What does "this one and that one were born in her" signify? “But of Zion it will be said: ‘This one and that one were born in her,’ and the Most High Himself will establish her.” The Setting in a Few Lines • Psalm 87 celebrates Zion (Jerusalem) as the special city God loves (vv. 1–3). • Nations formerly far from God—Rahab (Egypt), Babylon, Philistia, Tyre, Cush—are pictured as coming to know Him (v. 4). • Into that backdrop God declares the surprising statement of v. 5. What the Phrase Signifies • Divine citizenship: God Himself counts people from every nation as native-born citizens of Zion. • Full inclusion: “This one and that one” underscores individual, personal acceptance—no faceless masses. • Legal standing: Being “born” in a city fixes one’s rights there (cf. Ezra 2:59). God grants those rights sovereignly. • Irrevocable record: v. 6 places these names in the LORD’s registry—secure, uncontested, permanent. Literal Sense First • The psalmist speaks of a real city: earthly Jerusalem. • God promises that people who were not physically born there will be reckoned as if they were—highlighting future pilgrimages and conversions among Gentiles (Isaiah 2:2–3; Zechariah 8:22–23). Prophetic and Spiritual Reach • Zion also foreshadows the heavenly city where God dwells with His redeemed (Hebrews 12:22; Revelation 21:2). • New-birth language: Jesus links entry into God’s kingdom with being “born again” (John 3:3). • Through Christ, believing Gentiles are “fellow citizens with the saints” (Ephesians 2:19) and possess a “citizenship in heaven” (Philippians 3:20). Scripture Echoes • Isaiah 56:3–8—foreigners joined to the LORD receive “a place and a name.” • Galatians 4:26—“The Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother.” • Romans 9:24–26—God calls those “not My people,” “My people,” fulfilling Hosea. Practical Takeaways • God’s family is bigger than ancestry or geography; faith in His Messiah grants true birthright. • Your origin, past, or nation cannot bar you once God writes you into His register (Psalm 87:6). • The verse invites gratitude for grace and motivates proclamation—others can be “born in her” too. In One Sentence “This one and that one were born in her” declares that God lovingly counts men and women from every corner of the earth as native-born citizens of His chosen city, granting them full rights and an eternal home through His sovereign grace. |
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