Psalms 51:18 — Word Study
WLCהֵיטִ֣יבָה בִ֭רְצוֹנְךָ אֶת־ צִיּ֑וֹן תִּ֝בְנֶ֗ה חוֹמ֥וֹת יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃
BSAforkîy notlôʼ to delight inchâphêts sacrificezebach to givenâthan burnt offeringʻôlâh notlôʼ to acceptrâtsâh
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| הֵיטִ֣יבָה | do good to ! | Verb hiphil imperative second person masculine singular, suffix |
| בִ֭רְצוֹנְךָ | in favor your | Preposition, noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
| אֶת־ | the object marker | Particle |
| צִיּ֑וֹן | Zion | Noun proper |
| תִּ֝בְנֶ֗ה | you will build | Verb, Qal, imperfect second person masculine singular |
| חוֹמ֥וֹת | [the] walls of | Noun common, feminine plural construct |
| יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃ | Jerusalem | Noun proper |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | In Your good pleasure, cause Zion to prosper; build up the walls of Jerusalem. |
| KJV | Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem. |
| ASV | Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: Build thou the walls of Jerusalem. |
| YLT | Do good in Thy good pleasure with Zion, Thou dost build the walls of Jerusalem. |
| WEB | Do well in your good pleasure to Zion. Build the walls of Jerusalem. |
| BBE | Do good to Zion in your good pleasure, building up the walls of Jerusalem. |
Where they part company is in the rendering of הֵיטִ֣יבָה — see How Translations Differ.
One main verb governs the request, with two phrases specifying the desired outcomes, emphasizing the psalmist's reliance on God's favor.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbלֹא
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Psalms 51:18
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — A Plea for Restorationgenerated
Psalm 51:18 is a plea for God’s favor towards Zion, asking for the prosperity and rebuilding of Jerusalem. This verse follows a recognition of the true sacrifices God desires — a broken spirit and contrite heart, as seen in the preceding verses. The psalmist expresses a deep longing for restoration and divine intervention in the city’s welfare, reflecting the broader themes of repentance and hope found throughout the Psalms.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 25:22 | Redeem Israel, O God, from all its distress. |
| 2 | Psalm 102:16 | For the LORD will rebuild Zion; He has appeared in His glory. |
| 3 | Psalm 122:6–9 | Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May those who love you prosper. |
| 4 | Psalm 137:5–6 | If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand cease to function. |
| 5 | Isaiah 62:1–6 | For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not keep still, until her righteousness shines like a bright light, her salvation like a blazing torch. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 16 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — הֵיטִ֣יבָה, hei.Ti.vahgenerated
The verb הֵיטִיבָה (hei.Ti.vah) is a hiphil imperative, urging God to act in a way that brings goodness or favor. Its root יָטַב (yatab) conveys the idea of being good or pleasing, which encompasses both literal and figurative meanings such as making something sound or beautiful, or bringing joy.
This imperative form indicates a direct request for action, highlighting the psalmist's reliance on God's ability to bring about positive change and restoration. The use of this verb in the context of Zion emphasizes the importance of divine favor in the prosperity and rebuilding of the city.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The translations generally agree, rendering הֵיטִ֣יבָה as cause to prosper or similar phrases.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb is הֵיטִ֣יבָה, cause to prosper, which governs two phrases: a prepositional phrase indicating the object of the favor, בִ֭רְצוֹנְךָ (in Your good pleasure), and a noun phrase specifying what is to be built, חוֹמ֥וֹת יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם (the walls of Jerusalem).
The structure emphasizes the psalmist's plea for divine action, with the imperative verb leading the request and the subsequent phrases clarifying the desired outcomes.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates הֵיטִ֣יבָה as ἔδωκα (edōka), meaning I gave, which shifts the focus from a plea for action to a statement of provision. This choice may reflect an interpretive angle on God's favor.
This rendering suggests a broader understanding of God's provision for Zion, indicating that the translators viewed the request as already fulfilled in some sense.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 51:18 is a prayer asking God to show favor to Zion and to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. The psalmist expresses a desire for restoration and prosperity, emphasizing the need for God's intervention in the city's welfare.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The psalmist is seeking God's favor and intervention to restore and bless Zion, which represents the city of God and its people.
The walls symbolize protection and security for the city and its inhabitants, and their rebuilding represents a return to strength and stability.
This verse follows a recognition of the need for a broken spirit and contrite heart, highlighting that true restoration comes from genuine repentance and reliance on God.
