|
| << 2 King 17 | ||
| << 2 Chron 28 | ||
| << Psa 47 | ||
| This is the New King James text of the passages. |
Hezekiah, King of Judah...an overview (II Kings 18:1-8; II Chronicles 29:1-2)
II Kings 18 |
II Chronicles 29 |
| 1 Now it came to pass in the third year of Hoshea the son of Elah, king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz, king of Judah, began to reign. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah. 3 And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father David had done. 4 ¶ He removed the high places and broke the sacred pillars, cut down the wooden image and broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made; for until those days the children of Israel burned incense to it, and called it Nehushtan. 5 He trusted in the LORD God of Israel, so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor who were before him. 6 For he held fast to the LORD; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the LORD had commanded Moses. 7 The LORD was with him; he prospered wherever he went. And he rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him. 8 He subdued the Philistines, as far as Gaza and its territory, from watchtower to fortified city. |
1 Hezekiah became king when he was twenty-five years old, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abijah the daughter of Zechariah. 2 And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father David had done. |
These verses give a brief overview regarding the reign of Hezekiah; beginning with II Chronicles 29:3 (see below), we get a lot more detail. At this point in time, Israel (Northern Kingdom) is in its last days under its last king, Hoshea. Here's King Hezekiah of Judah; he serves God and does something that few of his fathers did - tears down the "high places," those pagan altars, and even gets rid of the "wooden image" (Hebrew: Asherah) which were altars to the Phoenician goddess. Moreover, he broke down that bronze serpent the people had begun to worship - you know...the one Moses had made back in Numbers 21:4-9 (see notes). I'm kinda surprised they still had it. He beats back the Philistines and rebels against the Assyrians - the mighty Assyrians.
A Summary of King #13 from 715 to 686 B.C. over Judah: Hezekiah |
||
| References | The Good | The Bad |
II Kings 18-20 |
II Kings 18:3-6 II Chronicles 29:2 And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father David had done. |
Not specified - He was a good king. |
Shalmaneser, King of Assyria, takes Samaria (II Kings 18:9-12)
9 ¶ Now it came to pass in the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea the son of Elah, king of Israel, that Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria and besieged it.
10 And at the end of three years they took it. In the sixth year of Hezekiah, that is, the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken.
11 Then the king of Assyria carried Israel away captive to Assyria, and put them in Halah and by the Habor, the River of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes,
12 because they did not obey the voice of the LORD their God, but transgressed His covenant and all that Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded; and they would neither hear nor do them.
Here's that time in 721 B.C. that Israel had been living for - their demise at the hand of the Assyrians. The attack from Assyria took three years, but Hoshea, King of Israel, lost his Northern Kingdom; this story began in II Kings 17 (see notes). The siege against Samaria took three years. The influential people of the Northern Kingdom were deported to several cities in greater Assyria, the precise location of which cannot be determined. Why did it have to happen? There's your answer in verse 12, "because they did not obey the voice of the LORD their God, but transgressed His covenant and all that Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded; and they would neither hear nor do them."
Hezekiah cleans up his father's mess (II Chronicles 29:3-19)
3 ¶ In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of the LORD and repaired them.
4 Then he brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them in the East Square,
5 and said to them: “Hear me, Levites! Now sanctify yourselves, sanctify the house of the LORD God of your fathers, and carry out the rubbish from the holy place.
6 For our fathers have trespassed and done evil in the eyes of the LORD our God; they have forsaken Him, have turned their faces away from the dwelling place of the LORD, and turned their backs on Him.
7 They have also shut up the doors of the vestibule, put out the lamps, and have not burned incense or offered burnt offerings in the holy place to the God of Israel.
8 Therefore the wrath of the LORD fell upon Judah and Jerusalem, and He has given them up to trouble, to desolation, and to jeering, as you see with your eyes.
9 For indeed, because of this our fathers have fallen by the sword; and our sons, our daughters, and our wives are in captivity.
