Video for Psalm 84:
The title of this psalm isTo the Chief Musician. On an instrument of Gath. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. Thesesons of Korah were Levites, from the family of Kohath. By David’s time it seems they served in the musical aspect of the temple worship (2 Chronicles 20:19).
Korah led a rebellion of 250 community leaders against Moses during the wilderness days of the Exodus (Numbers 16). God judged Korah and his leaders and they all died, but the sons of Korah remained (Numbers 26:9-11). Perhaps they were so grateful for this mercy that they became notable in Israel for praising God.
Charles Spurgeon said Psalm 84 was entitled “to be called The Pearl of Psalms. If the twenty-third be the most popular, the one-hundred-and-third the most joyful, the one-hundred-and-nineteenth the most deeply experiential, the fifty-first the most plaintive, this is one of the most sweet of the Psalms of Peace.”
A. Longing for the House of God.
1. (1-2) Longing for God and His house.
How lovely is Your tabernacle,
O LORD of hosts!
My soul longs, yes, even faints
For the courts of the LORD;
My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
a. How lovely is Your tabernacle: One or more of the sons of Korah composed this psalm in the days of the tabernacle. It is also possible that the author referred to the temple in a historic, quaint way. The affection is clear; he loved the house of God, whether it was in a tent or a permanent building. He considered it beautiful, lovely.
i. “How lovely is more exactly ‘How dear’ or ‘How beloved’; it is the language of love poetry.” (Kidner)
ii. “He does not tell us how lovely they were, because he could not. His expressions show us that his feelings were inexpressible.” (Spurgeon)
b. My soul longs: The psalmist’s appreciation for God’s house wasn’t simply because it was beautiful. His soul longed for God’s house, and even faints when denied the privilege of meeting with God among His people.
i. This was deep feeling. Not every love is so great as to make a longing. Not every longing is so great as to make a fainting.
ii. “I have rather – though the expression may seem harsh to some – called this the ‘appetite for God’ than ‘the love of God’…. [The appetite for God] has all the cheerful spontaneity of a natural, even a physical, desire.” (Lewis, cited in VanGemeren)
c. My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God: The house of God was dear and desired by the psalmist because it was where he met God. Everything within him – heart and flesh – longed for God and His house.
i. Cry out: “The word in question indicates a loud cry, not necessarily a joyful one (cf. Psalm 17:1; Lamentations 2:19).” (Kidner)
ii. “Crieth aloud, as a child when hungry crieth every whit of him, hands feet, face, all cry; and then the mother flings by all, then she flies and outruns herself; so here.” (Trapp)
iii. This speaks to those who are leaders in God’s house today. More than offering programs, social connections, entertainment, excitement, or self-improvement, they must make places and meetings in which people meet the living God.
iv. This speaks to all who come to the house of God today. They must come without primary focus upon programs, social connections, entertainment, excitement, or self-improvement; they must come with the primary focus and expectation of meeting with the living God.
v. The emphasis on meeting the living God prevents regarding the tabernacle or temple in the wrong way. The temple as a place could be viewed incorrectly (as in Acts 7:48, 7:54). The psalmist considers it here in its best sense: the place to meet with the living God.
vi. “There was no superstition in this love. He loved the house of God because he loved the God of the house. His heart and flesh cried out, not for the altar and the candlestick, but for his God.” (Spurgeon)
vii. The living God: “That Name is more than a contrast with the gods of the heathen. It lays bare the reason for the psalmist’s longings.” (Maclaren)
2. (3-4) Satisfaction in the house of God.
Even the sparrow has found a home,
And the swallow a nest for herself,
Where she may lay her young—
Even Your altars, O LORD of hosts,
My King and my God.
Blessed are those who dwell in Your house;
They will still be praising You. Selah
a. Even the sparrow has found a home: Perhaps the psalmist saw birds – the sparrow and the swallow – that had made a nest, living at the house of God, in view of the altar itself. He considered those birds blessed, living at the tabernacle.
i. “The writer of this Psalm had peculiar familiarity with the Temple. He had watched it with loving eyes, and seen the birds finding rest and refuge there.” (Morgan)
ii. Boice offered that the sparrow is an example of a bird of small significance and the swallow is a picture of restlessness. Likewise, the insignificant can find his place in the house of God, and the restless man can find his rest (nest) there – near God’s altar.
