Psalms 76:2 — Word Study
WLCוַיְהִ֣י בְשָׁלֵ֣ם סֻכּ֑וֹ וּמְע֖וֹנָת֣וֹ בְצִיּֽוֹן׃
BSAto knowyâdaʻ JudahYᵉhûwdâh Godʼĕlôhîym IsraelYisrâʼêl Great (Sea)gâdôwl nameshêm
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וַיְהִ֣י | and it was | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine singular |
| בְשָׁלֵ֣ם | in Salem | Preposition, noun proper |
| סֻכּ֑וֹ | lair his | Noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
| וּמְע֖וֹנָת֣וֹ | and den his | Conjunction, noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
| בְצִיּֽוֹן׃ | in Zion | Preposition, noun proper |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | His tent is in Salem, His dwelling place in Zion. |
| KJV | In Salem also is his tabernacle, and his dwelling place in Zion. |
| ASV | In Salem also is his tabernacle, And his dwelling-place in Zion. |
| YLT | And His tabernacle is in Salem, And His habitation in Zion. |
| WEB | His tabernacle is also in Salem. His dwelling place in Zion. |
| BBE | In Salem is his tent, his resting-place in Zion. |
Where they part company is in stylistic choices regarding the translation of God's dwelling.
The sentence consists of two main clauses, each followed by a prepositional phrase indicating location.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbבְּ
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 76:2
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 — God's Presence in Ziongenerated
Psalm 76:2 highlights the significance of God's dwelling in Salem and Zion, locations that symbolize peace and divine presence. This verse emphasizes the connection between God's habitation and the assurance of His protection over His people, as seen in the surrounding verses that celebrate His might and glory.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Genesis 14:18 | Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine—since he was priest of God Most High — |
| 2 | Hebrews 7:1–2 | This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, |
| 3 | Psalm 132:13–14 | For the LORD has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His home: |
| 4 | 2 Chronicles 6:6 | But now I have chosen Jerusalem for My Name to be there, and I have chosen David to be over My people Israel.’ |
| 5 | Isaiah 12:6 | Cry out and sing, O citizen of Zion, for great among you is the Holy One of Israel.” |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 5 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — סֻכּ֑וֹ, su.Kogenerated
The word סֻכּ֑וֹ (su.Ko) refers to a lair or shelter, often implying a place of safety or protection. The parsing indicates it is a noun in the masculine singular form, suggesting a specific, singular place where God resides.
This term evokes imagery of a temporary dwelling, reminiscent of shelters used by shepherds or travelers, but in this context, it signifies God's protective presence among His people.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The verse's structure centers around two main clauses: וַיְהִ֣י (and it was) introduces the subject, which is God's dwelling, followed by two prepositional phrases that specify the locations of His tent and dwelling.
The Hebrew word order places emphasis on God's tent in Salem before His dwelling in Zion, highlighting the significance of both locations in relation to His presence.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates סֻכּ֑וֹ as θεός (Theos), which indicates a broader interpretation of God's presence as divine rather than just a physical dwelling.
This choice suggests a theological emphasis on God's nature and His role as protector, rather than merely describing a location.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 76:2 tells us that God's tent is in Salem and His dwelling place is in Zion. This verse emphasizes God's presence in these significant locations, symbolizing peace and safety for His people.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It signifies that God resides in a place of peace, which is identified with Jerusalem, a central location for His people.
Zion represents both a physical location in Jerusalem and a symbol of God's chosen people and His protective presence.
The surrounding verses highlight God's power and protection, reinforcing the idea that His presence in Salem and Zion brings safety and assurance.
The term 'lair' suggests a place of shelter and safety, indicating that God provides protection for His people in His dwelling.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How does understanding God's presence in Salem and Zion affect my view of His protection in my life?
- In what ways can I seek refuge in God's dwelling place today?
- What does it mean for me to recognize God as my shelter and protector?
- How can I share the significance of God's presence with others?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early church fathers referenced this verse to discuss God's presence and comfort, illustrating its theological significance.
Thus when we have to face the hard and cruel necessity of death, we are comforted by this consolation, that we shall shortly see again those whose absence we now mourn. For their end is not called death but a slumber and a falling asleep.Early Church Fathers on Psalms 76 →
"And there has been made in peace a place for Him, and His habitation is in Sion" [Psalms 76:2].Early Church Fathers on Psalms 76 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 76:2 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleIn Salem also is his tabernacle,.... That is, in Jerusalem, as the Targum expresses it, where the tabernacle of Moses and the ark of the covenant were, and afterwards the temple of Solomon, which the
Read John Gill on Psalms 76 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryIn Salem also is his tabernacle, and his dwelling place in Zion. In Salem also is his tabernacle. His temple took the place of the "tabernacle" which had originally stood on Zion in David's time.
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 76 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleIn Salem; in Jerusalem, which was anciently called Salem, . Zion; largely so called, as it includes Moriah, an adjoining hill, or another branch of the same hill.
