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Commentary on Psalms 46 verses 6–11
These verses give glory to God both as King of nations and as King of saints.
I. As King of nations, ruling the world by his power and providence, and overruling all the affairs of the children of men to his own glory; he does according to his will among the inhabitants of the earth, and none may say, What doest thou? 1. He checks the rage and breaks the power of the nations that oppose him and his interests in the world (Psa 46:6): The heathen raged at David's coming to the throne, and at the setting up of the kingdom of the Son of David; compare Psa 2:1, Psa 2:2. The kingdoms were moved with indignation, and rose in a tumultuous furious manner to oppose it; but God uttered his voice, spoke to them in his wrath, and they were moved in another sense, they were struck into confusion and consternation, put into disorder, and all their measures broken; the earth itself melted under them, so that they found no firm footing; their earthly hearts failed them for fear, and dissolved like snow before the sun. Such a melting of the spirits of the enemies is described, Jdg 5:4, Jdg 5:5; and see Luk 21:25, Luk 21:26. 2. When he pleases to draw his sword, and give it commission, he can make great havoc among the nations and lay all waste (Psa 46:8): Come, behold the works of the Lord; they are to be observed (Psa 66:5), and to be sought out, Psa 111:2. All the operations of Providence must be considered as the works of the Lord, and his attributes and purposes must be taken notice of in them. Particularly take notice of the desolations he has made in the earth, among the enemies of his church, who thought to lay the land of Israel desolate. The destruction they designed to bring upon the church has been turned upon themselves. War is a tragedy which commonly destroys the stage it is acted on; David carried the war into the enemies' country; and O what desolations did it make there! Cities were burnt, countries laid waste, and armies of men cut off and laid in heaps upon heaps. Come and see the effects of desolating judgments, and stand in awe of God; say, How terrible art thou in thy works! Psa 66:3. Let all that oppose him see this with terror, and expect the same cup of trembling to be put into their hands; let all that fear him and trust in him see it with pleasure, and not be afraid of the most formidable powers armed against the church. Let them gird themselves, but they shall be broken to pieces. 3. When he pleases to sheathe his sword, he puts an end to the wars of the nations and crowns them with peace, Psa 46:9. War and peace depend on his word and will, as much as storms and calms at sea do, Psa 107:25, Psa 107:29. He makes wars to cease unto the end of the earth, sometimes in pity to the nations, that they may have a breathing-time, when, by long wars with each other, they have run themselves out of breadth. Both sides perhaps are weary of the war, and willing to let it fall; expedients are found out for accommodation; martial princes are removed, and peace-makers set in their room; and then the bow is broken by consent, the spear cut asunder and turned into a pruning-hook, the sword beaten into a ploughshare, and the chariots of war are burned, there being no more occasion for them; or, rather, it may be meant of what he does, at other times, in favour of his own people. He makes those wars to cease that were waged against them and designed for their ruin. He breaks the enemies' bow that was drawn against them. No weapon formed against Zion shall prosper, Isa 54:17. The total destruction of Gog and Magog is prophetically described by the burning of their weapons of war (Eze 39:9, Eze 39:10), which intimates likewise the church's perfect security and assurance of lasting peace, which made it needless to lay up those weapons of war for their own service. The bringing of a long war to a good issue is a work of the Lord, which we ought to behold with wonder and thankfulness.
II. As King of saints, and as such we must own that great and marvellous are his works, Rev 15:3. He does and will do great things,
1.For his own glory (Psa 46:10): Be still, and know that I am God. (1.) Let his enemies be still, and threaten no more, but know it, to their terror, that he is God, one infinitely above them, and that will certainly be too hard for them; let them rage no more, for it is all in vain: he that sits in heaven, laughs at them; and, in spite of all their impotent malice against his name and honour, he will be exalted among the heathen and not merely among his own people, he will be exalted in the earth and not merely in the church. Men will set up themselves, will have their own way and do their own will; but let them know that God will be exalted, he will have his way will do his own will, will glorify his own name, and wherein they deal proudly he will be above them, and make them know that he is so. (2.) Let his own people be still; let them be calm and sedate, and tremble no more, but know, to their comfort, that the Lord is God, he is God alone, and will be exalted above the heathen; let him alone to maintain his honour, to fulfil his own counsels and to support his own interest in the world. Though we be depressed, yet let us not be dejected, for we are sure that God will be exalted, and that may satisfy us; he will work for his great name, and then no matter what becomes of our little names. When we pray, Father, glorify thy name, we ought to exercise faith upon the answer given to that prayer when Christ himself prayed it, I have both glorified it and I will glorify it yet again. Amen, Lord, so be it.
