Psalms 87:6

The LORD shall count, when he writeth up the people, that this man was born there. Selah.

The Lord shall count, when he writeth up the people - rather, as Hebrew, 'the peoples.'

That this (man) was born there - rather, 'that this people (taken from the previous peoples) was born there.' 'When He writeth up the peoples' means 'in the noting of them down' in the roll of citizens. When 'numbering' the spiritual citizens of the heavenly city, the Lord, the presiding Judge, in assigning the reason why He counts each nation as in the list, declares, This people was born there - i:e., in Jerusalem. The same image of a citizen-roll appears, ; ; . Small and insignificant as the roll now is, the heavenly citizens shall at last be a "great multitude which no man can number" ().