TO THE CHIEF MUSICIAN FOR THE SONS OF KORAH, A SONG UPON ALAMOTH.
1 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.
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.
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.
INTRODUCTION
Psalm 46 was a favourite of the Reformer Martin Luther and is said to have been the inspiration for his famous hymn ‘A Mighty Fortress is Our God.’ The psalm is generally well-known and loved; especially for lines such as ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.’ (v.1) and ‘Be still, and know that I am God’ (v.10).
Since its main theme is the assurance of God’s unshakeable presence during turmoil the psalm has been a great comfort over many centuries to those who have found themselves ‘in trouble.’ It assures readers that, no matter what form troubles may take (e.g. global uncertainty, overwhelming personal crisis, health scare, spiritual battles), God is right there with them, bringing stability, comfort and hope.
OCCASION AND TYPE
Psalm 46 does not specify an exact historical context but it must have been written during a time of crisis, perhaps when Jerusalem was under threat from external enemies. One possibility is the occasion described in 2 Chronicles 20 when a coalition of forces went to battle against Jehoshaphat, another is the significant threat to Jerusalem from the Assyrians during the reign of Hezekiah (c. 715-686 BCE); recorded in 2 Kings 18-19.
Psalm 46 is classified as one of the ‘Songs of Zion’ (46, 48, 76, 84, 87, 122) which celebrate Jerusalem as the ‘city of God.’
DIVISION
Psalm 46 can be divided into either: A) two sections, each ending with the same refrain, or: B) three stanzas, all ending with ‘Selah’
A) 2 sections:
1-7 THE DANGER – this section ends with the refrain v.7: The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
8-11 THE END OF THE DANGER – this section closes with the same refrain v.11: The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
B) 3 stanzas
1-3 GOD AS A REFUGE – v.3 ends with Selah.
4-7 GOD AS A RIVER – v.7 ends with Selah.
8-11 GOD AS A RULER – v.11 ends with Selah.
THE SUPERSCRIPTION
TO THE CHIEF MUSICIAN FOR THE SONS OF KORAH,
The ‘Sons of Korah’ was a group of Levitical musicians and singers descended from Korah. For further details; see my post Sons of Korah: Their Role in Worship and Psalms
A SONG UPON ALAMOTH.
See also 1 Chron 15:20. It is thought that Alamoth was either a musical instrument or a musical notation. The word means ‘young women’ therefore some scholars speculate that the music was set for a high-pitched voice.
EXPOSITION
GOD AS A REFUGE (1-3)
A personal refuge – ‘our’
A powerful refuge – ‘strength’
A present refuge – ‘help in trouble’
A peaceful refuge – ”we will not fear’
(1) The psalmist begins with a strong declaration of trust in God, who is said to be the people’s refuge, strength and help in times of trouble. God is a reliable shelter – a safe place – and a source of strength – providing protection during the troubles of life.
The second line implies that the psalmist and the nation had already experienced this help on more than one occasion – YLT gives the literal translation as ‘a help in adversities found most surely,’ i.e. in times like these God proves himself to be a help.
(2-3) On the basis that God is their refuge, strength and help, his people will not be in a continual state of fear but remain calm in all the experiences of life. To emphasise how fearless God’s people should be and illustrate their confidence that God will help them, even in extreme circumstances, the psalmist uses vivid imagery of seismic cataclysm – earthquakes, tidal waves and shifting mountains – as a metaphor for ‘troubles.’
though the earth trembles
and the mountains topple
into the depths of the seas,
though its water roars and foams
and the mountains quake with its turmoil. CSB
Verse three ends with ‘Selah’ – a pause for reflection, in order to grasp the full import of what has been said.
GOD AS A RIVER (4-7)
The scene now changes from raging seas to a silent river. Rivers often appear in the Bible as symbolic of God’s presence and the life, joy, and peace that this provides (e.g. Gen 2:10; Psa 65:9; Isa 48:18; 66:12; Jer 17:8; Ezek 47:1-12; Rev 22:1-2). Here the image of a quietly flowing river paints a serene picture of God’s sustaining presence with his people in the city of Jerusalem. The river’s streams (irrigation channels) bring joy to the city of God (i.e. the people in the city – this is an example of metonymy) which is the holy dwelling place of the Most High.