iii. “It is evidently the design of this passage to intimate to us, that in the house, and at the altar of God, a faithful soul findeth freedom from care and sorrow, quiet of mind, and gladness of spirit; like a bird that had secured a little mansion for the reception and education of her young.” (Horne)
iv. “You and I, dear friends, will be wise if we do as this sparrow did; for she found a house for herself because she looked for it, she found it because it was there all ready for her, and she found it by appropriating it so that it became her very own. Thus may we appropriate the Lord Jesus Christ, by an act of faith, and so make him our very own!” (Spurgeon)
v. My King and my God: “The double ‘my’ is very precious; he lays hold upon his God with both his hands, as one resolved not to let him go till the favour requested be at length accorded.” (Spurgeon)
b. Blessed are those who dwell in Your house: The psalmist went from envying the birds living at the tabernacle to envying the priests who had rooms at the house of God. He felt they could live a life of constant praise (they will still be praising You).
i. Still be praising: “It is not enough to praise him, it must be a praising him still, before it will make a blessedness; and though to praise God be an easy matter, yet to praise him still, will be found a busy work.” (Baker, cited in Spurgeon)
B. Finding strength for the pilgrim’s journey.
1. (5-7) Strength for the one away from the house of God.
Blessed is the man whose strength is in You,
Whose heart is set on pilgrimage.
As they pass through the Valley of Baca,
They make it a spring;
The rain also covers it with pools.
They go from strength to strength;
Each one appears before God in Zion.
a. Blessed is the man whose strength is in You: The man who finds his strength in God is also the one whose heart is set on pilgrimage. He does not rely on self or the world for strength, but considers himself a visitor, a traveler, a pilgrim in this world. His true strength and treasure are in the world to come.
i. This strength and heart of a pilgrim are displayed by the love for the house of God. There he meets with God, along with other pilgrims, and they gain strength in God together as they meet.
ii. The love and longing for the house of God are not meant as an escape from the world, but as a preparation for life in the world.
iii. Strength is in You: “If he cannot be at Zion, he can be with God; if he cannot enjoy sweetness he can find strength.” (Kidner)
b. As they pass through the Valley of Baca: The heart for God’s house provided wisdom and strength for the life lived away from God’s house. A difficult place (such as the Valley of Baca) was transformed into a spring, complete with rain and pools of water.
i. The sense or meaning of the Valley of Baca is uncertain. Commentators usually suggest that Baca speaks of tears and weeping, or of drought and dryness. Thoughts of difficulty and trouble are present in either.
ii. Baca is a “noun derived from a verb which signifies to ‘weep’.” (Horne) Horne went on to explain, “This present world is to us this valley of weeping; in our passage through it we are refreshed by the streams of divine grace, flowing down from the great fountain of consolation.”
iii. Kidner gives the other sense: “Baca…is thought to indicate a tree or shrub which grows in arid places; hence New English Bible, ‘the thirsty valley’.”
iv. “The valley of tears, as this valley might be called, for the trouble or vexation which travellers found there by reason of drought, or otherwise.” (Poole)
c. They go from strength to strength: With the blessedness expressed by plenty of water in an otherwise dry place, the pilgrim lives in strength and goes to more strength. The rich relationship with God is a never-ending supply of strength for the journey, even in difficult seasons.
i. On a normal journey (especially a difficult one), the usual pattern is to go from strength to weakness or fatigue. Not so with those whose strength is in God – they go from strength to strength.
ii. “The farther they travel onward in that way, instead of being faint and weary, as travellers in such cases [should] be, they grow stronger and stronger.” (Poole)
iii. “They proceed from one degree of grace to another, gaining Divine virtue through all the steps of their probation.” (Clarke)
d. Each one appears before God in Zion: The journey has a destination – Zion, the city of God. The love and longing for the house of God will bring each one to his destination, appearing before God in Zion.
i. “Not merely to be in the assembly, but to appear before God was the object of each devout Israelite. Would to God it were the sincere desire of all who in these days mingle in our religious gatherings. Unless we realise the presence of God we have done nothing; the mere gathering together is nothing worth.” (Spurgeon)
2. (8) The pilgrim’s prayer.
O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer;
Give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah
a. God of hosts, hear my prayer: This song from the sons of Korah was more than a declaration; it was also a prayer. It was a plea for the plenty spoken of by the supply of water. It was a supplication for the strength that continues and builds.
b. Give ear, O God of Jacob: The psalmist grounded his plea in the long history of God’s dealing with His covenant people. That same God who blessed and was faithful to Jacob will also be faithful to His people today. This is worthy of meditation – thus the insertion of the psalm’s second Selah.