10 ¶ “Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the LORD God of Israel, that His fierce wrath may turn away from us.
11 My sons, do not be negligent now, for the LORD has chosen you to stand before Him, to serve Him, and that you should minister to Him and burn incense.”
12 ¶ Then these Levites arose: Mahath the son of Amasai and Joel the son of Azariah, of the sons of the Kohathites; of the sons of Merari, Kish the son of Abdi and Azariah the son of Jehallelel; of the Gershonites, Joah the son of Zimmah and Eden the son of Joah;
13 of the sons of Elizaphan, Shimri and Jeiel; of the sons of Asaph, Zechariah and Mattaniah;
14 of the sons of Heman, Jehiel and Shimei; and of the sons of Jeduthun, Shemaiah and Uzziel.
15 ¶ And they gathered their brethren, sanctified themselves, and went according to the commandment of the king, at the words of the LORD, to cleanse the house of the LORD.
16 Then the priests went into the inner part of the house of the LORD to cleanse it, and brought out all the debris that they found in the temple of the LORD to the court of the house of the LORD. And the Levites took it out and carried it to the Brook Kidron.
17 ¶ Now they began to sanctify on the first day of the first month, and on the eighth day of the month they came to the vestibule of the LORD. So they sanctified the house of the LORD in eight days, and on the sixteenth day of the first month they finished.
18 ¶ Then they went in to King Hezekiah and said, “We have cleansed all the house of the LORD, the altar of burnt offerings with all its articles, and the table of the showbread with all its articles.
19 Moreover all the articles which King Ahaz in his reign had cast aside in his transgression we have prepared and sanctified; and there they are, before the altar of the LORD.”
The previous King Ahaz (II Chronicles 28, see notes) was a disgrace to Judah. After his death, his son Hezekiah, at just 25 years old, followed his father as King of Judah. Hezekiah had his work cut out for him. He called the priests together to go through the temple and undo all the desecration committed at the hand of his Dad, Ahaz. He fully understood that Judah's condition was as a result of the sins of his father. We see this in verse 8, "Therefore the wrath of the LORD fell upon Judah and Jerusalem, and He has given them up to trouble, to desolation, and to jeering, as you see with your eyes." But Hezekiah knew exactly what had to be done, as we see in verse 10, "Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the LORD God of Israel, that His fierce wrath may turn away from us." It took the priests and Levites 8 days to consecrate the temple again.
The temple GRAND OPENING: but a priest can only do so much! (II Chronicles 29:20-36)
20 ¶ Then King Hezekiah rose early, gathered the rulers of the city, and went up to the house of the LORD.
21 And they brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven male goats for a sin offering for the kingdom, for the sanctuary, and for Judah. Then he commanded the priests, the sons of Aaron, to offer them on the altar of the LORD.
22 So they killed the bulls, and the priests received the blood and sprinkled it on the altar. Likewise they killed the rams and sprinkled the blood on the altar. They also killed the lambs and sprinkled the blood on the altar.
23 Then they brought out the male goats for the sin offering before the king and the assembly, and they laid their hands on them.
24 And the priests killed them; and they presented their blood on the altar as a sin offering to make an atonement for all Israel, for the king commanded that the burnt offering and the sin offering be made for all Israel.
25 ¶ And he stationed the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, with stringed instruments, and with harps, according to the commandment of David, of Gad the king’s seer, and of Nathan the prophet; for thus was the commandment of the LORD by His prophets.
26 The Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets.
27 Then Hezekiah commanded them to offer the burnt offering on the altar. And when the burnt offering began, the song of the LORD also began, with the trumpets and with the instruments of David king of Israel.
28 So all the assembly worshiped, the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded; all this continued until the burnt offering was finished.
29 And when they had finished offering, the king and all who were present with him bowed and worshiped.
30 Moreover King Hezekiah and the leaders commanded the Levites to sing praise to the LORD with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshiped.
