Psalm 84

Psalm 84 belongs to Book III of the Psalms (Psalms 73–89). It follows Psalm 83, a psalm of Asaph that prays for the defeat of Israel's enemies, and it opens the group of psalms of the sons of Korah within Book III (Psalms 84, 85, 87, and 88).

Structure

• Superscription The heading reads "To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm for the sons of Korah." "Gittith" appears to be the name of an instrument or a tune, but its meaning is uncertain.
• Verses 1–4 The psalmist loves the tabernacles of the LORD of hosts and longs for His courts. He sings that even the sparrow and the swallow have found a nest beside God's altars, and he declares that those who dwell in God's house are blessed.
• Verses 5–7 The psalmist calls blessed those whose strength is in God and in whose hearts are the highways to Zion. As they pass through the valley of Baca (the valley of weeping), they make it a place of springs; they go from strength to strength until each appears before God in Zion.
• Verses 8–9 The psalmist asks the God of Jacob to hear his prayer and calls on God, his shield, to look upon the face of His anointed.
• Verses 10–12 The psalmist declares that one day spent in God's courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. He praises the LORD as a sun and shield who gives grace and glory, and he closes by pronouncing blessed the one who trusts in Him.

The phrase "blessed is/are" occurs three times in the psalm (verses 4, 5, and 12).

Key Verses

• Psalm 84:2 "My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD" — This verse expresses the longing for God's presence that is the theme of the entire psalm.
• Psalm 84:10 "For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand" — This is the most widely quoted verse of the psalm.
• Psalm 84:11 "For the LORD God is a sun and shield" — This verse uses two images to portray God as the one who gives life and protection.

People and Places

• Sons of Korah: The group of authors named in the superscription. Descendants of Korah, who rebelled in the wilderness, they are known as a Levitical family responsible for temple praise and for guarding the temple gates.
• Zion: A name for Jerusalem, where the temple of God stood.
• Jacob: Appears in the divine title "the God of Jacob."
• The anointed: Commonly interpreted as referring to the king whom God had established (see anointing).
• Valley of weeping: In Hebrew, the valley of Baca. "Baca" is interpreted either as "weeping" or as the name of a tree, and the valley's exact location is unknown.

Interpretive Notes

• Given the likely period of composition, the "tabernacles" of verse 1 are generally understood to refer to the Temple in Jerusalem. However, the date of the psalm's composition is uncertain.
• Some interpreters connect the "doorkeeper" of verse 10 with the record that the sons of Korah served as gatekeepers of the temple (1 Chronicles 9:19).
• Some read "thine anointed" in verse 9 solely as a king of the Davidic dynasty, while some Christians also read it as looking ahead to the Messiah.
• Because the Hebrew Bible counts the superscription as verse 1, the verse numbers are shifted by one, giving a total of 13 verses. In Judaism, verse 4 (verse 5 in Hebrew) is prefixed to Psalm 145 and recited as part of the daily prayers.
• The psalm is not directly quoted in the New Testament. Nevertheless, its themes of longing for God's dwelling place and of pilgrimage are often read alongside the understanding of worship in John 4:20–23 and the "better country" of Hebrews 11:13–16.

In the Korean Church

The line in verse 10, "a day in thy courts…," is frequently used as the text for sermons at services marking the move into a new sanctuary and at dedication services, as well as for sermons emphasizing the preciousness of worship. The phrase "they go from strength to strength" in verses 5–7 is also commonly cited in sermons encouraging believers at the New Year or during difficult times.