Psalms 48:2

¹ Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, His holy mountain.

Beautiful in loftiness, the joy of all the earth, like the peaks of Zaphon is Mount Zion, the city of the great King.

³ God is in her citadels; He has shown Himself to be a fortress.

⁴ For behold, the kings assembled; they all advanced together.

This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: Beautiful in loftiness, the joy of all the earth, like the peaks of Zaphon is Mount Zion, the city of the great King.
KJV: Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.
WEB: Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion, on the north sides, the city of the great King.
ASV: Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, Is mount Zion, [on] the sides of the north, The city of the great King.
DARBY: Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, [on] the sides of the north, the city of the great King.
BLB: Beautiful [in] elevation, the joy of all the earth, like the peaks of Zaphon [is] Mount Zion, the city of the great King.

ÅB: Fagert hever det seg, en glede for all jorden er Sions berg, det ytterste Norden[^1], den store konges stad.
OTB: Majestetisk i sin høyde, bringer glede til hele jorden,
Er Sion-fjellet på nordsiden,
Byen til den store Kongen.
B1930: Fagert hever det sig, en glede for all jorden er Sions berg, det ytterste Norden, den store konges stad. / < Sion er som Guds bolig i sannhet hvad hedningene falskelig tenkte sig om et fjell i det ytterste Norden, et hellig og meget høit fjell.>

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Psalms 50:2
From Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth.
Read in context
Matthew 5:35
or by the earth, for it is His footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
Read in context
Lamentations 2:15
All who pass by clap their hands at you in scorn. They hiss and shake their heads at the Daughter of Jerusalem: “Is this the city that was called the perfection of beauty, the joy of all the earth?”
Read in context
Hebrews 12:22
Instead, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to myriads of angels
Read in context
Daniel 11:16
The invader will do as he pleases, and no one will stand against him. He will establish himself in the Beautiful Land, with destruction in his hand.
Read in context
Isaiah 14:13
You said in your heart: “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God. I will sit on the mount of assembly, in the far reaches of the north.
Read in context
Ezekiel 20:6
On that day I swore to bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the glory of all lands.
Read in context
Malachi 1:14
“But cursed is the deceiver who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but sacrifices a defective animal to the Lord. For I am a great King,” says the LORD of Hosts, “and My name is to be feared among the nations.
Read in context