Count up her towers;
Give heed to her ramparts;
Consider her palaces,
That you may tell it to the coming generation,
For this God is our God forever and ever;
He will be our guide even unto death.
But if verses 9-12 were spoken by the pilgrims, and verses 13-15 by the temple choir, then it is probable that likewise verses 2-4 were spoken by the pilgrims, and verses 5-8 by the temple choir. Thus Psalm 48 may be considered a liturgical hymn of praise, rendered in the temple on one of the great religious festivals that brought the pilgrims of the diaspora to the holy city.
Psalm 87 is a hymn devoted entirely to the praise of the temple and the holy city. Unfortunately the text is in disorder. Probably verse 5b should be brought back to verse 1, and then the introductory verses 1-3 would read:
Its foundation is in the holy mountains,
And the Most High doth sustain her.