Psalms 87:1 — Word Study
WLCיְ֝סוּדָת֗וֹ בְּהַרְרֵי־ קֹֽדֶשׁ׃
BSAA Psalmmizmôwr of the sonsbên of KorahQôrach A songshîyr He has founded His cityyᵉçûwdâh△ [established, laid the groundwork for, the sacred dwelling place, the holy metropolis] on the holyqôdesh [set-apart] mountainshârâr [hills, lofty peaks]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| יְ֝סוּדָת֗וֹ | foundation his | Noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
| בְּהַרְרֵי־ | [is] among [the] mountains of | Preposition, noun common masculine plural construct |
| קֹֽדֶשׁ׃ | holiness | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | He has founded His city on the holy mountains. |
| KJV | His foundation is in the holy mountains. |
| ASV | His foundation is in the holy mountains. |
| YLT | By sons of Korah. — A Psalm, a song. His foundation [is] in holy mountains. |
| WEB | His foundation is in the holy mountains. |
| BBE | This house is resting on the holy mountain. |
All translations agree on the foundational aspect of God's city as expressed in יְסוּדָת֗וֹ.
The structure is straightforward, with one main clause and a prepositional phrase indicating the location of the foundation.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
1 of 3 occurs nowhere else in the Old Testament — a word chosen on purpose.
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 87:1
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 — The Significance of Ziongenerated
Psalms 87:1 speaks of God's establishment of His city on holy mountains, highlighting the sacredness of Zion. This verse sets the tone for the following verses, which elaborate on God's love for Zion and the glorious identity of the city as the dwelling place of His people. The psalmist emphasizes that Zion is not just a geographical location but a spiritual center of worship and divine presence.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 Chronicles 3:1 | Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the LORD had appeared to his father David. This was the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. |
| 2 | Isaiah 28:16 | So this is what the Lord GOD says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; the one who believes will never be shaken. |
| 3 | Matthew 16:18 | And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. |
| 4 | 1 Corinthians 3:10–11 | By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one must be careful how he builds. |
| 5 | Ephesians 2:20–22 | built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 13 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — יְסוּדָת֗וֹ, ye.su.da.Togenerated
The word יְסוּדָה (ye.su.da) is a feminine noun meaning 'foundation'. It signifies the act of establishing or laying the groundwork for something significant, particularly a city. Its occurrence in this verse underscores the importance of Zion as a chosen place by God.
The construct form with the suffix indicates possession, emphasizing that this foundation belongs to God. The term is crucial in understanding the biblical theme of divine establishment and the significance of holy places.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
In this study, we examine the verse as rendered in the Berean Standard Bible, which aligns with the KJV and ASV in using founded.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main clause is centered around the verb יְסוּדָת֗וֹ, He has founded, which is the focal point of the sentence. The structure includes a prepositional phrase indicating the location of the foundation, followed by a noun phrase that identifies the subject of the action.
The sentence structure emphasizes the act of founding as a significant event, with the holy mountains serving as the backdrop for God's establishment of His city.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates the Hebrew word יְסוּדָת֗וֹ with υἱοῖς (G5207), which means 'sons'. This choice reflects a broader interpretation of the concept of foundation, perhaps indicating a familial or communal aspect of the city.
This translation decision may suggest a focus on the identity of the inhabitants of the city rather than just the physical act of founding.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalms 87:1 tells us that God has established His city on holy mountains. This verse highlights the significance of Zion as a sacred place, emphasizing its importance in the biblical narrative as the dwelling place of God and His people.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It signifies that God has established a special place for His presence and His people, indicating the importance of Zion in the biblical context.
The mountains are considered holy because they are associated with God's presence and serve as a significant location for worship and divine encounters.
This verse connects to themes of divine establishment and the significance of sacred spaces, as seen in other passages like 2 Chronicles 3:1 and Isaiah 28:16.
Zion represents not only a physical location but also a spiritual symbol of God's covenant with His people, as seen throughout the Psalms and prophetic literature.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways do I see God's hand in the establishment of my own life or community?
- How can I better understand the significance of sacred spaces in my faith journey?
- What does it mean for me to be part of God's city today?
- How can I reflect the holiness of God in my daily life?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early commentators, such as Augustine of Hippo, reflect on the significance of Zion's foundations as a symbol of God's establishment of His city.
"Her foundations are upon the holy hills" [Psalms 87:1]. The Psalm had as yet said nothing of the city: it begins thus, and says,Early Church Fathers on Psalms 87 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 87:1 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleHis foundation is in the holy mountains. The Jewish writers connect these words with the title of the psalm, and make the sense to be this; "the foundation" or argument "of it", the psalm, "is
Read John Gill on Psalms 87 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryHis foundation is in the holy mountains. Psalms 87:1-7.-Zion is the city loved and founded by God (Psalms 87:1-3); it is the spiritual birthplace of the nations (Psalms 87:4-7).
