Psalms 89:12 (KJV)

What does Psalms 89:12 mean?

Psalms 89:12 presents God as the maker of the whole world, using north and south to express its breadth. It then pictures two well-known mountains, Tabor and Hermon, rejoicing in God’s name. The verse portrays the land itself as joining in praise of its creator.

The speaker addresses God directly as “thou.” After describing God’s rule over the sea in verse 11, the song turns to landmarks on land. Tabor and Hermon give the picture a setting that the original audience could recognize.

The Hebrew behind Psalms 89:12

• “rejoice” — רָנַן (ranan): This word can mean to shout or sing joyfully. It gives the picture of the mountains an audible quality, as though they were raising a joyful cry.
• “name” — שֵׁם (shem): This word means a name, but it can also stand for the person known by it. Rejoicing in God’s name points to joy in God himself, rather than merely in the sound of his name.

Why Psalms 89:12 matters

• The mountains make the praise vivid. Tabor is a prominent mountain in northern Israel, while Hermon is a high mountain farther north. Their names bring particular places into the song’s picture.
• The verse moves beyond human voices. By saying the mountains “shall rejoice,” the song uses a poetic image in which the natural world takes part in praise.
• God’s power reaches across both sea and land. The nearby lines speak of the heavens, earth, and sea; the north, south, and mountains add further scenes to that picture.