Psalms 87:4

I mention Rahab ¹  and Babylon to my followers. ²  Here are ³  Philistia and Tyre, ⁴  along with Ethiopia. ⁵  It is said of them, “This one was born there.” ⁶ 

"I will record Rahab and Babylon among those who acknowledge me—Philistia too, and Tyre, along with Cush— and will say, ‘This one was born in Zion.’"

"I shall mention Rahab and Babylon among those who know Me; Behold, Philistia and Tyre with Ethiopia: ‘This one was born there.’"

I will record Egypt and Babylon among those who know me––also Philistia and Tyre, and even distant Ethiopia. They have all become citizens of Jerusalem!

I name them off, those among whom I'm famous: Egypt and Babylon, also Philistia, even Tyre, along with Cush. Word's getting around; they point them out: "This one was born again here!"

Rahab and Babylon will be named among those who have knowledge of me; see, Philistia and Tyre, with Ethiopia; this man had his birth there.

Among those who know me I mention Rahab and Babylon; Philistia too, and Tyre, with Ethiopia—"This one was born there," they say.

"I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to those who know Me; Behold, O Philistia and Tyre, with Ethiopia: ‘This one was born there.’"

I mention Rahab ¹  and Babylon to my followers. ²  Here are ³  Philistia and Tyre, ⁴  along with Ethiopia. ⁵  It is said of them, “This one was born there.” ⁶ 

¹ sn “Rahab,” which means “proud one,” is used here as a title for Egypt (see Isa 30:7).

² tn Heb “to those who know me” (see Ps 36:10). Apparently the Lord speaks here. The verbal construction (the Hiphil of זָכַר, zakhar, “remember” followed by the preposition -לְ [le] with a substantive) is rare, but the prepositional phrase is best understood as indicating the recipient of the announcement (see Jer 4:16). Some take the preposition in the sense of “among” and translate, “among those who know me” (cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV). In this case these foreigners are viewed as the Lord’s people and the psalm is interpreted as anticipating a time when all nations will worship the Lord (see Ps 86:9) and be considered citizens of Zion.

³ tn Heb “Look.”

⁴ map For location see Map1 A2; Map2 G2; Map4 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.

⁵ tn Heb “Cush.”

⁶ tn Heb “and this one was born there.” The words “It is said of them” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied for clarification and stylistic purposes (see v. 5). Those advocating the universalistic interpretation understand “there” as referring to Zion, but it seems more likely that the adverb refers to the nations just mentioned. The foreigners are identified by their native lands.