion is often seen as a symbol of God's presence, a place of refuge, and a focal point for worship and community identity in Israel.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How can I actively recognize and celebrate the places or moments where I see God's presence in my life?
- What are some ways I can share the strength and significance of my faith with others?
- In what ways can I be reminded of the importance of community in my spiritual journey?
- How does understanding the history and significance of places like Zion deepen my faith?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early Church Fathers reference this verse to discuss the spiritual significance of Zion and the importance of contemplation and knowledge in faith.
Thence now, by knowledge collecting materials to be the food of contemplation, having embraced nobly the magnitude of knowledge, he advances to the holy recompense of translation hence.Early Church Fathers on Psalms 48 →
Those who have wisely surrounded Zion and embraced it spiritually climb up onto its towers. There they tell of it to those not able to ascend its turrets.… Always the insidious foe has his eye on it,Early Church Fathers on Psalms 48 →
"Set your hearts upon her might" [Psalms 48:12]. Not that you may have the form of godliness, deny the power thereof, [2 Timothy 3:5] but, "upon her might set your hearts.Early Church Fathers on Psalms 48 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 48:12 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleWalk about Zion, and go round about her,.... These words are either an address to the enemies of the church, sarcastically delivered; calling upon them to come, and surround, and besiege Zion, and
Read John Gill on Psalms 48 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryWalk about Zion, and go round about her: tell the towers thereof. Tell the towers thereof - number them, to see that not one is wanting, and that the enemies' formidable invasion has not in the least impaired them.
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 48 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleHe speaketh, either, 1. To the enemies, as triumphing over them. Or rather, 2. To the people of that city and kingdom, who had been eye-witnesses of this glorious work of God, as appears from the following verses. He bids them mark well her towers, bulwarks, and palaces, here, and , not with vain ostentation, or carnal confidence, for he had said that God only was their refuge, ; but with thankfulness to God, when they should find upon inquiry, that not one of them was demolished or any way defaced by so potent an enemy.
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 48 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 48:12 Walk about Zion, and go round about her: tell the towers thereof.Ver. 12. Walk about Sion, and tell the towers thereof] q.d. Are they not still the same and as many as they were before the approach of the enemy? is anything diminished or defaced by the late stage or assault? "Therefore thus saith the Lord concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there," &c., Isaiah 37:33.
Read John Trapp on Psalms 48 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(12) Tell—i.e., count. So in Milton, “Every shepherd tells his tale,” i.e., counts his sheep.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 48 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 12. Walk about Zion] Consider the beauty and magnificence of the temple, count the towers by which it is fortified.
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 48 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleWalk about Zion - This is a call on all persons to go round the city; to take a survey of it; to see how beautiful and how strong it was - how it had escaped all danger, and was uninjured by the
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 48 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible9-13. Here begins the special strain of thanksgiving and praise. We have thought… in the midst of thy temple—The king and people had repaired to the temple to ask counsel of God. See 2 Chronicles 20:3-13, to which this alludes.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Psalms 48 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
March around Zion, encircle her, count her towers,
Walk about Zion, and go around her. Number its towers.
March around Zion, encircle her, count her towers,
Walk around Zion! Encircle it! Count its towers!
Tyndale line
Walk about Zion, and go round about her: tell the towers thereof.
Walk about Zion, and go round about her; Number the towers thereof;
Walk about Zion, and go round about her: tell the towers thereof.
Walk about Zion, and go round her: number her towers.
Compasse about Zion, and goe round about it, and tell the towres thereof.
Strictly literal
Walk about Zion, and go round about her: count the towers thereof;
Compass Zion, and go round her, count her towers,
Surround Zion, and go around her, count her towers,
(48:13) Compass Zion about, and walk round about her; number her towers.
Walk around Mount Zion, go round about her; count her towers,
From the Latin
And their sepulchres shall be their houses for ever. Their dwelling places to all generations: they have called their lands by their names.
