The Nations “Reborn” in Zion

Among the psalms of Zion, Psalm 87 makes the most positive, explicit statement about the nations. In the preceding songs, “kingdoms fall” (46:6), “kings” and their “forces” are “destroyed” (48:4–7), and “the neighboring lands” and “kings of the earth” bring tribute after a stunning defeat (76:11–12), but here they are “born in Zion”! The placement of this psalm after 86:9 is probably no accident: “all the nations you have made will come and worship before you.”

87:1–2 The opening verses express Yahweh’s claim to Zion, a claim characteristic of the Zion psalms though expressed in various forms (48:1–3; cf. 46:4; 76:2; 122:3–4; 132:13–14). The opening verse is one line instead of the normal two. It is possible verse 5c was originally its second line (transposed in …