Psalm 122:3
New International Version
Jerusalem is built like a city that is closely compacted together.

New Living Translation
Jerusalem is a well-built city; its seamless walls cannot be breached.

English Standard Version
Jerusalem—built as a city that is bound firmly together,

Berean Standard Bible
Jerusalem is built up as a city united together,

King James Bible
Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together:

New King James Version
Jerusalem is built As a city that is compact together,

New American Standard Bible
Jerusalem, that has been built As a city that is firmly joined together;

NASB 1995
Jerusalem, that is built As a city that is compact together;

NASB 1977
Jerusalem, that is built As a city that is compact together;

Legacy Standard Bible
Jerusalem, which is built As a city joined altogether;

Amplified Bible
Jerusalem, that is built As a city that is firmly joined together;

Christian Standard Bible
Jerusalem, built as a city should be, solidly united,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Jerusalem, built as a city should be, solidly joined together,

American Standard Version
Jerusalem, that art builded As a city that is compact together;

Contemporary English Version
Jerusalem, what a strong and beautiful city you are!

English Revised Version
Jerusalem, that art builded as a city that is compact together:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Jerusalem is built to be a city where the people are united.

Good News Translation
Jerusalem is a city restored in beautiful order and harmony.

International Standard Version
Jerusalem stands built up, a city knitted together.

Majority Standard Bible
Jerusalem is built up as a city united together,

NET Bible
Jerusalem is a city designed to accommodate an assembly.

New Heart English Bible
Jerusalem, that is built as a city that is joined together;

Webster's Bible Translation
Jerusalem is built as a city that is compact together:

World English Bible
Jerusalem is built as a city that is compact together,
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Jerusalem—the built one—[Is] as a city that is joined to itself together.

Young's Literal Translation
Jerusalem -- the builded one -- Is as a city that is joined to itself together.

Smith's Literal Translation
Jerusalem was built as a city, joined to it together.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Jerusalem, which is built as a city, which is compact together.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Jerusalem has been built as a city, whose participation is unto itself.

New American Bible
Jerusalem, built as a city, walled round about.

New Revised Standard Version
Jerusalem—built as a city that is bound firmly together.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Jerusalem is built like a city that is surrounded by a wall,

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Jerusalem is a building like a city surrounded with a wall.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Jerusalem, that art builded As a city that is compact together;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Jerusalem is built as a city whose fellowship is complete.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem
2Our feet are standing in your gates, O Jerusalem. 3Jerusalem is built up as a city united together, 4where the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, as a testimony for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the LORD.…

Cross References
Nehemiah 4:6
So we rebuilt the wall until all of it was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.

Nehemiah 7:4
Now the city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and the houses had not yet been rebuilt.

1 Kings 6:7
The temple was constructed using finished stones cut at the quarry, so that no hammer or chisel or any other iron tool was heard in the temple while it was being built.

1 Kings 9:15
This is the account of the forced labor that King Solomon imposed to build the house of the LORD, his own palace, the supporting terraces, and the wall of Jerusalem, as well as Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer.

2 Chronicles 8:5
He rebuilt Upper and Lower Beth-horon as fortified cities with walls, gates, and bars,

2 Samuel 5:9
So David took up residence in the fortress and called it the City of David. He built it up all the way around, from the supporting terraces inward.

Isaiah 65:18-19
But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; for I will create Jerusalem to be a joy and its people to be a delight. / I will rejoice in Jerusalem and take delight in My people. The sounds of weeping and crying will no longer be heard in her.

Jeremiah 31:38-40
“The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when this city will be rebuilt for Me, from the tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. / The measuring line will once again stretch out straight to the hill of Gareb and then turn toward Goah. / The whole valley of the dead bodies and ashes, and all the fields as far as the Kidron Valley, to the corner of the Horse Gate to the east, will be holy to the LORD. It will never again be uprooted or demolished.”

Ezekiel 40:2
In visions of God He took me to the land of Israel and set me on a very high mountain, on whose southern slope was a structure that resembled a city.

Zechariah 8:3-5
This is what the LORD says: “I will return to Zion and dwell in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the LORD of Hosts will be called the Holy Mountain.” / This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Old men and old women will again sit along the streets of Jerusalem, each with a staff in hand because of great age. / And the streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls playing there.”

Matthew 5:14
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.

Matthew 23:37
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling!

Luke 19:41-44
As Jesus approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it / and said, “If only you had known on this day what would bring you peace! But now it is hidden from your eyes. / For the days will come upon you when your enemies will barricade you and surround you and hem you in on every side. ...

John 2:19-21
Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again.” / “This temple took forty-six years to build,” the Jews replied, “and You are going to raise it up in three days?” / But Jesus was speaking about the temple of His body.

Acts 2:46
With one accord they continued to meet daily in the temple courts and to break bread from house to house, sharing their meals with gladness and sincerity of heart,


Treasury of Scripture

Jerusalem is built as a city that is compact together:

builded

2 Samuel 5:9
So David dwelt in the fort, and called it the city of David. And David built round about from Millo and inward.

