1I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord.
2Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem.
3Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together:
4Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the Lord.
5For there are set thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David.
6Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.
7Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces.
8For my brethren and companions’ sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee.
9Because of the house of the Lord our God I will seek thy good.
📖 Chapter study
Summary
A song of joy at arriving in Jerusalem, describing the city as united and well-ordered, home to the thrones of judgment of the house of David, ending with the request: 'pray for the peace of Jerusalem.'
Explanation
Attributed to David, this third 'Song of Degrees' celebrates the physical arrival in Jerusalem as both a religious center (where the tribes went up to worship) and a political one (seat of the Davidic throne), reinforcing Israel's unified identity around the holy city. The call to pray for the peace of Jerusalem (v.6, a wordplay on the city's own name, which contains the Hebrew root 'shalom,' peace) has become a prayer practice still observed today by Jews and Christians around the world. The application for today is that praying for the peace of specific, concrete places is a legitimate and enduring form of intercession.
Fun facts
- The name 'Jerusalem' in Hebrew contains the root of the word 'shalom' (peace), making the request in verse 6 a deliberate wordplay in the original language.
- Praying for the 'peace of Jerusalem' remains, to this day, a common practice among Jews and Christians around the world, citing this verse directly.