C. The surpassing greatness of God and His house.
1. (9) Asking for God’s attention.
O God, behold our shield,
And look upon the face of Your anointed.
a. O God, behold our shield: We take shield here as a reference to a literal shield, which was the main means of defense for Israel. The psalmist asked God to behold what Israel wisely did to defend itself.
b. Look upon the face of Your anointed: We take Your anointed as a reference to the King of Israel, who was specially anointed for his office. Though the psalmist had first in mind David (or possibly Solomon), it also points toward the Messiah, the ultimate anointed One.
2. (10-12) The greatness of God and His house.
For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
The LORD will give grace and glory;
No good thing will He withhold
From those who walk uprightly.
O LORD of hosts,
Blessed is the man who trusts in You!
a. A day in Your courts is better than a thousand: The psalmist began with love and longing for the house of God, and now he returns to the thought. Time spent at God’s house was better and more valuable than time spent elsewhere.
i. “A declaration comparable to Paul’s ‘all things but loss’ (Phil. 3:8, King James Version), or to Asaph’s ‘Whom have I in heaven but thee?’ (Ps. 73:25).” (Kidner)
b. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God: This was another expression of the psalmist’s love and longing regarding the house of God. Living a luxurious life in the fancy tents of wickedness meant nothing to him; he would rather humbly serve in God’s house.
i. “We sometimes read this as though there were something heroic about the choice, some touch of sacrifice in the decision. There is nothing of the kind. The singer was a man of profoundest commonsense.” (Morgan)
ii. “To bear burdens and open doors for the Lord is more honour than to reign among the wicked. Every man has his choice, and this is ours. God’s worst is better than the devil’s best.” (Spurgeon)
iii. Doorkeeper: “As the Korahites were, to whom this psalm was committed; and for whose encouragement this might be spoken. A doorkeeper is first in, last out.” (Trapp)
iv. “There may be a reference to the Korahites’ function of door keepers, in that touchingly beautiful choice of the psalmist’s, rather to lie on the threshold of the Temple than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.” (Maclaren)
v. “Who now prefers the worship of God to genteel, gay, honourable, and noble company, to mirthful feasts, public entertainments, the stage, the oratorio, or the ball! Reader, wouldst thou rather be in thy closet, wrestling in prayer, or reading the Scriptures on thy knees, than be at any of the above places?” (Clarke)
c. For the LORD God is a sun and shield: The psalmist explains the goodness and blessing that come to those pilgrims who love and long for the house of God. They enjoy God as the source of blessing (sun) and defense (shield). They receive His generous grace and glory.
i. “This is the only place in the Bible where God is explicitly called ‘a sun.’ It is because he shines on us and is the brightness of our days.” (Boice)
ii. “A sun for happy days and a shield for dangerous ones. A sun above, a shield around. A light to show the way and a shield to ward off its perils.” (Spurgeon)
iii. “How God suits Himself to our need! In darkness, He is a Sun; in the sultry noon, a Shield; in our earthly pilgrimage He gives grace; when the morning of heaven breaks, He will give glory. He suits Himself to every varying circumstance in life. He becomes what the exigency of the moment requires.” (Meyer)
d. The LORD will give grace and glory: The connection between God’s grace and His glory was later on the mind of the Apostle Paul: We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God (Romans 5:1-2).
i. To say, will give grace puts it in the future tense. It means that there is more grace for God to give and more grace for us to receive. It also means that grace is something that God will give, and not sell.
ii. Grace is God’s first gift, and glory is His last gift. “Glory never comes without grace coming first, but grace never comes without glory coming last; the two are bound together, and ‘what God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.’” (Spurgeon)
e. No good thing will He withhold: A promise is made to those who walk uprightly – they will receive every good thing God has for them. The nature of this promise is appropriate under the Old Covenant, where God promised direct blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. Under the New Covenant, the believer receives God’s good things on the basis of Jesus’ goodness, and then goes on to walk uprightly.
i. “What does the text say? It does not say, ‘I will force all my children to enjoy every good thing.’ No, but, ‘No good thing will he withhold.’ There are thousands of mercies that we do not enjoy, not because they are withheld, but because we do not take them.” (Spurgeon)
ii. “Because God is what He is, and gives what He gives, it is the highest wisdom to take Him for our true good, and never to let Him go.” (Maclaren)
f. Blessed is the man who trusts in You: God’s greatness and goodness lead the psalmist to experience and declare the blessedness of trusting in God.
i. “The essence of godliness is in submissiveness to the Great King, who will grant his blessings to those who find their refuge in him.” (VanGemeren)
(c) 2020 The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – ewm@enduringword.com
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FAQs
What is the explanation of Psalm 84? ›
Psalm 84 celebrates the temple of God in Jerusalem. It begins “How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of Heaven's Armies” (Ps. 84:1). This is a reference, not to Heaven, but to the temple, as is made clear in the next verse: “I long, yes, I faint with longing to enter the courts of the LORD” (Ps.