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 76 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 76:2 In Salem also is his tabernacle, and his dwelling place in Zion.Ver. 2. In Salem also is his tabernacle] i.e. In Jerusalem, which was first called Salem, Genesis 14:18 Hebrews 7:1. Secondly, Jebus, 1 Chronicles 11:4 Joshua 15:8; Joshua 18:28. Thirdly, Jerusalem, Joshua 15:63 2 Samuel 5:6, not as if ιερον Sολυμων, or Sολομωντος, Solomon’ s temple (as Hegesippus would have it, and hence likely came the aspiration Hierusalem), but from that famous Jehovahjireh, Genesis 22:14; Genesis 22:2; which Jireh being added to Salem, maketh it Jerusalem, the vision of peace. Here God was pleased to pitch his tabernacle, movable, and mean, in respect of God’ s greatness, 1 Kings 8:27. And his…
Read John Trapp on Psalms 76 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(2) Salem.—The LXX. and Vulgate translate “his place was in peace,” and possibly the poet may use the word Salem with the thought in his mind of the peace won by God for Judah, or, again, it may be only a poet’s preference for an ancient over a modern name; but the identification of the Salem of Gen 14:18 with Jerusalem is too doubtful to allow much weight to this view. (See the whole question discussed in Sir G. Grove’s article on “Salem,” in Smith’s Bibl. Dict.) Tabernacle . . . dwelling-place.—These renderings quite obliterate the image, which is that of a beast of prey crouching ready for its spring. Translate, “In Salem is his covert, And his lair in Sion.” and for these meanings of…
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 76 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 2. In Salem also is his tabernacle] Salem was the ancient name of Jebus, afterward called Jerusalem. Here was the tabernacle set up; but afterwards, when the temple was built on Mount Zion, there was his habitation. The Psalm was evidently composed after the building of Solomon's temple.
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 76 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges2. And he hath set his pavilion in Salem, And his habitation in Zion. For the words pavilion and habitation applied to the Temple see Psalms 27:5; Psalms 68:5. The words may however mean the covert and lair of a lion (Psalms 10:9; Psalms 104:22; Amos 3:4); and it is possible that the Psalmist intends to describe God as the lion of Judah, who has issued forth from His lair, and seized His prey. Cp. Psalms 76:4, and the simile in Isaiah 31:4. Salem is either an old name for Jerusalem (Genesis 14:18), or a poetical abbreviation. The name means ‘unharmed,’ ‘at peace,’ and it is doubtless used with allusion to the recent escape of Zion from destruction (Isaiah 33:20).
Read Cambridge on Psalms 76 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleIn Salem also - This was the ancient name for Jerusalem, and is evidently so used here. It continued to be given to the town until the time of David, when it was called “Jerusalem.” See the notes at Isaiah 1:1.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 76 →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
His tent is in Salem, His dwelling place in Zion.
His tabernacle is also in Salem. His dwelling place in Zion.
His tent is in Salem, His dwelling place in Zion.
He lives in Salem; he dwells in Zion.
Tyndale line
In Salem also is his tabernacle, and his dwelling place in Zion.
In Salem also is his tabernacle, And his dwelling-place in Zion.
In Salem also is his tabernacle, and his dwelling place in Zion.
In Salem also is his tabernacle, and his dwelling place in Zion.
For in Shalem is his Tabernacle, and his dwelling in Zion.
Strictly literal
And in Salem is his tent, and his dwelling-place in Zion.
And His tabernacle is in Salem, And His habitation in Zion.
And His dwelling place is in Salem, || And His habitation in Zion.
(76:3) And in Salem was his tabernacle made, and his dwelling-place in Zion.
His tent is in Salem; his dwelling place is in Zion.
From the Latin
I cried to the Lord with my voice; to God with my voice, and he gave ear to me.
Simplified
He lives in Jerusalem; his home is in Zion.
In Salem is his tent, his resting-place in Zion.
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 show agreement in the core message of God's dwelling in Salem and Zion, although the Septuagint's wording and structure differ from the Hebrew.
וַיְהִ֣י בְשָׁלֵ֣ם סֻכּ֑וֹ וּמְע֖וֹנָת֣וֹ בְצִיּֽוֹן׃
4 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 76:2
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 הָיָה (hayah) is a primitive root meaning to exist or become, and it encompasses a range of meanings including to happen, occur, and come to pass. It is often used in narrative contexts, particularly in phrases like "and it came to pass." The word can also denote a state of being or existence, and it appears frequently in various forms throughout the Old Testament.
הָיָה 3570 vb. fall out, come to pass, become, be
Qal
Fall out, happen
occur, take place, come about, come to pass
esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass
וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)
rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה
less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)
Come into being, become
abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come
sq. prep.
become
sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)
sq. pred. adj.
become like
sq. pred. לְ pers.
sq. לְ pred.
oft. c. לְ pred. לְ pers.
with עַל and לְ
sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of
Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming)
exist, be in existence
abide, remain, continue
with word of locality, be in or at a place, be situated, stand, lie
as copula, joining subj. & pred.