Simplified
Go and take a look at Zion. Count the towers as you walk around.
Make your way about Zion, and go round it, numbering its towers.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree closely in wording, with all five Hebrew words matched in the Greek translation. This consistency highlights the shared understanding of the psalm's intent across these traditions.
סֹ֣בּוּ צִ֭יּוֹן וְהַקִּיפ֑וּהָ סִ֝פְר֗וּ מִגְדָּלֶֽיהָ׃
5 of the 5 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Psalms 48:12
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
The Hebrew word סָבַב (savav) means to turn or go around, encompassing a range of actions such as surrounding, marching, and changing direction. It is built from a primitive root and has various applications, both literal and figurative, including transforming or enclosing. The entries detail its uses in different verbal forms, but do not present any significant disagreement among lexicons.
סָבַב vb. turn about, go around, surround
Qal
turn, intrans.
march, or walk, around
go partly round, circle, skirt
make a round, or circuit, go about to
surround, encompass
Niph.
turn oneself against, close round upon
turn round (from a direct course)
esp. of boundary: turn round from, toward
pass. be turned over to, into the power of
Pi. to change, transform, the aspect of the matter
Po‛.
encompass (with protection)
come about, assemble round
march or go about
enclose, envelop
Hiph.
turn (trans.), cause to turn
bring over (i.e. to allegiance)
turn into, of changing name
= bring round, of changing name
cause to go around
surround with (acc.) wall
perh. also encompass (as foe)
Hoph.
be turned, of cart wheel
surrounded, i.e. set, of jewels
base
H5437 סָבַב turn about, go around, surround .. turn, intrans.
. . march, or walk, around
. go partly round, circle, skirt
. make a round, or circuit, go about to
. surround, encompass
. . . turn oneself against, close round upon
. turn round (from a direct course)
. esp. of boundary: turn round from, toward
. pass. be turned over to, into the power of
. to change, transform, the aspect of the matter
. . encompass (with protection)
. come about, assemble round
. march or go about
. enclose, envelop
. . . turn (trans.), cause to turn
. bring over (i.e. to allegiance)
. turn into, of changing name
. = bring round, of changing name
. . cause to go around
. surround with (acc.) wall
. perh. also encompass (as foe)
. . be turned, of cart wheel
. surrounded, i.e. set, of jewels
5437 cabab saw-bab'
a primitive root; to revolve, surround, or border; used in
various applications, literally and figuratively (as
follows):--bring, cast, fetch, lead, make, walk, X whirl, X
round about, be about on every side, apply, avoid, beset
(about), besiege, bring again, carry (about), change, cause to
come about, X circuit, (fetch a) compass (about, round),
drive, environ, X on every side, beset (close, come, compass,
go, stand) round about, inclose, remove, return, set, sit
down, turn (self) (about, aside, away, back).
סָבַב (sa.vav) — to turn: turn.
: turn/bring_around
1) to turn, turn about or around or aside or back or towards, go about or around, surround, encircle, change direction
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to turn, turn about, be brought round, change
1a2) to march or walk around, go partly around, circle about, skirt, make a round, make a circuit, go about to, surround, encompass
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to turn oneself, close round, turn round
1b2) to be turned over to
1c) (Piel) to turn about, change, transform
1d) (Poel)
1d1) to encompass, surround
1d2) to come about, assemble round
1d3) to march, go about
1d4) to enclose, envelop
1e) (Hiphil)
1e1) to turn, cause to turn, turn back, reverse, bring over, turn into, bring round
1e2) to cause to go around, surround, encompass
1f) (Hophal)
1f1) to be turned
1f2) to be surrounded
סָבַב (sa.vav) — to turn: surround.