What can we learn from Psalm 84? ›The psalmist is resolved to remind us that the good life is not about having everything you wanted; it's about having God—even if it's in the midst of nothing you wanted. The good life is not about having everything you wanted; it's about having God—even if it's in the midst of nothing you wanted.
What does my tears have been my food day and night mean? ›d. My tears have been my food day and night: These tears can perhaps be understood in at least two ways. First, they demonstrated the grief that made the psalmist long for relief in God. Second, they showed the psalmist's grief over the perceived distance from God.
What is the commentary on Psalm 84 verse 11? ›Psalm 84:11 identifies God as a “sun,” clothing him with the metaphor of light, in order to identify God as the source of all good, as one who is himself good, and as one who is in himself good, the first good in the order of goodness.
What is the structure of Psalm 84? ›The Structure of Psalm 84 and the Word “Selah”
Verses 84:1-4 are set off as the first section by the first “Selah” (84:4), forming a beautiful closure to the first extraordinary declaration of God's majesty. The first section ends with an exclamatory “how blessed” (4).
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Psalm 84:3
The ordinances of God are the believer's solace in this evil world; in them he enjoys the presence of the living God: this causes him to regret his absence from them. They are to his soul as the nest to the bird.
Psalm 84 is classified as a pilgrimage psalm, sung as praise by those who traveled to Jerusalem to worship.
What is a doorkeeper in Psalm 84? ›“I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.” Psalms 84:10. These are individuals who have shown loyalty, integrity; these find delight in their place. Names of are mentioned in the Bible within the same paragraphs as the priests, singers, Levites, and the sanctuary.
What it means to strengthen yourself in the Lord? ›6:10 NKJV) This phrase could be translated, “strengthen yourself in the Lord.…” Your strength is found in Christ, His power, and His might. You are in Christ, united with Him. We are able to be strong in the Lord because of our position in Him.
What does tears mean to God? ›So, if you weep, be comforted to know that God sees your tears, He values your sorrow, and He will one day remove every tear from your life. And, in the meantime, as Rich Mullins—in his song, “If I Stand”— wrote, “If I weep, let it be as a man who is longing for his home.”
What are the two meanings of tears? ›
What Are the 2 Meanings of Tear? The word “tear” can refer to either the drops of salty liquid produced from a person's eyes when they are feeling emotional or strong sensations, or it can mean to rip or pull apart something with force.
What do tears indicate? ›Empathy, compassion, physical pain, attachment pain, and moral and sentimental emotions can trigger these tears. They communicate your emotions to others. Emotional tears make you feel more vulnerable, which could improve your relationships.
What does Psalm 84 11 NKJV mean? ›Psalm 84:11 calls us to live uprightly that we would receive the full blessings of God. Poor understandings of this verse, however, have undermined this verse's power.
What is the commentary of Psalm 84 10? ›This psalm gives us a picture of a Christian pilgrim with a deep longing for God finding the greatest blessedness in his journey being the worship of the Lord. Through peaks and valleys, joy and tears, he elevates his relationship to God, his being close to the living God, as truly what life is.
What does it mean to be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might? ›Verse 10 commands us to “be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might” (emphasis added). No human power alone can stop the devil's schemes, but God can and has already “disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him” (Colossians 2:15).
Who is speaking in Psalm 84? ›David ends 'Psalm 84′ by praising his God yet again, saying, “How blessed is the man who trusts in You [God]”. David ends this song with praise to God because he has been able to live above his circumstances.
Who are the sons of Korah in Psalm 84? ›Who Are the Sons of Korah? Exodus 6:24 lists the names of three sons of Korah: Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph, who form tribes of a group of people known as the Korahites. To clarify – these were Korah's literal children, not the authors of the Psalms.
What is the commentary on Psalm 84 1 4? ›Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you. The psalmist who wrote this was most likely referring to the joy he experienced when he was able to come to the temple and participate in worship there. The temple was thought to be God's dwelling place on earth.