The psalmist's plea emphasizes the importance of seeking God's favor in times of need and trusting in His ability to restore and bless.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what areas of my life do I need to seek God's favor for restoration?
- How can I cultivate a spirit of repentance and humility like the psalmist?
- What does it mean for me to be a part of 'Zion' in my community?
- How can I actively support the rebuilding and strengthening of my community?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
The early Church Fathers, including Augustine of Hippo, interpreted this verse as a plea for God's kindness towards Zion, seeing it as reflective of the Church's needs.
See who this is: David as one man was seeming to implore; see ye here our image and the type of the Church. "Deal kindly, O Lord, in Your good will with Sion" [Psalms 51:18].Early Church Fathers on Psalms 51 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 51:18 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleDo good in thy good pleasure unto Zion,.... This verse, and Psalms 51:19, are thought, by a Spanish Rabbi mentioned by Aben Ezra, to have been added by one of the holy men that lived in the time of
Read John Gill on Psalms 51 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThen will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 51 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleIn thy good pleasure; or, for or according to (for the Hebrew prefix beth is frequently used both those ways) thy good grace, or favour, or pleasure, i.e. thy free and rich mercy, and thy gracious purpose and promise made to and concerning Zion, of which see , and do not repent of it, nor retract it, as I have given thee cause to do. Unto Zion; synecdochically put for Jerusalem, as the next clause explains it, and both put for the whole people of Israel and church of God; whom I have highly scandalized and injured already, and exposed to the danger of utter destruction, which thou mightest inflict upon them for the sins of their king, as thou usest to do in like cases. Build thou the walls…
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 51 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 51:18 Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem.Ver. 18. Do good in thy good pleasure unto Sion] Having made his own peace with God, he now prayeth for the Church: and the rather, because by his foul sins he had hazarded, or rather exposed, both Zion and Jerusalem, Church and State, to divine displeasure. Delirant reges, plectuntur Achivi. Build thou the walls of Jerusalem] i.e. Protect, defend, and maintain the civil state, grant all things necessary for its safety and well-being; supply of all wants, confirmation and increase of all blessings. Thus pray we, Jeremiah 29:7 Psalms 122:6-8; for except the Lord keep the city, &c. See Isaiah 5:1-3; Isaiah…
Read John Trapp on Psalms 51 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(18) Do good.—The last two verses have occasioned much controversy. They do not fit in well with the theory of Davidic authorship, Theodoret long ago saying that they better suited the exiles in Babylon. They seem at first sight to contradict what has just been asserted of sacrifice. On both grounds they have been regarded as a liturgical addition, such as doubtless the compiler made, without any sense of infringement of the rights of authorship. On the other hand, it is not only these two verses which harmonise with the feelings of the restored exiles, but the whole psalm, and the contradiction in regard to the worth of sacrifices is only apparent. While vindicating spiritual religion, the…
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 51 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 18. Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion] This and the following verse most evidently refer to the time of the captivity, when the walls of Jerusalem were broken down, and the temple service entirely discontinued; and, consequently, are long posterior to the times of David. Hence it has been concluded that the Psalm was not composed by David, nor in his time and that the title must be that of some other Psalm inadvertently affixed to this. The fourth verse has also been considered as decisive against this title: but the note on that verse has considerably weakened, if not destroyed, that objection. I have been long of opinion that, whether the title be properly or improperly affixed…
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 51 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges18, 19. Prayer of Israel in exile for the restoration of Jerusalem and the renewal of the Temple worship. Reasons have already been given for thinking that these verses are not part of the original Psalm, but an addition by the exiles who adapted it to their own needs.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 51 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleDo good in thy good pleasure unto Zion - From himself - his deep sorrow, his conscious guilt, his earnest prayer for pardon and salvation - the psalmist turns to Zion, to the city of God, to the people of the Lord.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 51 →The verse in English, compared — 16 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
In Your good pleasure, cause Zion to prosper; build up the walls of Jerusalem.
Do well in your good pleasure to Zion. Build the walls of Jerusalem.
In Your good pleasure, cause Zion to prosper; build up the walls of Jerusalem.
Because you favor Zion, do what is good for her! Fortify the walls of Jerusalem!
Tyndale line
Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem.
Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: Build thou the walls of Jerusalem.
Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem.
Do good in thy good pleasure to Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem.
Bee fauourable vnto Zion for thy good pleasure: builde the walles of Ierusalem.
Strictly literal
Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion; build the walls of Jerusalem.