31 ¶ Then Hezekiah answered and said, “Now that you have consecrated yourselves to the LORD, come near, and bring sacrifices and thank offerings into the house of the LORD.” So the assembly brought in sacrifices and thank offerings, and as many as were of a willing heart brought burnt offerings.
32 And the number of the burnt offerings which the assembly brought was seventy bulls, one hundred rams, and two hundred lambs; all these were for a burnt offering to the LORD.
33 The consecrated things were six hundred bulls and three thousand sheep.
34 But the priests were too few, so that they could not skin all the burnt offerings; therefore their brethren the Levites helped them until the work was ended and until the other priests had sanctified themselves, for the Levites were more diligent in sanctifying themselves than the priests.
35 Also the burnt offerings were in abundance, with the fat of the peace offerings and with the drink offerings for every burnt offering. ¶ So the service of the house of the LORD was set in order.
36 Then Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced that God had prepared the people, since the events took place so suddenly.
Now that the temple is all cleaned up, they initiate Godly worship again. The big day approaches, and the priests are consecrated, the singers sing, the trumpeters play and the people bow themselves in worship. Then the sacrificing begins. However, there's a problem - not enough priests to sacrifice all those animals; the people of Judah had brought more than anticipated. No deal breaker though - regular ol' Levites stand side-by-side with those consecrated priests to help with the sacrificing until more priests can be consecrated. It was a great day in Judah!
As a point of clarification, all priests were Levites, but all Levites were not priests. Aaron, and a multitude of others, were descendants of Levi. This tribe was designated to be the replacement for the firstborn of each tribe of Israel. This begins to unfold in the aftermath of the golden calf episode in Exodus 38 (see notes). From this point forward, the Levites were special. Later on in Numbers 3 (see notes), when the Levites were all assigned duties, only the descendants of Aaron were designated to serve in the actual priesthood. We see this distinction between priests and Levites clearly differentiated once again in Numbers 18:1-7 (see notes).
You will notice in verse 24 that Hezekiah's intent was "to make an atonement for all Israel:" The Assyrians were knocking at the door of both Israel and Judah. Hezekiah is making an attempt to set it all right before God for Judah and Israel - both kingdoms. That intent is seen in chapter 30 as well. For all effective purposes, the Northern Kingdom of Israel had already fallen when Hezekiah became king of the Southern Kingdom of Judah. King Hoshea, of Israel, was a puppet king of the Assyrian Empire (II Kings 17:3, see notes), and portions of the Northern Kingdom had already been deported to other Assyrian-controlled regions.
Close counts...because God loves the hearts of the people (II Chronicles 30)
1 And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, to keep the Passover to the LORD God of Israel.
2 For the king and his leaders and all the assembly in Jerusalem had agreed to keep the Passover in the second month.
3 For they could not keep it at the regular time, because a sufficient number of priests had not consecrated themselves, nor had the people gathered together at Jerusalem.
4 And the matter pleased the king and all the assembly.
5 So they resolved to make a proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, that they should come to keep the Passover to the LORD God of Israel at Jerusalem, since they had not done it for a long time in the prescribed manner.
6 ¶ Then the runners went throughout all Israel and Judah with the letters from the king and his leaders, and spoke according to the command of the king: “Children of Israel, return to the LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel; then He will return to the remnant of you who have escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria.
7 And do not be like your fathers and your brethren, who trespassed against the LORD God of their fathers, so that He gave them up to desolation, as you see.
8 Now do not be stiff-necked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to the LORD; and enter His sanctuary, which He has sanctified forever, and serve the LORD your God, that the fierceness of His wrath may turn away from you.
9 For if you return to the LORD, your brethren and your children will be treated with compassion by those who lead them captive, so that they may come back to this land; for the LORD your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn His face from you if you return to Him.”
10 ¶ So the runners passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, as far as Zebulun; but they laughed at them and mocked them.
11 Nevertheless some from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem.
12 Also the hand of God was on Judah to give them singleness of heart to obey the command of the king and the leaders, at the word of the LORD.