Ephesians 2:20,21
And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; …

Ephesians 4:4-7
There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; …

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Bound Builded Built City Closely Compact Compacted Firmly Itself Jerusalem Joined Together
Psalm 122
1. David professes his joy for the church
6. And prays for the peace thereof














Jerusalem is built up
Jerusalem, the city of David, holds a central place in biblical history and prophecy. It was established as the political and spiritual capital of Israel by King David (2 Samuel 5:6-10). The phrase "built up" suggests not only physical construction but also spiritual and communal strengthening. Jerusalem's significance is highlighted in its role as the location of the Temple, where God's presence dwelt among His people (1 Kings 8:10-11). The city's rebuilding after the Babylonian exile (Nehemiah 2:17-18) symbolizes restoration and hope, pointing to the ultimate fulfillment in the New Jerusalem described in Revelation 21:2.

as a city
Jerusalem's designation as a "city" emphasizes its role as a center of governance, worship, and community. In ancient times, cities were fortified places of refuge and centers of culture and commerce. Jerusalem's status as a city underscores its importance as a hub for the Israelites and a focal point for God's covenant with His people. The city's strategic location made it a vital link between various regions, enhancing its significance in biblical narratives.

united together
The unity of Jerusalem is both a physical and spiritual concept. Physically, the city's architecture and fortifications were designed to create a cohesive and defensible urban area. Spiritually, Jerusalem represents the unity of God's people, gathered for worship and communal life. This unity is a recurring theme in Scripture, reflecting God's desire for His people to live in harmony (Psalm 133:1). The unity of Jerusalem also foreshadows the unity of believers in Christ, as described in Ephesians 4:3-6, where the church is called to maintain the unity of the Spirit.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jerusalem
The central city of worship for the Israelites, representing the spiritual and political heart of the nation. It is often seen as a symbol of unity and God's presence among His people.

2. David
Traditionally attributed as the author of Psalm 122, King David is a central figure in the history of Jerusalem, having established it as the capital of Israel and the location for the Ark of the Covenant.

3. Pilgrimage Festivals
Events such as Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot, during which Israelites would travel to Jerusalem, emphasizing the city's role as a unifying center for worship and community.
Teaching Points
Unity in Diversity
Just as Jerusalem was a city where diverse tribes of Israel came together, the church today is called to be a place of unity among believers from different backgrounds.

Spiritual Foundation
The physical structure of Jerusalem points to the importance of a strong spiritual foundation in our lives, built on Christ as the cornerstone.

Community Worship
The unity of Jerusalem as a city underscores the importance of gathering together for worship, encouraging one another in faith.

Symbol of Peace
Jerusalem, often referred to as the "City of Peace," reminds us of our calling to be peacemakers and to seek reconciliation in our communities.

Heavenly Aspiration
The earthly Jerusalem points to the heavenly Jerusalem, encouraging believers to live with an eternal perspective, striving for the unity and perfection that will be fully realized in God's kingdom.(3) This verse is somewhat perplexing. It is explained to refer either to the rebuilding of the city and reuniting of the parts which had been disconnected in the destruction, or, which is far better (see Introduction), is taken as a rustic's impression on first seeing a compact city after being accustomed to straggling villages. The astonishment of Virgil's shepherd is aptly compared: "Urbem quam dicunt Romam, Melibaee putavi, Stultus ego, huic nostrae similem." But a far more satisfactory meaning is suggested by the LXX. They (comp. Symmachus) take the word rendered compact as a noun, meaning union. The verse then may run: Jerusalem, the (one) built like a city, union is in it together, i.e., it is the rallying point of all the tribes. (See next verse.)

Verse 3. - Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together; rather, Jerusalem that art builded. The primary reference is probably to the compact shape and look of the ancient city, which, as Josephus says, was "one and entire," with no straggling suburbs, shut in on the north by a wall, and on the three other sides both by walls and by deep, rocky valleys. But the material "compactness" was perhaps taken to symbolize the close internal union of the inhabitants one with another, whereby they were all knit together into one Church and people.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Jerusalem
יְרוּשָׁלִַ֥ם (yə·rū·šā·lim)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 3389: Jerusalem -- probably 'foundation of peace', capital city of all Israel

is built up
הַבְּנוּיָ֑ה (hab·bə·nū·yāh)
Article | Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - feminine singular
Strong's 1129: To build

as a city
כְּ֝עִ֗יר (kə·‘îr)
Preposition-k | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5892: Excitement

united
שֶׁחֻבְּרָה־ (še·ḥub·bə·rāh-)
Pronoun - relative | Verb - Pual - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 2266: To unite, be joined, to tie a magic knot or spell, to charm

together,
יַחְדָּֽו׃ (yaḥ·dāw)
Adverb
Strong's 3162: A unit, unitedly


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OT Poetry: Psalm 122:3 Jerusalem that is built as a city (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 122:2
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