2.For his people's safety and protection. He triumphs in the former: I will be exalted; they triumph in this, Psa 46:7 and again Psa 46:11. It is the burden of the song, "The Lord of hosts is with us; he is on our side, he takes our part, is present with us and president over us; the God of Jacob is our refuge, to whom we may flee, and in whom we may confide and be sure of safety." Let all believers triumph in this. (1.) They have the presence of a God of power, of all power: The Lord of hosts is with us. God is the Lord of hosts, for he has all the creatures which are called the hosts of heaven and earth at his beck and command, and he makes what use he pleases of them, as the instruments either of his justice or of his mercy. This sovereign Lord is with us, sides with us, acts with us, and has promised he will never leave us. Hosts may be against us, but we need not fear them if the Lord of hosts be with us. (2.) They are under the protection of a God in covenant, who not only is able to help them, but is engaged in honour and faithfulness to help them. He is the God of Jacob, not only Jacob the person, but Jacob the people; nay, and of all praying people, the spiritual seed of wrestling Jacob; and he is our refuge, by whom we are sheltered and in whom we are satisfied, who by his providence secures our welfare when without are fightings, and who by his grace quiets our minds, and establishes them, when within are fears. The Lord of hosts, the God of Jacob, has been, is, and will be with us - has been, is and will be our refuge: the original includes all; and well may Selah be added to it. Mark this, and take the comfort of it, and say, If God be for us, who can be against us?
Sin is a heavy kingdom, and it subjects to a heavy servitude the souls of all sinners. “Whoever commits sin is the slave of sin.” The kingdom of sin is the kingdom of death, and for a long time it held sway over all the earth.… The truth came, the figure ceased. Life came, the kingdom of death vanished. Forgiveness of sin came, and the chains of sin were undone.… The cult of idols and the enticement of sin began to diminish with the preaching and doctrine of the gospel. Perfidy bowed its head, and faith began to reign in the hearts of the nations.
"The heathen are troubled" [Psalm 46:6]. And how troubled? Why troubled? To cast down the City of God, in the midst whereof is God? To overthrow the tabernacle sanctified, which God helps with His Countenance? No: with a wholesome trouble are the heathen now troubled. For what follows? "And the kingdoms are bowed." Bowed, says He, are the kingdoms; not now erected that they may rage, but bowed that they may adore. When were the kingdoms bowed? When that came to pass which was predicted in another Psalm, "All kings shall fall down before Him, all nations shall serve Him." What cause made the kingdoms to bow? Hear the cause. "The Most High gave His Voice, and the earth was moved." The fanatics of idolatry, like frogs in the marshes, clamoured, the more tumultuously, the more sordidly, in filth and mire. And what is the brawling of frogs to the thunder of the clouds? For out of them "the Most High gave His Voice, and the earth was moved:" He thundered out of His clouds. And what are His clouds? His Apostles, His preachers, by whom He thundered in precepts, lightened in miracles. The same are clouds who are also mountains: mountains for their height and firmness, clouds for their rain and fruitfulness. For these clouds watered the earth, of which it was said, "The Most High gave His Voice, and the earth was moved." For it is of those clouds that He threatens a certain barren vineyard, whence the mountains were carried into the heart of the sea; "I will command," says He, "the clouds that they rain no rain upon it." [Isaiah 5:6] This was fulfilled in that which I have mentioned, when the mountains were carried into the heart of the sea; when it was said, "It was necessary that the word of God should have been spoken first to you; but seeing ye put it from you, we turn to the Gentiles;" [Acts 13:46] then was fulfilled, "I will command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it." The nation of the Jews has just so remained as a fleece dry upon the ground. For this, you know, happened in a certain miracle, the ground was dry, the fleece only was wet, yet rain in the fleece appeared not. [Judges 6:36-40] So also the mystery of the New Testament appeared not in the nation of the Jews. What there was the fleece, is here the veil. For in the fleece was veiled the mystery. But on the ground, in all the nations open lies Christ's Gospel; the rain is manifest, the Grace of Christ is bare, for it is not covered with a veil. But that the rain might come out of it, the fleece was pressed. For by pressure they from themselves excluded Christ, and the Lord now from His clouds rains on the ground, the fleece has remained dry. But of them then "the Most High gave His Voice," out of those clouds; by which Voice the kingdoms were bowed and worshipped.