13 ¶ Now many people, a very great assembly, gathered at Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month.
14 They arose and took away the altars that were in Jerusalem, and they took away all the incense altars and cast them into the Brook Kidron.
15 Then they slaughtered the Passover lambs on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and the Levites were ashamed, and sanctified themselves, and brought the burnt offerings to the house of the LORD.
16 They stood in their place according to their custom, according to the Law of Moses the man of God; the priests sprinkled the blood received from the hand of the Levites.
17 For there were many in the assembly who had not sanctified themselves; therefore the Levites had charge of the slaughter of the Passover lambs for everyone who was not clean, to sanctify them to the LORD.
18 For a multitude of the people, many from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the Passover contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “May the good LORD provide atonement for everyone
19 who prepares his heart to seek God, the LORD God of his fathers, though he is not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary.”
20 And the LORD listened to Hezekiah and healed the people.
21 ¶ So the children of Israel who were present at Jerusalem kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with great gladness; and the Levites and the priests praised the LORD day by day, singing to the LORD, accompanied by loud instruments.
22 And Hezekiah gave encouragement to all the Levites who taught the good knowledge of the LORD; and they ate throughout the feast seven days, offering peace offerings and making confession to the LORD God of their fathers.
23 ¶ Then the whole assembly agreed to keep the feast another seven days, and they kept it another seven days with gladness.
24 For Hezekiah king of Judah gave to the assembly a thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep, and the leaders gave to the assembly a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep; and a great number of priests sanctified themselves.
25 The whole assembly of Judah rejoiced, also the priests and Levites, all the assembly that came from Israel, the sojourners who came from the land of Israel, and those who dwelt in Judah.
26 So there was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the time of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel, there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem.
27 Then the priests, the Levites, arose and blessed the people, and their voice was heard; and their prayer came up to His holy dwelling place, to heaven.
Judah's leadership gets an idea. Since we've already missed getting the temple open in time for the passover in the first month, let's just go ahead and do it in the second month. Hezekiah even puts on an advertising campaign for the event - sends messengers all through Judah and Israel to proclaim the event at the temple in Jerusalem. Everybody in Jerusalem is elated - feast celebration finally restored! The significant portion of the people in the Northern Kingdom had been deported during the reign of Israel's King Hoshea, but the invitation to unite around the passover feast is extended to those Jews who still inhabit the Northern Kingdom. Many of those two-calf people of the Northern Kingdom of Israel scoff at the idea, but some make the trip to Jerusalem to participate.
There aren't enough consecrated priests to meet the demand, so some rank-and-file Levites come to the rescue. The Passover first, then the celebration of the Feast of Unleavened bread that immediately followed for 7 days - it was just like ol' times. The people are so tickled to be doing it again, they decide to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread for an additional 7 days. No - that's not the way God had prescribed it back in Leviticus 23 (see notes), but God loves the hearts of the people and is pleased to have them back after the wicked reign of Judah's King Ahaz. So...how successful was this event? Look at verse 26, "So there was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the time of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel, there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem."
Hezekiah's passion for serving the one true God is impressive here. He was convinced that there was a direct linkage between the prosperity of God's people and their service for God. He was able to decree that the people of Judah abandon worship of the false gods and return back to Jehovah-only worship. However, Hezekiah's suggestion to the people of the Northern Kingdom that pagan worship and idolatry was at the root of their problems (verses 6-9) still, for the most part, fell on deaf ears. Ironically, Hezekiah had correctly identified the problem, but when those northerners heard Hezekiah's messengers suggesting that a return to Jehovah would solve their problems, verse 10 says, "they laughed at them and mocked them." Isn't it fascinating that defeat had befallen them because of their worship of false gods, yet even after the demise of their kingdom, they still have the audacity to scorn and mock those who stand for righteousness. I guess some things never change.
