“In Judah God is known; his name is great in Israel. His abode has been established in
Salem, his dwelling place in Zion” (Psalm 76:1, 2).
God is known to His people. Other people may know something about Him, but His
people know Him. Among us His name is great, “name” summarizing all that God is.
In Psalm 76, God’s people are described with four related terms: Judah, Israel, Salem,
and Zion. In Old Testament Israel, the tabernacle indicated the presence of God among His
people, i.e. God would make His presence known there. Even though He was the God of all
Israel, He was especially the God of Judah. Jerusalem in Judea became the place where He
recorded His name. God’s temple was built there by Solomon. “Salem” is a shortened form of
“Jerusalem” and must have been the original name of the city dating back to the time of Abram (cf. Gen. 14:17-24). The first part of the longer form of the name, “jeru,” means, “city,” and “salem” means, “peace.” Thus, Jerusalem was “the city of peace.”
The dwelling place of God was also called, “Zion.” This word is used in other places in
the Old Testament for a lion’s den. The use of the word in Psalm 76 suggests the lion-like
protection God gave His city. “Salem” and “Zion” are two designations for Israel’s capital city.
They indicated its significance, its holiness, its antiquity, and its spirituality. “Salem” was not
ordinary. It was more than a seat of government. It was the one place on earth where God had
chosen to place His name.