What does it mean that God will guard your heart? ›The Lord means for us to guard our hearts by filtering our emotions, desires, thoughts, and responses through his Word. He is the watchman that protects our souls.
What does it mean to be thirsty for the Lord? ›"To thirst after righteousness means wanting to live according to God's will instead of the world's," says Kristen, 10. "This is the only way to be happy and filled. If you thirst after righteousness, God will bless you.
What does it mean to magnify the name of the Lord? ›
When David says, “I will magnify God with thanksgiving,” he does not mean, “I will make a small God look bigger than he is.” He means, “I will make a big God begin to look as big as he really is.”
What is the commentary on Psalm 84 verse 6? ›This whole psalm is about how great, glorious, awesome, lovely is the term, it is to be in the dwelling place of God, to be in communion with God, to know God, to be in his presence, to experience God.
How do you pray Psalm 84? ›Prayer: God, teach me to seek—to see—your dwelling place. Let that be my heartbeat: to behold your beauty in your sanctuary. Thoughts: Too often my soul longs for things other than God. It desires these trite bits of earth so much that I may even faint in my efforts to gain them.
What is the main message of psalm? ›The book of Psalms expresses worship. Throughout its many pages, Psalms encourages its readers to praise God for who He is and what He has done. The Psalms illuminate the greatness of our God, affirm His faithfulness to us in times of trouble, and remind us of the absolute centrality of His Word.
What is the lesson in the parable of the doorkeeper? ›While Jesus uses the fig tree to teach a lesson on recognizing the time when the Lord will return, the parable of the doorkeeper more specifically exhorts all to be watchful and wait for the coming of the Lord in the face of opposition from the world.
What does it mean to be a doorkeeper in the house of the Lord? ›The gatekeepers were Levites stationed at the gates of God's house. It was their task to open the temple gates in the morning and to close them again at night. They stood ready to receive the tithes and gifts that the Israelites brought.
What does keeper of the door mean? ›a person whose job is to stay near the entrance to a public place and prevent people from entering without permission: He was a doorkeeper on the stage door at the theater.
How does God give you strength? ›Let me share with you one of my favorite Bible verses that reminds us of the way God gives us strength—Isaiah 41:10. In Isaiah 41:10, God says to “fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
How does God renew our strength? ›"But they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." The Good News: Even when it seems like we can't go another day against our struggles, God will grant us renewed strength to keep pushing on.
Do all things through God strengthen me? ›Philippians 4:11–13
12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Are there 3 types of tears? ›
We cry to protect our eyes, to wash out irritants and because, well, we are moved to tears. “There are three types of tears: basal tears, emotional tears and reflex tears,” explains David Silverstone, M.D., a professor of ophthalmology at the Yale School of Medicine.
Does the Holy Spirit bring tears? ›Certainly the Spirit of the Lord can bring strong emotional feelings, including tears, but that outward manifestation ought not to be confused with the presence of the Spirit itself” (in Preach My Gospel: A Guide to Missionary Service [2004], 99).
Do we have three types of tears? ›There are three types of tears: basal tears, reflex tears, and emotional tears. They vary in composition drastically.
What are the 4 functions of tears? ›Tears keep your eyes wet and smooth, and help focus light so you can see clearly. They also protect your eyes from infections and irritating things, like dirt and dust. Every time you blink, a thin layer of tears called a “tear film” spreads across the surface of your cornea (the clear outer layer of the eye).
What is the root word for tears? ›From Middle English teren, from Old English teran (“to tear, lacerate”), from Proto-Germanic *teraną (“to tear, tear apart, rip”), from Proto-Indo-European *der- (“to tear, tear apart”).
What causes tears to come out? ›The part of the brain that switches on the “tear fountain” receives signals from the part of your brain that controls your emotions. When this happens, the eye can produce more than half a cup of tears in minutes. This is way too much for the eye to hold and our drainage system goes to work.
Are tears just water? ›Tears are 98% water. The remaining 2%, which is responsible for the salty taste, contain: Oils. Salt.
What does Psalm 84 5 6 mean? ›We can find several keys to experiencing the rain of God's Spirit by looking again at Psalm 84:5-6. The psalmist writes, “Blessed are those whose strength is in you.” This statement teaches us that we must find our strength in God alone.
What is the meaning of Psalms 84 4? ›It means joining with others who know and love him to praise him and worship him. It means living my life each day as a joyful, grateful, humble servant of a most excellent Lord.
