The Eastern Cross/Bible/Psalms/Psalm 86
The Book of Psalms · the Psalter
Psalm 87 in the KJV and most English Bibles
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A Psalm of a Song for the sons of Korah. His foundations are in the holy mountains.
Τοῖς υἱοῖς Κορὲ ψαλμὸς ᾠδῆς. Οἱ θεμέλιοι αὐτοῦ ἐν τοῖς ὄρεσι τοῖς ἁγίοις.
"Her foundations are upon the holy hills" (ver. 1). The Psalm had as yet said nothing of the city: it begins thus, and says, "Her foundations are upon the holy hills." Whose? There can be no doubt that foundations, especially among the hills, belong to some city. Thus filled with the Holy Spirit, and with many…
The Lord loves the gates of Zion, More than all the tabernacles of Jacob.
Ἀγαπᾷ Κύριος τὰς πύλας Σιὼν, ὑπὲρ πάντα τὰ σκηνώματα Ἰακώβ.
"The Lord loveth the gates of Sion more than all the dwellings of Jacob" (ver. 2). I have made the foregoing remarks, that ye may not imagine the gates are one thing, the foundations another. Why are the Apostles and Prophets foundations? Because their authority is the support of our weakness. Why are they gates?…
Glorious things have been spoken of thee, O city of God. Pause.
Δεδοξασμένα ἐλαλήθη περὶ σοῦ ἡ πόλις τοῦ Θεοῦ· διάψαλμα.
"Very excellent things are said of thee, thou city of God" (ver. 3). He was, as it were, contemplating that city of Jerusalem on earth: for consider what city he alludes to, of which certain very excellent things are spoken. Now the earthly city has been destroyed: after suffering the enemy's rage, it fell to the…
I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that know me: Behold also the Philistines, and Tyre, and the people of the Ethiopians: These were born there.
Μνησθήσομαι Ῥαὰβ, καὶ Βαβυλῶνος, τοῖς γινώσκουσί με· καὶ ἰδοὺ ἀλλόφυλοι καὶ Τύρος καὶ λαὸς Αἰθιόπων, οὗτοι ἐγεννήθησαν ἐκεῖ.
A man shall say, Zion is my mother; And such a man was born in her; And the Highest himself has founded her.
Μήτηρ Σιὼν ἐρεῖ ἄνθρωπος, καὶ ἄνθρωπος ἐγενήθη ἐν αὐτῇ, καὶ αὐτὸς ἐθεμελίωσεν αὐτὴν ὁ ὕψιστος.
Listen now to a deep mystery. Rahab is there through Him, through whom also is Babylon, now no longer Babylon, but beginning to be Jerusalem. The daughter is divided against her mother, and will be among the members of that queen to whom is said, "Forget your own people, and your father's house, so shall the king have…
The Lord shall recount it in the writing of the people, And of these princes that were born in her. Pause.
Κύριος διηγήσεται ἐν γραφῇ λαῶν, καὶ ἀρχόντων τούτων τῶν γεγενημένων ἐν αὐτῇ. διάψαλμα.
As though it were said, How do ye know this? All of us have sung these Psalms: and Christ, Man for our sake, God before us, sings within us all. But is this much to say, "before us," of Him who was before heaven and earth and time? He then, born for our sakes a man, in that city, also founded her when He was the Most…
The dwelling of all within thee is as the dwelling of those that rejoice.
Ὡς εὐφραινομένων πάντων ἡ κατοικία ἐν σοί.
So thus, after drawing together and mingling every source of joyous exultation, how does he conclude? "The dwelling as of all that shall be made joyous is in You". As if all made joyous, all rejoicing, shall dwell in that city. Amid our journeyings here we suffer bruises: our last home shall be the home of joy alone.…
Every note is a real passage, quoted word for word from a published English translation, with its source. Nothing here is summarised or written by us. Some verses have many notes and some have none, because the Fathers wrote more on some passages than others.
All of these translations are in the public domain. The passages were matched to their verses by the Historical Christian Commentaries project, which also hosts the full texts we link to. The Fathers are a treasury of the Church's mind, and they are best read alongside the life of the Church: if a passage raises a question, bring it to your priest.