Psalm 87, a hymn of praise to Zion, may be associated with Israel's pilgrimage festivals, when people from all nations came to Jerusalem to worship God.
Verse 3 declares, "Glorious things of you are spoken, O city of God." Here the words of the prophets may be particularly in view, in passages like Isaiah 2:1-4; 26:1-2; 60:15-22; 61:1-7. Such verses picture Zion's restoration and people from all nations coming to Jerusalem to worship the true God.
A representative sampling of the nations from which people flock to Jerusalem are listed in verse 4. "Rahab" is listed here as a way of referring to Egypt (see Ps 89:10; Isa 30:7; 51:9). Rahab is the name of a mythical sea monster, and God's victory over Egypt at the Red Sea can be pictured as a victory over that sea monster and the forces of chaos.
When people from the nations submit to the God of Israel, they are counted as citizens of Zion. In the Septuagint, verse 5 speaks of "Mother Zion." It's possible that Paul is thinking of this verse in Galatians 4:26 when he speaks of "Jerusalem above" which is "our mother."
At the festivals in Jerusalem, singers and dancers declare, "All my springs are in you" (verse 7). They are celebrating at the place from which living waters flow (Jer 2:13; Isa 12:3; Eze 47; Rev 22:1-5).
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