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 87 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BiblePsalms 87 THE This Psalm was doubtless composed after the building of the temple; and, as learned men think, and it seems probable, when the people were newly returned out of Babylon, and laboured under many discouragements about the return of most of their brethren, and the difficulties which they met with in the rebuilding of their temple and city. The prophet speaketh of the nature and glory of the endureth and God’ s love to it, ; of the increase, honour, and comfort of the members thereof, . His foundation: whose foundation? Either, 1. The foundation, i.e. the argument or matter, of this Psalm or Song. So these words are thought to be a part of the title, the words lying thus in the…
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 87 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 87:1 « A Psalm [or] Song for the sons of Korah. » His foundation [is] in the holy mountains.A Psalm or Song] Made, likely, by David, after that he had settled the ark in Mount Sion, 2 Samuel 6:1-23, and understood that the temple should be built in Mount Moriah; in which two mountains (or rather one mountain with two tops) the Rabbis say that this psalm was composed, and thereunto they draw the next words, "His foundation," or the argument of this psalm, is in and of those holy mountains. But this seemeth not to be the sense. Ver. 1. His foundation is in the holy mountains] Which cannot be removed, but abide for ever, Psalms 125:1. Some read it, The foundation thereof, viz. of the…
Read John Trapp on Psalms 87 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(1) His foundation.—This abrupt commencement with a clause without a verb has led to the conjecture that a line has dropped away. But this is unnecessary if we neglect the accents, and take gates of Zion in apposition with His foundation:His foundation on the holy hill Loveth Jehovah, (even) Zion’s gates, More than all Jacob’s dwellings. Here His foundation is equivalent to that which He hath founded, and the gates are put by metonymy for the city itself. (Comp. Jeremiah 14:2.) With regard to the plural, mountains, it is probably only poetical, though geographically it is correct to speak of Jerusalem as situated on hills. Dean Stanley speaks of “the multiplicity of the eminences” which the…
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 87 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BiblePSALM LXXXVII The nature and glorious privileges of Zion and Jerusalem, 1-3. No other city to be compared to this, 4. The privilege of being born in it, 5, 6. Its praises celebrated, 7. NOTES ON PSALM LXXXVII The title, A Psalm or Song for the sons of Korah, gives us no light into the author or meaning of this Psalm. It begins and ends so abruptly that many have thought it to be only a fragment of a larger Psalm. This opinion is very likely. Those who suppose it to have been made when Jerusalem was rebuilt and fortified, imagine it to have been an exclamation of the author on beholding its beauty, and contemplating its privileges. If this opinion be allowed, it will account for the apparent…
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 87 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleHis foundation - This is an abrupt commencement of the psalm.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 87 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible1. His foundation—God’s foundation, the ground whereon he rests the temporal structure of his Church, and proposes to accomplish his covenant purposes.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Psalms 87 →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
He has founded His city on the holy mountains.
His foundation is in the holy mountains.
A Psalm of the sons of Korah. A song. He has founded His city on the holy mountains.
The Lord’s city is in the holy hills.
Tyndale line
His foundation is in the holy mountains.
His foundation is in the holy mountains.
His foundation is in the holy mountains.
A Psalm or Song for the sons of Korah. His foundation is in the holy mountains.
A Psalme or song committed to the sonnes of Korah. God layde his foundations among the holy mountaines.
Strictly literal
His foundation is in the mountains of holiness.
By sons of Korah. — A Psalm, a song. His foundation [is] in holy mountains.
A PSALM OF THE SONS OF KORAH. A SONG. His foundation [is] in holy mountains.
“By the sons of Korach; a psalm or song.” It is founded by him on holy mountains.
On the holy mount stands the city he founded;
From the Latin
A canticle of a psalm for the sons of Core: unto the end, for Maheleth, to answer understanding of Eman the Ezrahite.
Simplified
The Lord founded the city on his holy mountain.
This house is resting on the holy mountain.
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 reads יְ֝סוּדָת֗וֹ בְּהַרְרֵי־ קֹֽדֶשׁ׃, and the Septuagint aligns with this wording, confirming the foundational theme in both texts. There are no significant variations between these witnesses.
יְ֝סוּדָת֗וֹ בְּהַרְרֵי־ קֹֽדֶשׁ׃
3 of the 3 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 87:1
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.
יְסוּדָה (ycuwdah) means 'foundation' and is a feminine form of a related word. It specifically refers to the founding of a city, as noted in Psalm 87:1. The entries consistently emphasize its meaning related to foundations.