The title ‘Most High’ indicates God’s supreme position above all others. Its most famous occurrence is in connection with the blessing of Abraham by Melchizedek (Gen 14:18-24). Since Melchizedek was the priest of the Most High and also king of Salem (ancient Jerusalem) it would seem that this epithet for God had a strong connection to the city of Jerusalem.
Since Jerusalem did not have a river this reference is metaphorical. However, the psalmist may have had in mind the Gihon Spring situated to the east of Jerusalem. Facing the prospect of invasion by the Assyrians under Sennacherib, King Hezekiah built Hezekiah’s Tunnel (2 Kgs 20:20; 2 Chron 32:2-4, 30) to divert water from Gihon Spring to ‘the waters of Shiloah that go softly’ (later called the Pool of Siloam) – cf. Isaiah 8:5-8. Access to water in time of siege was viewed as evidence of God’s presence with his people.
Verses 5-7 are an expansion of the idea of God’s presence with his people (cf. Mic 3:11; Zeph 3:15) and of divine supremacy over natural and political upheaval. The psalmist cleverly links these verses to the previous section by repeating ‘topple’ (2, 5, 6, – be carried, move), ‘help’ (1, 5) and ‘be in uproar’ (3, 6 – roar, raged).
God is within her; she will not be toppled.
God will help her when the morning dawns.
Nations rage, kingdoms topple;
the earth melts when he lifts his voice. 46:5-6 CSB
- God is with the city – therefore – it will not be toppled.
- God will help the city – therefore – a new day will dawn.
- God will ‘utter his voice’ (thunder? Job 37:4; Psa 18:13; 29:3-9) – and as a result – nations will rage, kingdoms topple and the earth melt (soften as a result of rain – Psa 65:10). A thunderstorm with torrential downpours is a spectacular display of God’s awesome power.
The assurance that God is with his people reinforces their belief that his divine presence provides security. They are secure in his shelter, knowing that his raised voice will overcome all distresses.
Verse 7 is the refrain (parallel to v.1 and repeated in v.11) The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
As one of the psalms in a section of the book often referred to as the ‘Elohistic Psalter’ (Pss. 42-83) Psalm 46 prefers the divine name elohim (God) over YHWH (the Lord). YHWH occurs, however in v.8 and we have already noticed the title Most High in v.4. Now in v.7 we have two more names for God: YHWH Sabaoth (Lord of Hosts) and The God of Jacob.
Lord of Hosts – means Lord of Armies. Although God is in control of physical, earthly armies this title is usually interpreted in terms of God as cosmic commander of angelic, spiritual forces, such as:
And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant? And the captain of the LORD’s host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so. Joshua 5:13-15
And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, a host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. 2 Kings 6:15-17
Lord of Hosts stresses God’s supreme power and ability to defend his people against any threat. They do not have to fight their own battles because the Lord of Armies has infinite resources and can assemble a team to assist whenever necessary.
is with us – cf. Immanuel – God with us, Isa 7:14; 8:8, 10.
The God of Jacob – This title occurs about 285 times in the Old Testament, of which 15 are in the Book of Psalms. Jacob is a patriarch whose life was marked by struggles, but God remained with him. That same God is now with his people in their struggles. He is a stronghold – a secure, inaccessible height. This same word occurs in 2 Samuel 22:3 (The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence.) and is used to describe the righteous in Isaiah 33:16 (He shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.) God is the true source of security.
GOD AS A RULER (8-11)
COME, SEE
From the thought in v.7 of the Lord of Armies as a great warrior the stanza vv.8-11 moves on to view him as the ultimate peacemaker. In this final section the outlook moves from personal/national to global and from confidence to awe.
