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Psalms 46

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God, Our Refuge in Cosmic Chaos 1–3

1
To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. ​
2
Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
3
Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah. ​

The Security of God's City 4–7

4
There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. ​
5
God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.
6
The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted.
7
The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. ​

The Triumph of the Lord of Hosts 8–11

8
Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth.
9
He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire. ​
10
Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. ​
11
The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain

Study Notes for Psalms 46

Verse 1

a very present help in trouble — 'Refuge' is machaseh, a shelter, and 'strength' oz. 'Very present' renders nimtsa me'od, literally 'found exceedingly': the help is there to be found. 'Trouble' is tsarah, a tight place. Alamoth in the title is the plural of almah, 'young woman'; 1 Chr 15:20 has 'psalteries on Alamoth'.

Verse 3

the waters thereof roar — Hamah is to roar and chamar to boil up or foam, while the mountains 'shake' (ra'ash) with the 'swelling' (ga'avah) of the sea, as in v.2, 'carried into the midst of the sea'. Ps 93:4 sets the answer: 'The LORD on high is mightier than the noise of many waters.' Selah marks a pause.

Verse 4

There is a river — After the roaring sea (v.3), a nahar, river, whose peleg, channels, 'make glad' the 'city of God'. 'Most High' is Elyon. Ezekiel sees 'waters issued out from under the threshold of the house' (Ezek 47:1), and John 'a pure river of water of life… proceeding out of the throne of God' (Rev 22:1).

Verse 7

The LORD of hosts is with us — 'Hosts' is tsaba, armies. The 'refuge' here is misgab, a cliff too high to be reached, a different word from machaseh in v.1. The verse is the refrain of the psalm, repeated word for word in v.11, and 'the God of Jacob' ties the protection to the patriarch's name.

Verse 9

he burneth the chariot in the fire — Shabat, to cease, is the root of the Sabbath, and the verse names the bow, the spear and the agalah, a wheeled cart or wagon, which the KJV calls a chariot. The same end of war is promised in Isa 2:4 and Mic 4:3: 'nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.'

Verse 10

Be still — Raphah is to slacken, to let go. The command is spoken by God himself: 'I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.' 'Know' is yada, as in Ps 100:3, 'Know ye that the LORD he is God'. Hab 2:20 calls the earth to silence in the same way: 'let all the earth keep silence before him.'