The LORD doth build up Jerusalem: he gathereth together the outcasts of Israel.

PSALMS 147:2KJV
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Psalms 147:2 (KJV)

What does Psalms 147:2 mean?

Psalms 147:2 describes how the LORD is actively restoring Jerusalem and bringing back the people of Israel who have been scattered or cast out. The verse highlights God’s care in rebuilding the city and gathering those who have been separated from their homeland.

The psalm is a song of praise, likely written after the Jewish people returned from exile. The speaker is celebrating God’s actions for the community, focusing on the LORD (H3068) as the one who rebuilds Jerusalem (H3389) and brings together the outcasts (H1760) of Israel (H3478). This verse points to a time of healing and restoration after hardship.

The Hebrew behind Psalms 147:2

  • LORD (יְהוָה, Yahweh): This is the personal name for God, emphasizing His covenant relationship with Israel and His direct involvement in their restoration.
  • up (בָּנָה, banah): This word means “to build” or “rebuild,” suggesting not just physical construction but also the renewal of the community and its well-being.
  • together (כָּנַס, kanas): This word means “to gather” or “collect,” painting a picture of God actively bringing people back from different places, not just passively waiting for them to return.
  • outcasts (דָּחָה, dachah): This term refers to those who have been driven away or rejected, highlighting that God’s care extends especially to those who have been excluded or marginalized.

Why Psalms 147:2 matters

  • This verse clarifies that God’s restoration is both physical (rebuilding Jerusalem) and relational (gathering scattered people), not just one or the other.
  • The focus on “outcasts” shows that God’s attention is on those who have been left out or pushed aside, which is a recurring theme in the psalms and the prophets.
  • By connecting the rebuilding of Jerusalem with the return of its people, the verse ties together the city’s renewal with the healing of its community, setting the tone for the rest of the psalm’s praise.

Where else these words appear

“outcasts” Hebrew H1760 · used in 10 verses

  • Psalms 35:5 Let them be as chaff before the wind: and let the angel of the LORD chase them.
  • Psalms 118:13 Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall: but the LORD helped me.
  • Isaiah 11:12 And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.

“together” Hebrew H3664 · used in 11 verses

  • 1 Chronicles 22:2 And David commanded to gather together the strangers that were in the land of Israel; and he set masons to hew wrought stones to build the house of God.
  • Psalms 33:7 He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses.
  • Ecclesiastes 3:5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;