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SUMMARY
Psalms 46:6 offers a profound declaration of God's absolute sovereignty and irresistible power, contrasting the tumultuous chaos of human nations with the effortless authority of the Divine. In a world gripped by the rage of "heathen" and the instability of "kingdoms," the verse vividly portrays a moment of decisive divine intervention where God's mere "voice" brings about the instantaneous dissolution and submission of all earthly opposition, demonstrating His supreme and unchallengeable control over all creation and history.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Psalms 46:6 masterfully employs several literary devices to convey its powerful message. The most prominent is Contrast, setting the violent, noisy turmoil of human "raging" and "moving" kingdoms against the serene, effortless power of God's single "utterance" and its immediate, devastating effect. This stark juxtaposition highlights the vast disparity between finite human power and infinite divine authority. Hyperbole is evident in the phrase "the earth melted," which is not to be taken literally but serves as a powerful exaggeration to emphasize the complete and utter dissolution of all opposition in the face of God's voice. This is also a strong Metaphor, where the melting of the earth represents the complete terror, disintegration, and collapse of human resistance and chaos. Furthermore, there is a subtle Anthropomorphism in God "uttering His voice," attributing a human characteristic (speaking) to God to make His action relatable and understandable, while simultaneously emphasizing the divine power inherent in His word. The structure of the verse also presents a form of Climactic Parallelism, moving from the chaotic actions of humanity to the singular, decisive action of God, and finally to the dramatic, all-encompassing consequence, building to a powerful climax of divine might.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Psalms 46:6 is a profound theological statement on God's ultimate control over history and His unshakeable nature. It asserts that no human power, no matter how formidable or chaotic, can ultimately withstand the sovereign will of God. This verse provides immense comfort to believers, reminding them that even amidst global unrest and the rise and fall of nations, God remains enthroned, actively governing the affairs of humanity. His voice, which spoke the cosmos into existence, is sufficient to bring order out of chaos, dismantle opposition, and establish His righteous reign. This truth invites a posture of trust and worship, knowing that the Lord of Hosts is with us, and the God of Jacob is our refuge.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
In a world that often feels consumed by conflict, political instability, and the "raging" of nations, Psalms 46:6 offers a powerful and necessary anchor for the soul. It calls us to lift our gaze above the immediate chaos and remember that there is a sovereign God whose voice alone can quiet the storm. This verse encourages us not to despair at the headlines or the apparent might of earthly powers, but to place our ultimate trust in the One who effortlessly dismantles all opposition. It reminds us that our true security and peace are found not in human alliances or military strength, but in the unshakeable presence and power of the Lord. When we see nations rise and fall, or hear of wars and rumors of wars, this verse compels us to remember that all earthly powers are subject to His divine will, and His ultimate purpose will prevail. It fosters a deep sense of peace, knowing that the God who spoke the earth into existence can also speak order into our personal chaos and global turmoil.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "the earth melted" truly mean in this context?
Answer: "The earth melted" is a powerful metaphorical expression, not a literal description of the planet's physical state. In this context, it signifies the complete and utter dissolution, disintegration, and collapse of all opposition and chaos in the face of God's overwhelming presence and power. It conveys the idea that the "raging heathen" and "moved kingdoms" are utterly undone, losing their cohesion, strength, and will to resist the moment God "uttered his voice." It implies a profound terror and immediate submission, where all human might simply vanishes or becomes inconsequential. This imagery is consistent with other biblical passages where God's presence causes mountains to quake or melt, as seen in Judges 5:5, or where His voice is described as shaking the earth, as in Hebrews 12:26.
How does this verse relate to God's judgment?
Answer: While Psalms 46:6 does not explicitly describe a scene of final judgment, it certainly highlights God's power to dismantle and subdue opposition, which is a key aspect of His righteous judgment. The "melting" of the earth implies the removal or destruction of those who stand against Him. This verse demonstrates God's ultimate authority over all earthly powers and His ability to bring their rebellion to an end. It foreshadows the broader biblical theme of God's ultimate triumph over all evil and His establishment of justice. In a sense, it is a mini-judgment, where the chaos of human defiance is instantly put to an end by divine command, illustrating that God's voice is sufficient to execute His will, whether for creation, sustenance, or the dismantling of rebellion.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Psalms 46:6 finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ, the living Word of God, through whom God's voice is definitively uttered into creation. Just as God's voice caused the earth to "melt" and chaos to dissolve, so too did Christ demonstrate absolute authority over all creation and the forces of chaos. He is the Word through whom all things were made, and by whom all things are sustained, as profoundly stated in John 1:1-3 and Colossians 1:16-17. His voice commanded the raging storm to "Be still!" and immediately there was a great calm, proving His sovereignty over the elements, as recorded in Mark 4:39. Furthermore, Christ's mission was to disarm and triumph over the "principalities and powers" that rage against God's kingdom, as celebrated in Colossians 2:15. Ultimately, the "melting" of the earth foreshadows the day when every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, as declared in Philippians 2:10-11. He will return to establish His eternal kingdom, and all earthly kingdoms and their rebellious "raging" will utterly dissolve before His glorious presence, ushering in the new heavens and new earth where righteousness dwells, as depicted in Revelation 19:11-16 and 2 Peter 3:10-13. Thus, the power of God's voice in Psalms 46:6 is perfectly embodied and eternally realized in the person and work of Jesus Christ.