Some good news though - according to verse 11 there were some from those tribes of fallen Israel who did come down to Jerusalem to partake of the passover feast. We see a problem, however, in verses 17-19. Of those who came to observe the passover feast, some were defiled. In accordance with a similar incident back in Moses' day in Numbers 9:6 (see notes), Hezekiah gave special consideration to these willing participants.
So...how did it all go? There's your answer in verse 20, "And the LORD listened to Hezekiah and healed the people." As a matter of fact, the people were so blessed, the feast was extended an additional seven days (verse 23) and King Hezekiah provided more sacrifices. Notice verse 26, "So there was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the time of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel, there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem." Participants from both the Southern Kingdom of Judah and the Northern Kingdom of Israel were worshipping the one true God as in days of old. It was a blessed event.
Hezekiah organizes the priests (II Chronicles 31)
1 Now when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah and broke the sacred pillars in pieces, cut down the wooden images, and threw down the high places and the altars—from all Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh—until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned to their own cities, every man to his possession.
2 ¶ And Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and the Levites according to their divisions, each man according to his service, the priests and Levites for burnt offerings and peace offerings, to serve, to give thanks, and to praise in the gates of the camp of the LORD.
3 The king also appointed a portion of his possessions for the burnt offerings: for the morning and evening burnt offerings, the burnt offerings for the Sabbaths and the New Moons and the set feasts, as it is written in the Law of the LORD.
4 ¶ Moreover he commanded the people who dwelt in Jerusalem to contribute support for the priests and the Levites, that they might devote themselves to the Law of the LORD.
5 ¶ As soon as the commandment was circulated, the children of Israel brought in abundance the firstfruits of grain and wine, oil and honey, and of all the produce of the field; and they brought in abundantly the tithe of everything.
6 And the children of Israel and Judah, who dwelt in the cities of Judah, brought the tithe of oxen and sheep; also the tithe of holy things which were consecrated to the LORD their God they laid in heaps.
7 ¶ In the third month they began laying them in heaps, and they finished in the seventh month.
8 And when Hezekiah and the leaders came and saw the heaps, they blessed the LORD and His people Israel.
9 Then Hezekiah questioned the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps.
10 And Azariah the chief priest, from the house of Zadok, answered him and said, “Since the people began to bring the offerings into the house of the LORD, we have had enough to eat and have plenty left, for the LORD has blessed His people; and what is left is this great abundance.”
11 ¶ Now Hezekiah commanded them to prepare rooms in the house of the LORD, and they prepared them.
12 Then they faithfully brought in the offerings, the tithes, and the dedicated things; Cononiah the Levite had charge of them, and Shimei his brother was the next.
13 Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiah were overseers under the hand of Cononiah and Shimei his brother, at the commandment of Hezekiah the king and Azariah the ruler of the house of God.
14 Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, the keeper of the East Gate, was over the freewill offerings to God, to distribute the offerings of the LORD and the most holy things.
15 And under him were Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah, his faithful assistants in the cities of the priests, to distribute allotments to their brethren by divisions, to the great as well as the small.
16 ¶ Besides those males from three years old and up who were written in the genealogy, they distributed to everyone who entered the house of the LORD his daily portion for the work of his service, by his division,
17 and to the priests who were written in the genealogy according to their father’s house, and to the Levites from twenty years old and up according to their work, by their divisions,
18 and to all who were written in the genealogy—their little ones and their wives, their sons and daughters, the whole company of them—for in their faithfulness they sanctified themselves in holiness.
19 ¶ Also for the sons of Aaron the priests, who were in the fields of the common-lands of their cities, in every single city, there were men who were designated by name to distribute portions to all the males among the priests and to all who were listed by genealogies among the Levites.
20 ¶ Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, and he did what was good and right and true before the LORD his God.
21 And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, in the law and in the commandment, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart. So he prospered.
