Psalms 147:2
The LORD doth build up Jerusalem: he gathereth together the outcasts of Israel.
Original Language Analysis
יְרוּשָׁלִַ֣ם
Jerusalem
H3389
יְרוּשָׁלִַ֣ם
Jerusalem
Strong's:
H3389
Word #:
2 of 6
jerushalaim or jerushalem, the capital city of palestine
יְהוָ֑ה
The LORD
H3068
יְהוָ֑ה
The LORD
Strong's:
H3068
Word #:
3 of 6
(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
Cross References
Isaiah 56:8The Lord GOD which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered unto him.Psalms 51:18Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem.Deuteronomy 30:3That then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee.Isaiah 14:32What shall one then answer the messengers of the nation? That the LORD hath founded Zion, and the poor of his people shall trust in it.Isaiah 62:7And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.Jeremiah 32:37Behold, I will gather them out of all countries, whither I have driven them in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely:Ezekiel 38:8After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.Isaiah 27:13And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great trumpet shall be blown, and they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the LORD in the holy mount at Jerusalem.Jeremiah 31:4Again I will build thee, and thou shalt be built, O virgin of Israel: thou shalt again be adorned with thy tabrets, and shalt go forth in the dances of them that make merry.Nehemiah 7:4Now the city was large and great: but the people were few therein, and the houses were not builded.
Historical Context
Psalm 147 is a post-exilic hymn, likely composed after Nehemiah's rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls (444 BC). The historical context is crucial: Jerusalem lay in ruins for decades after Babylonian destruction (586 BC). The returned exiles faced enormous challenges—hostile neighbors, economic hardship, ruined infrastructure, spiritual discouragement. Rebuilding the physical city became a sign of God's continuing faithfulness to His covenant promises.
Questions for Reflection
- How does God continue to 'build up' His spiritual Jerusalem (the church) today through gathering outcasts and outsiders?
- In what ways have you personally experienced being an 'outcast' whom God gathered into His covenant community?
- What does this verse teach about God's heart for the scattered, marginalized, and displaced in our contemporary world?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
The LORD doth build up Jerusalem: he gathereth together the outcasts of Israel. The Hebrew verb boneh (בּוֹנֶה) appears in the present participle, emphasizing ongoing divine action—Yahweh is continually building Jerusalem, not merely once-for-all but perpetually sustaining and restoring His covenant community. This verb echoes God's promise through the prophets to rebuild what exile destroyed (Jeremiah 31:4; Amos 9:11).
The phrase "he gathereth together the outcasts" uses kenasaf nidchei (כְּנַסַּף נִדְחֵי), where nidchei means those thrust out, banished, or scattered. Post-exilic Israel knew this reality intimately—physically dispersed among nations, spiritually alienated through covenant unfaithfulness. Yet Yahweh, the covenant-keeping God, actively regathers His people. This gathering anticipates the Messiah's ministry to "the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Matthew 15:24) and Christ's promise to draw all people to Himself (John 12:32). The church becomes the new Jerusalem, built of living stones gathered from every nation (1 Peter 2:5; Ephesians 2:19-22).