H1961 הָיָה fall out, come to pass, become, be .. . . Fall out, happen
. occur, take place, come about, come to pass
. esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass . . וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)
. rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה
. less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)
. Come into being, become . . abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come
. sq. prep.
. become . sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)
. sq. pred. adj.
. become like
. sq. pred. + לְ pers.
. sq. לְ pred.
. oft. c. לְ pred. + לְ pers.
. with עַל and לְ
. sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of
. Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming) . exist, be in existence
. abide, remain, continue
1961 hayah haw-yaw
a primitive root (compare 1933); to exist, i.e. be or become,
come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or
auxiliary):--beacon, X altogether, be(-come), accomplished,
committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint,
fall, + follow, happen, X have, last, pertain, quit
(one-)self, require, X use.
see HEBREW for 01933
הָיָה (ha.yah) — to be.
1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out
1a) (Qal)
1a1) ---
1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass
1a1b) to come about, come to pass
1a2) to come into being, become
1a2a) to arise, appear, come
1a2b) to become
1a2b1) to become
1a2b2) to become like
1a2b3) to be instituted, be established
1a3) to be
1a3a) to exist, be in existence
1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time)
1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality)
1a3d) to accompany, be with
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to occur, come to pass, be done, be brought about
1b2) to be done, be finished, be gone
Hc/Vqw3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singularHc/Vqw3ms
שָׁלֵם (Shalem) refers to a peaceful place and is an early name for Jerusalem, associated with Melchizedek. The entries indicate that it is closely linked to the concept of peace and is considered by many Jewish commentators to be the same as Jerusalem. The term is abbreviated in some lexicons.
שָׁלֵם n.pr.loc. abbrev.
base
H8004 שָׁלֵם abbrev.
8004 Shalem shaw-lame'
the same as 8003; peaceful; Shalem, an early name of
Jerusalem:--Salem.
see HEBREW for 08003
שָׁלֵם (sha.lem) — Salem.
Salem = "peace"
the place of which Melchizedek was king
most Jewish commentators affirm that it is the same as Jerusalem
Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)
HR/Npl — Preposition · noun properHR/Npl
Salem
Peace, commonly supposed to be another name of Jerusalem (Gen. 14:18; Ps. 76:2; Heb. 7:1, 2).
(peace). The place of which Melchizedek was king. (Genesis 14:18; Hebrews 7:1,2) No satisfactory identification of it is perhaps possible. Two main opinions have been current from the earliest ages of interpretation: (1). That of the Jewish commentators, who affirm that Salem is Jerusalem, on the ground that Jerusalem is so called in (Psalms 76:2) Nearly all Jewish commentators hold this opinion. (2). Jerome, however, states that the Salem of Melchizedek was not Jerusalem, but a town eight Roman miles south of Scythopolis, and gives its then name as Salumias, and identifies it with Salem, where John baptized. (Psalms 76:2) it is agreed on all hands that Salem is here…
complete or perfect peace
סֹךְ (sokh) refers to a thicket or lair, suggesting a place of concealment or shelter. It is derived from the root meaning related to entwined boughs, and can also denote a booth or tabernacle. The entries consistently emphasize its association with protective or hidden spaces.
[סֹךְ] n.[m.] thicket, covert, lair
base
H5520 סֹךְ thicket, covert, lair
5520 cok soke
from 5526; a hut (as of entwined boughs); also a lair:--
covert, den, pavilion, tabernacle.
see HEBREW for 05526
סֹךְ (sokh) — lair.
thicket, lair, covert, booth
HNcmsc/Sp3ms — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHNcmsc/Sp3ms
מְעֹנָה (meonah) refers to a den or lair, particularly of wild beasts, and can also signify a dwelling or habitation, including a figurative sense of God as a refuge for His people. It is derived from the related word מָעוֹן (maon), which shares similar meanings.
מְעֹנָה n.f. id.
[p.bj.ac]den, lair of wild beasts
fig. the ancient God is a dwelling-place (for his people)
base
H4585 מְעֹנָה id. . den, lair of wild beasts
. fig. the ancient God is a dwelling-place (for his people)
4585 m`ownah meh-o-naw'
or msonah {meh-o-naw'}; feminine of 4583, and meaning the
same:--den, habitation, (dwelling) place, refuge.
see HEBREW for 04583
מְעֹנָה (me.o.nah) — habitation.
1) dwelling, habitation, refuge
1a) den, lair (of animals)
1b) dwelling-place (of God) (fig.)
HC/Ncfsc/Sp3ms — Conjunction · noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHC/Ncfsc/Sp3ms
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)
HR/Npl — Preposition · noun properHR/Npl
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