: surround/go_round
HVqv2mp — Verb · Qal · imperative second person masculine pluralHVqv2mp
צִיּוֹן (Tsiyyôn) refers to Zion, often identified as a mountain in Jerusalem and a symbolic name for the city itself, particularly in prophetic contexts. The term is linked to the Hebrew word for Jerusalem and is noted for meaning 'parched place.' It is consistently recognized across lexicons as a proper noun.
צִיּוֹן 154 n.pr.loc. Ṣiyyôn, Zion
base
H6726 צִיּוֹן Ṣiyyôn, Zion
6726 Tsiyown tsee-yone'
the same (regularly) as 6725; Tsijon (as a permanent
capital), a mountain of Jerusalem:--Zion.
see HEBREW for 06725
צִיּוֹן (tsiy.yon) — Zion.
Zion = "parched place"
another name for Jerusalem especially in the prophetic books
Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)
N-proper — Noun properHNpl
zi'-on (tsiyon; Sion):
1. Meaning of the Word
2. The Zion of the Jebusites
3. Zion of the Prophets
4. Zion in Later Poetical Writings and Apocrypha
5. Omission of Name by Some Writers
6. The Name "Zion" in Christian Times
LITERATURE
1. Meaning of the Word:
A name applied to Jerusalem, or to certain parts of it, at least since the time of David. Nothing certain is known of the meaning. Gesenius and others have derived it from a Hebrew root tsahah, "to be dry"; Delitzsch from tsiwwah, "to set up" and Wetzstein from tsin, "to protect." Gesenius finds a more hopeful suggestion in the Arabic equivalent cihw, the Arabic cahwat signifying "ridge of a mountain" or "citadel," which at any rate suitably applies to what we know to have been the original Zion (compare Smith, HGHL, under the word).
Zion
Sunny; height, one of the eminences on which Jerusalem was built. It was surrounded on all sides, except the north, by deep valleys, that of the Tyropoeon (q.v.) separating it from Moriah (q.v.), which it surpasses in height by 105 feet. It was the south-eastern hill of Jerusalem.
When David took it from the Jebusites (Josh. 15:63; 2 Sam. 5:7) he built on it a citadel and a palace, and it became “the city of David” (1 Kings 8:1; 2 Kings 19:21, 31; 1 Chr. 11:5). In the later books of the Old Testament this name was sometimes used (Ps. 87:2; 149:2;
[JERUSALEM]
monument; raised up; sepulcher
נָקַף (naqaph) is a Hebrew verb with meanings related to striking and surrounding. It can denote striking off or going around, encompassing, or completing a circuit. The entries suggest it covers both violent actions, like cutting down, and more passive ones, like surrounding or encompassing. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons.
[נָקַף] vb. strike off
Niph. and the thickets of the forest shall be struck away
Pi. after my skin, which they have struck off
base
[נָקַף] vb. go around (intrans.)
Qal let feasts go around
Hiph.
go around, surround, encompass
make the round, i.e. complete the circuit
make round, round off (lit.)
base
H5362a נָקַף strike off H5362b נָקַף go around (intrans.) .let feasts go around
. . go around, surround, encompass
. make the round, i.e. complete the circuit
. make round, round off (lit.)
5362 naqaph naw-kaf'
a primitive root; to strike with more or less violence (beat,
fell, corrode); by implication (of attack) to knock together,
i.e. surround or circulate:--compass (about, -ing), cut down,
destroy, go round (about), inclose, round.
נָקַף (na.qaph) — to strike.
1) to strike, strike off
1a) (Piel) to strike off skin
Aramaic equivalent: ne.qash (נְקַשׁ "to knock" H5368)
נָקַף (na.qaph) — to surround.
1) to go around, compass, round
1a) (Qal) to go around
1b) (Hiphil)
1b1) to go around, surround, encompass, enclose
1b2) to make the round, complete the circuit
1b3) to make round, round off
HC/Vhv2mp/Sp3fs — Conjunction · verb hiphil imperative second person masculine plural · suffixHC/Vhv2mp/Sp3fs
סָפַר (safar) is a Hebrew verb meaning to count or recount, with various forms indicating actions like declaring or rehearsing. The noun form סֹפֵר (sofer) refers to a scribe or secretary. The entries highlight its use in contexts of enumeration and record-keeping, but do not present significant disagreement among lexicons.
