Bible Strands
Psalms 132:13
For the LORD has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His home:
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — God addresses David concerning the dynastic promise, declaring the permanent location of His dwelling immediately after David’s vow to secure a sanctuary for the Ark.
The words — בָחַר (va.Char) means "he has chosen," and אִוָּהּ ('i.Va/h) translates as "He has desired it."
The thread — God’s selection of Zion as His dwelling recurs in Psalms 78:68 and Psalms 68:16, while Hebrews 12:22 extends the concept to the heavenly Jerusalem.
Why it lands — The verse asserts God’s sovereign election of Zion as His fixed residence, requiring the reader to acknowledge that divine presence is tied to a specific, chosen location rather than a general or abstract idea.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
For the Lord hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation.
Cross-references
- Psalms 78:68 But He chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which He loved.
- Hebrews 12:22 Instead, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to myriads of angels
- Psalms 68:16 Why do you gaze in envy, O mountains of many peaks? This is the mountain God chose for His dwelling, where the LORD will surely dwell forever.
- Psalms 87:2 The LORD loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.
- Psalms 76:1 For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments. A Psalm of Asaph. A song. God is known in Judah; His name is great in Israel.
- Psalms 48:1 A song. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, His holy mountain.
- Isaiah 14:32 What answer will be given to the envoys of that nation? “The LORD has founded Zion, where His afflicted people will find refuge.”