Psalm 87 is the 87th psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "His foundation is in the holy mountains.". In the slightly different numbering system used in the Greek Septuagint and Latin Vulgate translations of the Bible, this psalm is Psalm 86. In Latin, it is known as "Fundamenta eius in montibus sanctis". It was written by the sons of Korach. It describes Jerusalem as the center of the world or the "mother of nations", where God placed the Torah. The psalm forms a regular part of Jewish, Catholic liturgies. Psalm 87 has been paraphrased as the hymn "Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken", and set to music from Baroque to contemporary and popular. The Psalms depict a splendid vision for Jerusalem, wherein individuals from historically adversarial groups to Israel are envisioned as being metaphorically 'born in Zion.' These groups, symbolized by Rahab representing Egypt, Babylonia, Philistia, Tyre, and Cush, stand united in an unexpected reconciliation. In the words of O. Palmer Robertson, this portrayal signifies a remarkable strategy for conquering adversaries.

Text

Hebrew

The following table shows the Hebrew text of the Psalm with vowels alongside an English translation based upon the JPS 1917 translation (now in the public domain).

King James Version

The following is the full English text of the Psalm from the King James Bible.

Commentary

The psalm is classified as one of the "Songs of Zion", looking to the future Jerusalem as the 'center of universal worship' and listing some of the surrounding nations (from which Jewish proselytes have come to the festivals) or as a 'reference to Jews who come from different countries in the dispersion'. "Rahab" in verse 4 may refer to 'the primeval monster quelled by YHWH in ancient story' (cf. Psalm 89:10), here to represent "Egypt", whereas the 'springs' (verse 7) may symbolize "divine blessing", placing Zion as 'the source of the streams of Paradise'.

Uses

Eastern Orthodox Church

In the Eastern Orthodox Church, Psalm 86 (Psalm 87 in the Masoretic Text) is part of the twelfth Kathisma division of the Psalter, read at Vespers on Wednesday evenings, as well as on Tuesdays and Thursdays during Lent, at Matins and the Ninth Hour, respectively. It is also part of the Great Hours on Christmas Eve.

Book of Common Prayer

In the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer, this psalm is appointed to be read on the morning of the seventeenth day of the month.

Musical settings

The English hymn "Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken" by John Newton is based on Psalm 87, as also the German 1984 hymn "Alle meine Quellen entspringen in dir" by Leonore Heinzl, which quotes the end of the last verse as a refrain. It was later sung with music from Haydn's Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser (1797). Heinrich Schütz set the psalm in a metred version in German, "Fest ist gegründet Gottes Stadt", SWV 184, as part of the Becker Psalter, first published in 1628. Marc-Antoine Charpentier set around 1680 "Fundamenta ejus in montibus sanctis", H.187, for 3 voices and continuo. The first movement of Bach's cantata Ihr Tore zu Zion, BWV 193, is based on verse 2 from the psalm. Arthur Hutchings set the text of Psalm 87 in his Her Foundations are on the Holy Hills, which is also the motto of Durham University. The psalm is featured on the 1975 album Psalms for I by Prince Far I.