Psalms 84

KJV · Chapter 84/150

1How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts!

2My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.

3Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O Lord of hosts, my King, and my God.

4Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee. Selah.

5Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them.

6Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools.

7They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God.

8O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer: give ear, O God of Jacob. Selah.

9Behold, O God our shield, and look upon the face of thine anointed.

10For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.

11For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.

12O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

A song of longing and joy at being in God's house, comparing even the sparrows that nest in the temple to the blessedness of those who dwell there; 'a day in thy courts is better than a thousand.'

Explanation

This psalm, attributed to the sons of Korah (a Levite family responsible for the temple's music), expresses a deep longing for communal worship, something that resonates with anyone who has ever missed gathering with other believers. The image of the 'valley of Baca' (mulberry trees) becoming a spring (v. 6) suggests that the very journey of pilgrimage to Jerusalem is turned into a blessing when made with a heart set on God. Today's application is to value moments of worship and community as a real source of strength, even in the midst of hardship.

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