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This famous and beautifully poetic Psalm tells the story of a traveler who is far from the
sanctuary and longs for the Presence of God in Jerusalem. He describes the blessedness
of being in God’s House, and speaks of people making pilgrimage to His Temple, gaining
(1) To the Chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm for the sons of Korah. How lovely
• This is another Psalm for the Chief Musician, and is for or by the sons of Korah.
Korah was one of the leaders of a rebellion against Moses. Korah was of the tribe
of Levi and had convinced some members of the tribe of Reuben to join in his
complaint that Moses had taken too much on himself, and that the sacred duties
of the priesthood should be shared by others. We can assume that this was due to
his own selfish ambition. Korah might also have felt injured because he was
passed over for leadership in favor of someone lower in the birth order. This
might have been why he appealed to some men of Reuben; Reuben was firstborn
but was being passed over by Judah for the preeminent spot. Although Korah
was swallowed alive by the earth, the Lord did not destroy Korah’s entire family
line. (Numbers 16) The moral of the story, of course, is that God is free to
side note, also killed in this rebellion was a Levite named Dathan, memorably
• The Psalmist proclaims the beauty of God’s tabernacles. The word means a tent,
but can refer to any dwelling place. In this context it probably refers to the
tabernacles of God, which are the holy place and the most holy place, or “Holy of
Holies.” We should recall that before the Temple was built, the temple services
• The Holy Place (seen in blue) contained the Table of Showbread, the Menorah
and the Altar of Incense. The Holy of Holies contained the Ark of the Covenant
• The Psalmist’s statement can certainly refer to the beauty of the Temple and the
holy furniture, but it may also refer in a wider sense to all the dwelling places of
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Psalms Bible Study Psalm 84
God; in other words, he is saying that everywhere that the God of Israel is
worshiped is beautiful.
• Where the religion of Israel held sway there was learning, culture and civilization;
where pagan religion held sway there was degradation and superstition. The Law
sanctioned, and even upheld as good in Egypt and in other places. Perhaps the
traveler had witnessed the rites of the Ammonites, the Moabites, or the
suffocating to live in such an environment after one had lived in Jerusalem and
(2) My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and
my flesh cry out for the living God. (3) Yes, the sparrow has found an
house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young,
• The Psalmist truly felt that his whole being was crying out to be in the worship of
God; more than that, he cried out for God Himself. If the worship of demons the
traveler had witnessed was ugly, it was only because those false gods were
themselves ugly and vile. Man becomes like what he worships. How different was
the God of Israel from His “competitors!” He was kind, gracious, and loving; not
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Psalms Bible Study Psalm 84
• Perhaps one of the surest ways to remain holy is to remain hungry for God as this
man was. Jesus taught that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness would
be filled. (Matt. 5:6) God also said He would pour water on those who are thirsty.
(Isa. 44:3) To long to worship God is a good thing; however, more than that, we
• Verse 3 is very poetic; we can imagine that the Psalmist had once seen a swallow
making her home in some crevice near the altars of God; he envied her residence
(4) Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they will be still praising
you. Selah.
• In this verse he speaks of the blessedness of those (priests and Levites) who were
privileged to live and serve at the Temple area. The idea is that they will praise
God without cease. This is a great blessing; Jesus promised this to overcomers in
Rev. 3:12: “Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God,
(5) Blessed is the man whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the
ways, (6) Who, passing through the valley of Baca, make it a well; the rain
also fills the pools. (7) They go from strength to strength, every one of
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Psalms Bible Study Psalm 84
• In verse 5 we see it is only the man who takes God as His strength who can be
happy, or blessed. Every other thing on which man relies is, ultimately, only a
false friend. People in our day have created many substitutes for God, and yet it
seems that people have seldom been unhappier; the recent decades have seen a
tremendous increase in drug abuse and escapism of every kind. In our drive to
forget the Almighty we have cut ourselves off from the only source of true
• What does it mean to say the ways are in his heart? This part of the Psalm speaks
about the holy pilgrimage to God’s Presence. There were highways on which
people would travel to Jerusalem, of course, but more important are the ways in
a man’s heart which lead him to God’s Presence. It is more important to know
the ways of the Kingdom than the ways to any physical place. Blessed is the man
• The valley of Baca means valley of weeping. As we pass through difficult seasons
in our life’s journey, they are transformed by God’s presence into places of
blessing for us, although we may not see it at the time. Our deserts can become
pools of water!
• Ultimately, we grow in our faith and go from faith to faith and strength to
strength. The Psalmist gives the promise here that all will reach Zion, the City of
God. As they traveled to the earthly Zion, we shall arrive safely at the Heavenly
(8) O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob. Selah.
(9) Behold, O God our shield, and look upon the face of your anointed.
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Psalms Bible Study Psalm 84
• We do not know that the traveler was praying for, although it seems likely he was
seeking a safe trip into God’s presence. He invokes God’s personal Name and
also refers to Him as the God of Jacob. Referring to God as the God of Jacob
may be a reference to the weakness of man; recall that Jacob was Israel’s name
before God changed his name to Israel. Jacob was a very flawed man and such a
• Verse 9 is probably a prayer for the anointed (moshiach), meaning the king, and,
by extension, for the safety of the nation in the face of its enemies. God is
recognized as the ultimate source of safety, over and above the king.
(10) For a day in your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a
wickedness.
• It has been said that this means it is better even to stand at the threshold looking
(11) 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. (12)