סָפַר 107 vb. count, Pi. recount, relate
Qal 27
count things, to learn their number
number = take account of, carefully observe and consider, reckon
Niph. be counted, numbered
Pi. 67 recount, rehearse, declare
Pu. be recounted, related, rehearsed
base
סֹפֵר, סוֹפֵר n.m. enumerator, muster-officer, secretary, scribe
base
H5608a סָפַר count, Pi. recount, relate .. count things, to learn their number
. number = take account of, carefully observe and consider, reckon
. be counted, numbered
. recount, rehearse, declare
. be recounted, related, rehearsed
H5608b סֹפֵר, סוֹפֵר enumerator, muster-officer, secretary, scribe
5608 caphar saw-far'
a primitive root; properly, to score with a mark as a tally
or record, i.e. (by implication) to inscribe, and also to
enumerate; intensively, to recount, i.e. celebrate:--commune,
(ac-)count; declare, number, + penknife, reckon, scribe, shew
forth, speak, talk, tell (out), writer.
סָפַר (sa.phar) — to recount.
v
1) to count, recount, relate
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to count (things)
1a2) to number, take account of, reckon
1b) (Niphal) to be counted, be numbered
1c) (Piel) to recount, rehearse, declare
1c1) to recount (something), rehearse
1c2) to talk
1c3) to count exactly or accurately
1d) (Pual) to be recounted, be rehearsed, be related
סֹפֵר (so.pher) — secretary.
1) enumerator, muster-officer, secretary, scribe
1a) enumerator, muster-officer, secretary
1b) learned man, scribe
Aramaic equivalent: sa.pher (סָפִר "scribe" H5613)
HVqv2mp — Verb · Qal · imperative second person masculine pluralHVqv2mp
kount (caphar, manah; psephizo): Used of arithmetical computation "to number" (Ps 139:18; Nu 23:10); also for kathabh, "to reckon," to indicate classification among or identification with, "count for a stranger" (Job 19:15); "count for his enemy" (Job 33:10). In the New Testament the arithmetical computation is less prominent, except in the sense of "calculate," psephizo, sumpsephizo, "to reckon with pebbles," each pebble representing a unit (Lu 14:28; Ac 19:19); of moral estimate, hegeomai and logizomai (Php…
מִגְדָּל (migdal) primarily means 'tower,' indicating a structure that is tall or elevated. It can also refer to an elevated stage or pulpit and, in a figurative sense, to a raised bed of flowers. The word is derived from a root meaning height, and its usage spans various contexts in the Old Testament.
מִגְדָּל n.m. tower
tower
elevated stage, pulpit of wood
raised bed
base
H4026 מִגְדָּל tower . tower
. elevated stage, pulpit of wood
. raised bed
4026 migdal mig-dawl'
also (in plural) feminine migdalah {mig-daw- law'}; from
1431; a tower (from its size or height); by analogy, a
rostrum; figuratively, a (pyramidal) bed of flowers:--castle,
flower, tower. Compare the names following.
see HEBREW for 01431
מִגְדָּל (mig.dal) — (Hananel) Tower.
Combined with cha.nan.el (חֲנַנְאֵל " of Hananel" H2606)
This name means tower
מִגְדָּל (mig.dal) — Tower (of the Hundred).
Combined with me.ah (מֵאָה "hundred" H3968)
This name means tower
מִגְדָּל (mig.dal) — Tower (Of the Ovens).
This name means tower, elevated stage
מִגְדָּל (mig.dal) — tower.
1) tower
1a) tower
1b) elevated stage, pulpit
1c) raised bed
HNcmpc/Sp3fs — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHNcmpc/Sp3fs