The Meaning of Psalms 78:69 Explained

Psalms 78:69

KJV: And he built his sanctuary like high palaces, like the earth which he hath established for ever.

YLT: And buildeth His sanctuary as a high place, Like the earth, He founded it to the age.

Darby: And he built his sanctuary like the heights, like the earth which he hath founded for ever.

ASV: And he built his sanctuary like the heights, Like the earth which he hath established for ever.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And he built  his sanctuary  like high  [palaces], like the earth  which he hath established  for ever. 

What does Psalms 78:69 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 78:59-72 - God Raises Up His Shepherd David
This paragraph continues the history of the Judges, and tells the story of what befell after the battle in which Eli's sons were slain. See 1 Samuel 4:1-22. It is difficult to estimate the despair which that disaster caused, because Israel seemed the light-bearer of the world. What hope was there for mankind, if its lamp of testimony was extinguished!
It inspires great confidence, however, to read in Psalms 78:65 of God's awakening. The language, of course, is highly metaphorical, because He neither slumbers nor sleeps. But there have been many times in the history of the Church when He has seemed to be indifferent. Sin and evil have held undisputed sway. Then a time of revival has suddenly set in. Some David or Daniel, some Athanasius or Augustine, some Wycliffe or Luther, some Spurgeon or Moody, has been brought from an obscure family-"one of the least of the thousands of Judah"-and he has led the host of God with unerring accuracy and success. Even at this hour, amid the sheepfolds or the far-spreading acres of the Western world, God is probably training the ardently looked-for leaders of His Church. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 78

1  An exhortation both to learn and to preach, the law of God
9  The story of God's wrath against the incredulous and disobedient
67  The Israelites being rejected, God chose Judah, Zion, and David

What do the individual words in Psalms 78:69 mean?

And He built like the heights His sanctuary Like the earth which He has established forever
וַיִּ֣בֶן כְּמוֹ־ רָ֭מִים מִקְדָּשׁ֑וֹ כְּ֝אֶ֗רֶץ יְסָדָ֥הּ לְעוֹלָֽם

וַיִּ֣בֶן  And  He  built 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּנָה  
Sense: to build, rebuild, establish, cause to continue.
כְּמוֹ־  like 
Parse: Preposition
Root: כְּמֹו  
Sense: like, as, the like of which conj.
רָ֭מִים  the  heights 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: יָרוּם 
Sense: to rise, rise up, be high, be lofty, be exalted.
מִקְדָּשׁ֑וֹ  His  sanctuary 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: מִקְדָּשׁ  
Sense: sacred place, sanctuary, holy place.
כְּ֝אֶ֗רֶץ  Like  the  earth 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
יְסָדָ֥הּ  which  He  has  established 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: יָסַד 
Sense: to found, fix, establish, lay foundation.
לְעוֹלָֽם  forever 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֹולָם  
Sense: long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world.