The Meaning of Psalms 89:12 Explained

Psalms 89:12

KJV: The north and the south thou hast created them: Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in thy name.

YLT: North and south Thou hast appointed them, Tabor and Hermon in Thy name do sing.

Darby: The north and the south, thou hast created them: Tabor and Hermon triumph in thy name.

ASV: The north and the south, thou hast created them: Tabor and Hermon rejoice in thy name.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The north  and the south  thou hast created  them: Tabor  and Hermon  shall rejoice  in thy name. 

What does Psalms 89:12 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 89:1-18 - No God Like Our God
To understand this psalm we must turn to 2 Samuel 7:1-29, where God guaranteed that David's kingdom should be continued to his descendants. Nathan's words are quoted in Psalms 89:3-4. But in contrast with these promises, which were conditional upon the faithful obedience of David's descendants, the psalmist sorrowfully recites the disobedience of the Chosen People. There could be no doubt as to the divine faithfulness to Covenant engagements. See Psalms 89:1-2; Psalms 89:5; Psalms 89:8; Psalms 89:14. And the object of this psalm is to inquire whether that faithfulness does not include the recall and restoration of a sinful nation, as it most certainly does include the continued blessing of an obedient one.
In the first division, Psalms 89:1-18, the singer enumerates the divine attributes. God's mercy is conceived as a stately mansion, which is being reared, story by story, throughout the centuries. The enduring heavens, the mightiest natural forces, such as the tides, the glorious mountains, are emblems of qualities in God's nature. He is described as going forth in a triumphal procession, preceded by Mercy and Truth; and we are invited to accompany Him, and to walk in the light of His countenance. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 89

1  The psalmist praises God for his covenant
5  For his wonderful power
15  For the care of his church
19  For his favor to the kingdom of David
38  Then complaining of contrary events
46  He expostulates, prays, and blesses God

What do the individual words in Psalms 89:12 mean?

The north and the south You have created them Tabor and Hermon in Your name rejoice
צָפ֣וֹן וְ֭יָמִין אַתָּ֣ה בְרָאתָ֑ם תָּב֥וֹר וְ֝חֶרְמ֗וֹן בְּשִׁמְךָ֥ יְרַנֵּֽנוּ

צָפ֣וֹן  The  north 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: צָפֹון  
Sense: north (of direction), northward.
וְ֭יָמִין  and  the  south 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: יָמִין  
Sense: right, right hand, right side.
בְרָאתָ֑ם  have  created  them 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: בָּרָא 
Sense: to create, shape, form.
תָּב֥וֹר  Tabor 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: תָּבֹור  
Sense: a mountain in the plain of Esdraelon rising abruptly and insulated except for a narrow ridge on the west connecting it to the hills of Nazareth.
וְ֝חֶרְמ֗וֹן  and  Hermon 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֶרְמֹון  
Sense: a mountain on the northeastern border of Palestine and Lebanon and overlooking the border city of Dan.
בְּשִׁמְךָ֥  in  Your  name 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: שֵׁם  
Sense: name.
יְרַנֵּֽנוּ  rejoice 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: רוּן 
Sense: to overcome.