God is in her citadels; He has shown Himself to be a fortress.
Parallel translations
- WEB God has shown himself in her citadels as a refuge.
- KJV God is known in her palaces for a refuge.
- NKJV God is in her palaces; He is known as her refuge.
- NASB In its palaces, God has made Himself known as a stronghold.
- NLT God himself is in Jerusalem’s towers, revealing himself as its defender.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God has made Himself known within the city's citadels as a sure refuge. It matters because God Himself, not its walls, is the security of His people.
Overview
The strength of Zion is not its fortifications but God dwelling within it as a refuge. He reveals Himself as the true defense of His city. So the church's security rests not in human strength but in the presence of God, who in Christ is our stronghold and sure protection.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Zech 2:4–5and said to him, “Run and tell that young man: ‘Jerusalem will be a city without walls because of the multitude of men and livestock within it.
- Ps 46:7The LORD of Hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
- Ps 125:1A song of ascents. Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion. It cannot be moved; it abides forever.
- Isa 37:33–36So this is what the LORD says about the king of Assyria: ‘He will not enter this city or shoot an arrow into it. He will not come before it with a shield or build up a siege ramp against it.
- Isa 4:5–6Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud of smoke by day and a glowing flame of fire by night. For over all the glory there will be a canopy,
- Ps 76:1–5For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments. A Psalm of Asaph. A song. God is known in Judah; His name is great in Israel.
- 2 Chr 12:7When the LORD saw that they had humbled themselves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah, saying, “They have humbled themselves; I will not destroy them, but will soon grant them deliverance. My wrath will not be poured out on Jerusalem through Shishak.
- 2 Chr 14:9–15Then Zerah the Cushite came against them with an army of 1,000,000 men and 300 chariots, and they advanced as far as Mareshah.
- 2 Chr 20:1–37After this, the Moabites and Ammonites, together with some of the Meunites, came to make war against Jehoshaphat.
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Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 48:3 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.