Psalms Chapter 87

Psalm 87 celebrates Zion as the birthplace and homeland of the people of God, with a strong emphasis on divine favor and eschatological inclusion. The psalmist extols the sacredness of Zion, highlighting that nations will come to recognize God’s people, and even “this man was born there.” The text hints at a broader, universal recognition of God’s city—“Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God.” The proclamation that Rahab, Babylon, Philistia, Tyre, Ethiopia—“this man was born there”—signals the surprising inclusion of Gentiles into the people of God, a motif that foreshadows the New Testament vision of the church. The psalm ends with a striking image: both singers and instrumentalists alike will find life and sustenance in Zion, and “all my springs are in thee,” indicating that true life and vitality flow from God’s city.

As a shorter psalm, 87 belongs to the corpus of Zion-centered worship with a prophetic edge about Gentile inclusion. The language reinforces the special status of Jerusalem as the place where God’s presence dwells and where blessing radiates to the nations. The “born there” motif is a striking prophetic sign of the wideness of God’s salvation plan beyond Israel’s ethnic boundaries, aligning with later biblical trajectories toward inclusive salvation (e.g., Gentile inclusion in Acts and Paul’s letters). The psalm uses the liturgical cadence of praise with Selah, inviting communal reflection on the mystery and beauty of God’s chosen city.

- The special status of Zion: God’s dwelling place as source of blessing.

- Gentile inclusion in God’s people: “born there” marks a radical expansion of the people of God.

- Divine generosity and hospitality: Zion as a source of life for all.

- Joyful worship as communal identity: music and celebration bind the community to God.

- God as the source of life and origin of blessing.

Psalm 87 has fresh resonance for Christians who read Scripture through the lens of mission and inclusion:

- God’s house as a beacon of hospitality and transformation for diverse people.

- The church’s identity as a “born there” people—called from many nations into one community.

- Worship as a public good that unites people across cultural lines.

- Recognizing that true life comes from God’s provision and presence, not from worldly status.

- Embracing a missional imagination: the church’s life should overflow into blessing that reaches beyond its own walls.

- Isaiah 2:2-4 (all nations streaming to the house of the Lord)

- Revelation 21:22-27 (the city of God and nations flowing to it)

- Ephesians 2:11-22 (Gentile inclusion in the church)

- Psalm 46 (God’s presence as salvation)

- Jesus (fulfillment of the inclusive plan of God’s people)

- Paul (theology of Gentile inclusion and the unified body)

- Moses (leadership shaping a people with a mission)

- David (songwriter-poet celebrating city-centered worship)