What is the meaning of Psalm 84 2? ›The present psalm reflects the joy and satisfaction of one such traveller as he comes to the temple to worship (1-2). Even the birds who make their nests in the temple courtyard have meaning for this man. As they find rest in their nests, so he finds rest in God's house (3-4).
What is Psalm 84 devotional? ›
Psalm 84 describes a person whose “soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD” and whose heart and flesh “cry out for the living God.” These are strong emotions.
What does it mean that everything that has breath praise the Lord? ›a. Let everything that has breath praise the LORD: This is a remarkably fitting conclusion to this psalm and to the entire Book of Psalms. Everything that breathes should give its praise to the One who gave it breath. Every breath is the gift of God and praise is the worthy response we should make for that gift.
What does it mean to keep your eyes on the Lord? ›The Greek word “fix” contains the idea of concentrating your gaze; to focus all of your attention on one object. Paul explains that if we concentrate on Jesus, we will be able to avoid sin and experience peace.
Why is God strength made perfect in our weakness? ›God's power perfects our weaknesses, allowing us to do so much more than we could ever do on our own. Paul goes on in verse 10, saying, “That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in my weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
How do you stand strong in the Lord? ›Ephesians 6:11-16 provides us with advice in how to stand firm in the Lord. Standing firm in the Lord is done by putting on the full armor of God. In these verses, this includes filling your life with truthfulness, righteousness, peace and faith. To put on the full armor of God you must include him in all you do.
What does he gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless mean? ›More About This Verse
When we try to get through difficulties in our own strength, we often fall short and become weary, unable to bear the burden. But God promises us a strength and power beyond our own as we continue to rely on Him.
Psalm 84 is classified as a pilgrimage psalm, sung as praise by those who traveled to Jerusalem to worship.
What is the meaning of blowing the horn in the Bible? ›Blowing the shofar was a well-known multi-purpose call in biblical times; the scholar Saadya Ga'on identified ten ancient occasions when the shofar was used. It announced the Creation, the Revelation at Mount Sinai, the exhortations of the prophets. It proclaimed a military advance; it called for a military retreat.
What does it mean to lift up your horn in the Bible? ›This metaphor of the “exalted horn” comes from an image of a bull lifting up its horns after winning a battle. The raised horn is a common biblical symbol of victory, especially of being rescued from oppression. When this metaphor means victory (Psalm 89:24, 112:9.
What is Psalm 84 10 talking about? ›This psalm gives us a picture of a Christian pilgrim with a deep longing for God finding the greatest blessedness in his journey being the worship of the Lord. Through peaks and valleys, joy and tears, he elevates his relationship to God, his being close to the living God, as truly what life is.
What does a horn mean spiritually? ›
Horns represent salvation and immortality as well, as the horn is extremely durable. Notions of protection and asylum are carried with the horn, and it also means the beginning to Egyptians and Jung. Madness and rage are often associated with the horn, especially from that of a charging animal.
Who are the 4 horns in the Bible? ›In the Talmud
The four craftsmen are discussed in Babylonian Talmud Suk. 52b. Rav Hana bar Bizna attributed to Rav Simeon Hasida the identification of these four craftsmen as Messiah ben David, Messiah ben Joseph, Elijah, and the Righteous Priest.
In the Book of Revelation, seven trumpets are sounded, one at a time, to cue apocalyptic events seen by John of Patmos (Revelation 1:9) in his vision (Revelation 1:1). The seven trumpets are sounded by seven angels and the events that follow are described in detail from Revelation Chapters 8 to 11.
What does it mean God lifted your head? ›In Psalm 3:3, David says, “You are the lifter up of my head.” In other words, “God, you deliver me from being consumed with myself and with my troubles. You deliver me from being my own god. You lift up my head so that, by faith, I can see You. You put your Spirit in me so that I desire to serve others.”
What do eyes represent in the Bible? ›Therefore it can be compared with a light and metaphorically be described as the lamp of the body. The eye indicates an eye that is physically healthy and that reflects moral integrity, generosity and light. A good eye gives evidence of inner light. Where there is a good eye, it is a result of light within.
What is the horn called in the Bible? ›shofar, also spelled shophar, plural shofroth, shophroth, or shofrot, ritual musical instrument, made from the horn of a ram or other animal, used on important Jewish public and religious occasions. In biblical times the shofar sounded the Sabbath, announced the New Moon, and proclaimed the anointing of a new king.