Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem.
The verse voices the glad joy of pilgrims standing inside Jerusalem's gates to worship and appear before God in His house, where His presence was revealed between the cherubim. Those who used it were Israelites going up on foot in great bands from every part for the annual feasts of Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles to the place where God's presence was revealed. They included shepherds, herdsmen, sons of the prophets, fishermen, and wanderers, people from flocks, mountains, sea, fields, and schools, traveling by short stages in the favorable seasons despite perils by land and sea. They chanted it on the way with hundreds and thousands of voices to trumpet and cymbals morning and evening. Awakened by nature's gladness to gratitude to the Giver of all good, they relieved the monotony of travel with thanksgiving and praise for God's deliverance and works as a chorus exalting Jehovah's glory and majesty. They rejoiced to stand with the tribes of the Lord to give thanks to His name and pray for Jerusalem's peace.
It belongs to the moment of approach when the city and its towers come into view, when travelers join in triumphant song over arriving within the gates, especially for the Passover. On the way, as pilgrims saw the surrounding hills where heathen altar fires had been kindled, the song turned them to look for help to Jehovah who made heaven and earth rather than to those hills. During the Feast of Tabernacles it was also chanted by a priest ascending the temple steps carrying water drawn from the Kedron, celebrating the people's joyful arrival and presence within Jerusalem's gates.
The verse voices the glad joy of pilgrims standing inside Jerusalem's gates to worship and appear before God in His house, where His presence was revealed between the cherubim. Those who used it were Israelites going up on foot in great bands from every part for the annual feasts of Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles to the place where God's presence was revealed. They included shepherds, herdsmen, sons of the prophets, fishermen, and wanderers, people from flocks, mountains, sea, fields, and schools, traveling by short stages in the favorable seasons despite perils by land and sea. They chanted it on the way with hundreds and thousands of voices to trumpet and cymbals morning and evening. Awakened by nature's gladness to gratitude to the Giver of all good, they relieved the monotony of travel with thanksgiving and praise for God's deliverance and works as a chorus exalting Jehovah's glory and majesty. They rejoiced to stand with the tribes of the Lord to give thanks to His name and pray for Jerusalem's peace.
It belongs to the moment of approach when the city and its towers come into view, when travelers join in triumphant song over arriving within the gates, especially for the Passover. On the way, as pilgrims saw the surrounding hills where heathen altar fires had been kindled, the song turned them to look for help to Jehovah who made heaven and earth rather than to those hills. During the Feast of Tabernacles it was also chanted by a priest ascending the temple steps carrying water drawn from the Kedron, celebrating the people's joyful arrival and presence within Jerusalem's gates.