What is the meaning of Psalm 87:4? I will mention The speaker—ultimately the LORD Himself (Psalm 87:2–3)—declares, “I will mention,” signaling an intentional proclamation. God is personally acknowledging specific nations, not merely allowing their presence but calling them out by name, much like He records individuals in His “book” (Malachi 3:16; Revelation 20:12). This underscores His sovereign right to determine who belongs to Him and to Zion. Rahab and Babylon among those who know Me • “Rahab” is a poetic name for Egypt (Psalm 89:10; Isaiah 30:7), while Babylon embodies the great eastern empire (Isaiah 13:19; Jeremiah 51:24). • Both nations once enslaved or oppressed God’s people (Exodus 1; 2 Kings 24–25). Yet here the Creator proclaims that people from even these hostile powers will “know Me,” fulfilling promises such as Isaiah 19:19–25 and Jeremiah 12:15. • The verse literally anticipates real Egyptians and Babylonians coming to saving faith, prefiguring the worldwide gathering described in Acts 2:9–11 and Revelation 15:3–4. Along with Philistia, Tyre, and Cush • Philistia (1 Samuel 17:51), Tyre (Ezekiel 26:3), and Cush/Ethiopia (Isaiah 18:7) round out a compass of Israel’s historic neighbors—west, north, and south. • God’s list sweeps hostile, pagan, and distant peoples into the same grace, echoing prophecies such as Zechariah 9:7, Amos 9:12, and Isaiah 56:6–8. • The literal breadth of the nations shows that no geographic or cultural barrier can prevent God from claiming a people for Himself (Psalm 22:27; Matthew 28:19). When I say, “This one was born in Zion.” • God speaks a declarative verdict: individuals from these nations will be registered as native citizens of Zion. Compare Psalm 87:5–6, where “the Most High will establish her.” • This is not poetic exaggeration but a legal pronouncement. The same Lord who counts Israel by tribes (Numbers 1:44–46) now counts former foreigners as born in His city (Ephesians 2:12–19). • Zion’s blessing flows from God’s presence, making citizenship a spiritual reality that transcends ethnicity while still rooted in the literal city He loves (Psalm 132:13–14; Isaiah 2:2–3). summary Psalm 87:4 literally records God naming Egypt (Rahab), Babylon, Philistia, Tyre, and Cush as future citizens of Zion. He publicly claims people from former enemy nations, proving His universal sovereignty and grace. By His authoritative word, He grants them full rights as though they had been “born” in Jerusalem, fulfilling earlier prophecies and foreshadowing the final, multinational assembly of the redeemed in the New Jerusalem (Revelation 7:9; 21:24–27). |
    |