[יְסוּדָה] n.f. foundation = city founded; ψ 87:1
ref
H3248 יְסוּדָה
3248 ycuwdah, yes-oo-daw'
feminine of 3246; a foundation:--foundation.
see HEBREW for 03246
יְסוּדָה (ye.su.dah) — foundation.
1) foundation
1a) founding of city
N-fs | Suff — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHNcfsc/Sp3ms
הַר (har) refers to a mountain or hill, encompassing the concepts of hill-country and mountain-regions. It is derived from an unused root meaning to loom up, indicating elevation. The entries consistently highlight its use in describing elevated landforms.
הַר 568 n.m. mountain, hill, hill-country
mountain, hill
hill-country, mountain-region
base
H2042 הַר mountain, hill, hill-country
2042 harar haw-rawr'
from an unused root meaning to loom up; a mountain:--hill,
mount(-ain).
הָרָר (ha.rar) — mountain.
mountain, hill, hill country, mount
Another spelling of har (הַר ": mount" H2022)
Prep | N-mp — Preposition · noun common masculine plural constructHR/Ncmpc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
קֹ֫דֶשׁ (qodesh) refers to the concepts of apartness, sacredness, and holiness. It can denote a sacred place or thing, such as the Most Holy Place or a sanctuary. The term emphasizes the idea of being set apart, whether in relation to God, places, or objects.
קֹ֫דֶשׁ 469 n.m. apartness, sacredness
base
H6944 קֹ֫דֶשׁ apartness, sacredness
6944 qodesh ko'-desh
from 6942; a sacred place or thing; rarely abstract,
sanctity:--consecrated (thing), dedicated (thing), hallowed
(thing), holiness, (X most) holy (X day, portion, thing),
saint, sanctuary.
see HEBREW for 06942
קֹ֫דֶשׁ (qo.desh) — holiness.
1) apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness
1a) apartness, sacredness, holiness
1a1) of God
1a2) of places
1a3) of things
1b) set-apartness, separateness
קֹ֫דֶשׁ (qo.desh) — Most Holy Place.
This name means apartness, holiness, sacredness
Also named: hagion (ἅγιον "Most Holy Place" G0039H)
קֹ֫דֶשׁ (qo.desh) — (Way of) Holiness.
Combined with de.rekh (דֶּ֫רֶךְ "Way" H1870H)
This name means apartness, holiness, sacredness
קֹ֫דֶשׁ (qo.desh) — Holy Place.
This name means apartness, holiness, sacredness
Also named: hagion (ἅγιον "Holy Place" G0039)
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
ho'-li-nes (qadhosh, "holy," qodhesh, "holiness"; hagios, "holy"):
I. IN THE OLD TESTAMENT MEANING OF THE TERM
1. The Holiness of God
(1) Absoluteness and Majesty
(2) Ethical Holiness
2. Holiness of Place, Time and Object
3. Holiness of Men
(1) Ceremonial
(2) Ethical and Spiritual
II. IN THE NEW TESTAMENT: THE CHRISTIAN CONCEPTION
1. Applied to God
2. Applied To Christ
3. Applied To Things
4. Applied To Christians
(1) As Separate from the World
(2) As Bound to the Pursuit of an Ethical Ideal
I. In the Old Testament Meaning of the Term.
There has been much discussion as to the original meaning of the Semitic root Q-D-SH, by which the notion of holiness is expressed in the Old Testament. Some would connect it with an Assyrian word denoting purity, clearness; most modern scholars incline to the view that the primary idea is that of cutting off or separation. Etymology gives no sure verdict on the point…
Holiness
In the highest sense belongs to God (Isa. 6:3; Rev. 15:4), and to Christians as consecrated to God’s service, and in so far as they are conformed in all things to the will of God (Rom. 6:19, 22; Eph. 1:4; Titus 1:8; 1 Pet. 1:15). Personal holiness is a work of gradual development. It is carried on under many hindrances, hence the frequent admonitions to watchfulness, prayer, and perseverance (1 Cor. 1:30; 2 Cor. 7:1;
→ General scriptures concerning Ge 17:1; 35:2; Ex 19:6; 22:31; 28:36; 39:30; Le 10:8-10; 11:44,45,47; 19:2; 20:7,26; De 13:17; 14:2; 18:13; 26:19; 28:9; 30:2,10; Jos 7:12,13; Job 5:24; 28:28; 36:21; Ps 4:4; 15:1-5; 24:3-5; 32:2; 37:27; 68:13; 73:1; 85:13; 94:15; 97:10; 119:1-3; Pr 11:23; 12:5; 16:17; 21:8,15,29; 22:1; Ec 7:1; Isa 4:3; 26:2,8,9; 32:17; 35:8…