Nobody likes an unorganized priesthood. You may recall the organization that existed at the first opening of the temple back in Solomon's day (see notes on I Chronicles 23-24). Well, Hezekiah sets it all up again - just like the old days. He calls once again for the people of Israel to tithe to feed those Levites, and the people of Judah gladly respond...overwhelmingly respond. Hezekiah even commissions folks to go through Judah and rid it of those pagan places of worship. So here we are, after a long spiritual dearth in Judah, Hezekiah has restored everything back to a Godly state at the temple in Jerusalem and with the people of Judah. Therefore, it is said of Hezekiah in verses 20-21, "Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, and he did what was good and right and true before the LORD his God. And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, in the law and in the commandment, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart. So he prospered."
A word of clarification: During Hezekiah's reign, Israel and much of Judah was overcome by the Assyrians, but the Assyrians had used deportation and heathen repopulation as their tools of occupation. After the Assyrian army went on to bigger and better activities, the locals who had not been deported had some freedoms, but did not have their own government leadership. That's why Jerusalem was such a notable prize to the Assyrians. King Hoshea, of the Northern Kingdom, was a puppet king of the Assyrians. For the last three years of Hoshea's reign, Samaria was under siege by the Assyrians and finally destroyed. However, Jerusalem, the capital of the Southern Kingdom, still thrived - especially under Hezekiah. Now...Hezekiah is trying to pull all of Israel and Judah back together, and it's going well. Whoa! Assyria is not going to like what's going on here!
Hezekiah fortifies Jerusalem (II Chronicles 32:1-8)
1 After these deeds of faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and entered Judah; he encamped against the fortified cities, thinking to win them over to himself.
2 And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come, and that his purpose was to make war against Jerusalem,
3 he consulted with his leaders and commanders to stop the water from the springs which were outside the city; and they helped him.
4 Thus many people gathered together who stopped all the springs and the brook that ran through the land, saying, “Why should the kings of Assyria come and find much water?”
5 And he strengthened himself, built up all the wall that was broken, raised it up to the towers, and built another wall outside; also he repaired the Millo in the City of David, and made weapons and shields in abundance.
6 Then he set military captains over the people, gathered them together to him in the open square of the city gate, and gave them encouragement, saying,
7 “Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid nor dismayed before the king of Assyria, nor before all the multitude that is with him; for there are more with us than with him.
8 With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God, to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.
Hezekiah sees what's happening around him; Sennacherib, King of Assyria, is moving in.
Hezekiah prepares for the inevitable siege of the Assyrians:
God, Jerusalem and the king (Psalm 48)
A Song. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
1 ¶ Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised
In the city of our God,
In His holy mountain.
2 Beautiful in elevation,
The joy of the whole earth,
Is Mount Zion on the sides of the north,
The city of the great King.
3 God is in her palaces;
He is known as her refuge.
4 For behold, the kings assembled,
They passed by together.
5 They saw it, and so they marveled;
They were troubled, they hastened away.
6 Fear took hold of them there,
And pain, as of a woman in birth pangs,
7 As when You break the ships of Tarshish
With an east wind.
8 As we have heard,
So we have seen
In the city of the LORD of hosts,
In the city of our God:
God will establish it forever.
Selah
9 We have thought, O God, on Your lovingkindness,
In the midst of Your temple.
10 According to Your name, O God,
So is Your praise to the ends of the earth;
Your right hand is full of righteousness.
11 Let Mount Zion rejoice,
Let the daughters of Judah be glad,
Because of Your judgments.
12 Walk about Zion,
And go all around her.
Count her towers;
13 Mark well her bulwarks;
Consider her palaces;
That you may tell it to the generation following.
14 For this is God,
Our God forever and ever;
He will be our guide
Even to death.
This Psalm equates the greatness of God with the greatness of God's city, Jerusalem (Zion) and the King. This Psalm is all praises all the time...and as verse 14 puts it - forever. Some feel that the reference to "ships of Tarshish" here date this Psalm later than David's reign. It is true that nothing here necessarily ties it to David or that era. It is not known for certain where Tarshish was located.