Do good in Thy good pleasure with Zion, Thou dost build the walls of Jerusalem.
Do good in Your good pleasure with Zion, || You build the walls of Jerusalem.
(51:20) Do good in thy favor unto Zion; build thou the walls of Jerusalem.
Do good in your good pleasure to Zion; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
Simplified
Be kind to Zion, help the city; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
Do good to Zion in your good pleasure, building up the walls of Jerusalem.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint largely agree in content, with six of the seven words matching. The Septuagint's word order and articles differ, showing a unique interpretive approach while maintaining the core message of the psalm.
הֵיטִ֣יבָה בִ֭רְצוֹנְךָ אֶת־ צִיּ֑וֹן תִּ֝בְנֶ֗ה חוֹמ֥וֹת יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃
6 of the 7 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Psalms 51:18
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
The Hebrew word יָטַב (yatab) is a primitive root meaning to be good or pleasing. It encompasses a range of meanings including being glad, making something good or right, and dealing well with others. The entries highlight its use in both a literal sense (like sound or beautiful) and a figurative sense (like happy or successful).
[יָטַב] vb. be good, well, glad, pleasing
Qal
be glad, joyful
be well placed
impers. be well for or with, go well with
be pleasing
Hithp.
make glad, rejoice
do good to, deal well with
do well or thoroughly
make a thing good, right, beautiful
do well, right, ethically
base
H3190 יָטַב be good, well, glad, pleasing
3190 yatab yaw-tab'
a primitive root; to be (causative) make well, literally
(sound, beautiful) or figuratively (happy, successful,
right):--be accepted, amend, use aright, benefit, be (make)
better, seem best, make cheerful, be comely, + be content,
diligent(-ly), dress, earnestly, find favour, give, be glad,
do (be, make) good((-ness)), be (make) merry, please (+ well),
shew more (kindness), skilfully, X very small, surely, make
sweet, thoroughly, tire, trim, very, be (can, deal, entreat,
go, have) well (said, seen).
יָטַב (ya.tav) — be good.
1) to be good, be pleasing, be well, be glad
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to be glad, be joyful
1a2) to be well placed
1a3) to be well for, be well with, go well with
1a4) to be pleasing, be pleasing to
1b) (Hiphil)
1b1) to make glad, rejoice
1b2) to do good to, deal well with
1b3) to do well, do thoroughly
1b4) to make a thing good or right or beautiful
1b5) to do well, do right
HVhv2ms/Sh — Verb hiphil imperative second person masculine singular · suffixHVhv2ms/Sh
good (Tobh, Tubh, yaTabh; agathos, agathon, kalos, kalon): In English "good" is used in various senses, most of which are represented in the Bible.
(1) In the Old Testament the commonest word is Tobh, occurring very frequently and translated in a great variety of ways. Of the different shades of meaning, which frequently run into each other, the following may be distinguished:
(a) Possessing desirable qualities, beneficial, agreeable, e.g. "good for food" (Ge 2:9); "We will do thee good" (Nu 10:29); Who will show us any good?" (Ps 4:6); "good tidings of good" (Isa 52:7).
רָצוֹן (ratsown) refers to concepts of goodwill, favor, acceptance, and will. It encompasses ideas of delight, desire, and pleasure, particularly in the context of personal relationships and sacrifices. The word is derived from a root meaning to delight, and it captures both voluntary will and the notion of being acceptable.
רָצוֹן n.[m.] goodwill, favour, acceptance, will
goodwill, favour
acceptance, of persons, offering sacrifice
will, desire, pleasure
base
H7522 רָצוֹן goodwill, favour, acceptance, will . goodwill, favour
. acceptance, of persons, offering sacrifice
. will, desire, pleasure
7522 ratsown raw-tsone'
or ratson {raw-tsone'}; from 7521; delight (especially as
shown):--(be) acceptable(-ance, -ed), delight, desire,
favour, (good) pleasure, (own, self, voluntary) will,
as...(what) would.
see HEBREW for 07521
רָצוֹן (ra.tson) — acceptance.
1) pleasure, delight, favour, goodwill, acceptance, will
1a) goodwill, favour
1b) acceptance
1c) will, desire, pleasure, self-will
HR/Ncmsc/Sp2ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHR/Ncmsc/Sp2ms
אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).
אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
base
H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
853 'eth ayth
apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of
entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more
definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or
namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).
see HEBREW for 0226
אֵת (et) — [Obj.].
sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative
Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
HTo — ParticleHTo
צִיּוֹן (Tsiyyôn) refers to Zion, often identified as a mountain in Jerusalem and a symbolic name for the city itself, particularly in prophetic contexts. The term is linked to the Hebrew word for Jerusalem and is noted for meaning 'parched place.' It is consistently recognized across lexicons as a proper noun.
צִיּוֹן 154 n.pr.loc. Ṣiyyôn, Zion
base
H6726 צִיּוֹן Ṣiyyôn, Zion
6726 Tsiyown tsee-yone'
the same (regularly) as 6725; Tsijon (as a permanent
capital), a mountain of Jerusalem:--Zion.
see HEBREW for 06725
צִיּוֹן (tsiy.yon) — Zion.
Zion = "parched place"
another name for Jerusalem especially in the prophetic books
Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)
HNpl — Noun properHNpl
zi'-on (tsiyon; Sion):
1. Meaning of the Word
2. The Zion of the Jebusites
3. Zion of the Prophets
4. Zion in Later Poetical Writings and Apocrypha
5. Omission of Name by Some Writers
6. The Name "Zion" in Christian Times
LITERATURE
1. Meaning of the Word:
A name applied to Jerusalem, or to certain parts of it, at least since the time of David. Nothing certain is known of the meaning. Gesenius and others have derived it from a Hebrew root tsahah, "to be dry"; Delitzsch from tsiwwah, "to set up" and Wetzstein from tsin, "to protect." Gesenius finds a more hopeful suggestion in the Arabic equivalent cihw, the Arabic cahwat signifying "ridge of a mountain" or "citadel," which at any rate suitably applies to what we know to have been the original Zion (compare Smith, HGHL, under the word).
Zion
Sunny; height, one of the eminences on which Jerusalem was built. It was surrounded on all sides, except the north, by deep valleys, that of the Tyropoeon (q.v.) separating it from Moriah (q.v.), which it surpasses in height by 105 feet. It was the south-eastern hill of Jerusalem.
When David took it from the Jebusites (Josh. 15:63; 2 Sam. 5:7) he built on it a citadel and a palace, and it became “the city of David” (1 Kings 8:1; 2 Kings 19:21, 31; 1 Chr. 11:5). In the later books of the Old Testament this name was sometimes used (Ps. 87:2; 149:2;
[JERUSALEM]
monument; raised up; sepulcher
The Hebrew word בָּנָה (banah) means "to build" and encompasses various forms such as rebuilding, establishing, and making permanent. It can refer to physical construction, like building a house or family, as well as metaphorical uses, such as the establishment of restored exiles. The entries indicate that it can also imply being built up, particularly in the context of a childless wife becoming a mother.
בָּנָה 373 vb. build
Qal build
Niph.
be built
be rebuilt
(fig.) of restored exiles, = established
established, made permanent
base
H1129 בָּנָה build .build
.. . be built
. be rebuilt
. . (fig.) of restored exiles, = established
. established, made permanent
1129 banah baw-naw'
a primitive root; to build (literally and
figuratively):--(begin to) build(-er), obtain children, make,
repair, set (up), X surely.
בָּנָה (ba.nah) — to build.
1) to build, rebuild, establish, cause to continue
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to build, rebuild
1a2) to build a house (ie, establish a family)
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be built
1b2) to be rebuilt
1b3) established (of restored exiles) (fig.)
1b4) established (made permanent)
1b5) to be built up (of childless wife becoming the mother of a family through the children of a concubine)
Aramaic equivalent: be.nah (בְּנָה "to build" H1124)
HVqi2ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect second person masculine singularHVqi2ms
חוֹמָה (chowmah) refers to a wall, typically understood as a protective barrier. It is derived from a root meaning to join, and is often used to describe city walls or the walls of buildings. The term can also be applied figuratively, such as in reference to the waters of the Red Sea.
חוֹמָה 133 n.f. wall (as protection)
usu. term for wall of city
wall of a building
fig. of waters of Red Sea
base
H2346 חוֹמָה wall (as protection)
2346 chowmah kho-maw'
feminine active participle of an unused root apparently
meaning to join; a wall of protection:--wall, walled.
חוֹמָה (cho.mah) — wall.
wall
חוֹמָה (cho.mah) — (Broad) Wall.
wall
Combined with ra.chav (רָחָב "Broad" H7342)
HNcfpc — Noun common · feminine plural constructHNcfpc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫͏ם (Yruwshalaim) refers to Jerusalem, the capital city of Palestine. The name is thought to derive from terms meaning 'founded peaceful' and is linked to its two main hills. It is described as the chief city of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah.
יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫͏ם, יְרוּשָׁלַ֫יִם 644 n.pr.loc. Jerusalem
base
H3389 יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫͏ם, יְרוּשָׁלַ֫יִם Jerusalem
3389 Yruwshalaim yer-oo-shaw-lah'-im
rarely Yruwshalayim {yer-oo- shaw-lah'-yim}; a dual (in
allusion to its two main hills (the true pointing, at least of
the former reading, seems to be that of 3390)); probably from
(the passive participle of) 3384 and 7999; founded peaceful;
Jerushalaim or Jerushalem, the capital city of
Palestine:--Jerusalem.
see HEBREW for 03390
see HEBREW for 03384
see HEBREW for 07999
יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם (ye.ru.sha.laim) — Jerusalem.
§ Jerusalem = "teaching of peace"
the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split
HNpl — Noun properHNpl
je-roo'-sa-lem:
I. THE NAME
1. In Cuneiform
2. In Hebrew
3. In Greek and Latin
4. The Meaning of Jerusalem
5. Other Names
II. GEOLOGY, CLIMATE AND SPRINGS
1. Geology
2. Climate and Rainfall
3. The Natural Springs
III. THE NATURAL SITE
1. The Mountains Around
2. The Valleys
3. The Hills
IV. GENERAL TOPOGRAPHY OF JERUSALEM
1. Description of Josephus
2. Summary of the Names of the Five Hills
3. The Akra
4. The Lower City
5. City of David and Zion
V. EXCAVATIONS AND ANTIQUITIES
1. Robinson
2. Wilson, and the Palestine Exploration Fund (1865)
3. Warren and Conder
4. Maudslay
5. Schick
6. Clermont-Ganneau
7. Bliss and Dickie
8. Jerusalem Archaeological Societies
VI. THE CITY'S WALLS AND GATES
1. The Existing Walls
2. Wilson's Theory
3. The Existing Gates
4. Buried Remains of Earlier Walls
5. The Great Dam of the Tyropoeon
6. Ruins of Ancient Gates
7. Josephus' Description of the Walls
8. First Wall
9. Second Wall
10. Third Wall
Jerusalem
Called also Salem, Ariel, Jebus, the “city of God,” the “holy city;” by the modern Arabs el-Khuds, meaning “the holy;” once “the city of Judah” (2 Chr. 25:28). This name is in the original in the dual form, and means “possession of peace,” or “foundation of peace.” The dual form probably refers to the two mountains on which it was built, viz., Zion and Moriah; or, as some suppose, to the two parts of the city, the “upper” and the “lower city.” Jerusalem is a “mountain city enthroned on a mountain fastness” (comp. Ps. 68:15, 16; 87:1; 125:2; 76:1, 2; 122:3). It stands on the edge of one of the highest table-lands in Palestine, and is surrounded on the south-eastern, the southern, and the western sides by deep and precipitous ravines.
(the habitation of peace), Jerusalem stands in latitude 31 degrees 46’ 35" north and longitude 35 degrees 18’ 30" east of Greenwich. It is 32 miles distant from the sea and 18 from the Jordan, 20 from Hebron and 36 from Samaria. "In several respects," says Dean Stanley, "its situation is singular among the cities of Palestine. Its elevation is remarkable; occasioned not from its being on the summit of one of the numerous hills of Judea, like most of the towns and villages, but because it is on the edge of one of the highest table-lands of the country. Hebron indeed is higher still by some hundred feet, and from the south, accordingly (even from Bethlehem), the approach to Jerusalem is by a slight descent. But from any other side the ascent is perpetual; and to the traveller approaching the city from the east or west it must always have presented the appearance beyond any other capital…
The chief city of the Holy Land, and to the Christian the most illustrious in the world. It is situated in 31 degrees 46’43" N. lat., and 35 degrees 13’ E. long. on elevated ground south of the center of the country, about thirty-seven miles from the Mediterranean, and about twenty-four from the Jordan. Its site was early hallowed by God’s trial of Abraham’s faith, Ge 22:1-24 2Ch 3:1. It was on the border of the tribes of Benjamin and Judah, mostly within the limits of the former, but reckoned as belonging to the latter, because conquered by it, Jos 15:8 18:16,28 Jud 1:18. The most ancient name of the city was Salem, Ge…