The imperatives invite, indeed command, everyone to come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth. The word translated ‘come’ is not the verb ‘come’ but means ‘walk’ or ‘go.’ The verb ‘behold’ is not the common word for ‘see’ but a more poetic term often used by the prophets (Isa 1:1; Lam 2:14; Hab 1:1; Zech 10:2) with the idea of ‘perceive.’ The ‘works of the Lord’ are his general acts or deeds. Often they are described as ‘wonderful’ (i.e. astonishing or extraordinary) but his activities referred to here are destructive (‘made desolations’). The main implication of the noun ‘desolations’ is ruin or horror. These acts, however, are not random but the result of God’s purposeful action to eliminate his enemies on earth. ‘Earth’ here, and in v.10, is another example of metonymy – it stands for people on the earth. God has to dismantle human pride and violence in order to establish peace so his works are not always gentle; sometimes they involve upheaval in order to bring about justice and renewal, e.g. the Flood, the Exodus, or Jesus overturning the moneychangers’ tables in the temple. ‘Hath made’ is a prophetic perfect which points to a time that is future to the psalmist; but the event is so certain that he speaks of it as having already happened.
V.9 contains the following statements:
- He makes wars cease throughout the earth. – God will establish peace throughout the world (cf. Isa 2:4).
- He shatters bows (cf. Hos 1:5) and cuts spears to pieces; – God will disable all armaments.
- He sets wagons ablaze (cf. Josh 11:6, 9; Isa 9:5) – ‘wagons’ is usually translated as ‘chariots.’ God will destroy all powerful weaponry.
These implements of war represent various aspects of human conflict. Bows – long-range attack, striking from a distance. Spears – direct confrontation – close combat. Chariots – mobility and speed, hit and run tactics, transfer of troops. One day there will be no more war for all enemies of the Lord will be subdued and all their weaponry dismantled or destroyed.
BE STILL, KNOW
These acts of disarmament set the stage for verse 10 in which there are two more imperatives: ‘be still’ and ‘know.’ Until now the psalmist and the nation (‘we’ v.2, ‘us’ v.7) have been speaking but v.10 is a direct command from the Lord: Be still, and know that I am God. The verb ‘to be still’ means – to slack, relax one’s grip, cease, desist, become weak, let drop, let go (cf. Josh 10:6; Judg 8:3; 1 Sam 15:16; 2 Sam 4:1; Neh 6:9; Psa 138:8). This command is primarily addressed to the nations (KJV ‘heathen’) urging them to surrender, to end their pointless armed struggle against the invincible Lord of Armies. They are also instructed to ‘know’ that he is God, i.e. recognise his sovereignty and absolute authority.
God then gives his reason for stepping in to end all wars and establish universal peace. It is so that he will be exalted. The verb ‘I will be exalted’ is repeated in each of the two remaining clauses in v.10: I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. Darby. This repetition further emphasises God’s sovereignty over the earth. He is not just Israel’s God but controls the world and will therefore be universally exalted.
Although addressed primarily to the raging nations these words have often been appreciated by believers in trouble who have viewed them as an invitation to pause, reflect and ‘let go.’ This is not passive surrender but rather a deliberate act of trust. It represents a decision to resist the pressure to always be in control. Rather, in the midst of instability, frantic activity and great anxiety, one must commit the situation to the Lord. God calls for stillness – so that we may stop striving but acknowledge his sovereignty and power as he fulfils his purposes throughout the world.
V.11 repeats the refrain of v.7: The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. The psalm ends where it began – with God’s unwavering presence and protection – and with reassurance and confidence in God as an unshakeable fortress and refuge.
SUMMATION
Psalm 46 is a theological reflection upon God as a refuge and strength. It stresses that, in chaos and uncertainty, God remains a constantly available source of help and security. The psalm encourages us to place complete and unconditional trust in our omnipotent and omnipresent God, who is the true source of safety in times of trouble or tragedy. No matter how bad things may seem, believers can find comfort in God’s power, presence and promises; secure in the knowledge that his ultimate victory is assured.
Written Exposition 