Psalm 46
God Is Our Refuge and Strength
1 For the choirmaster. Of the sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. A song.
God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in times of trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear,
though the earth is transformed
and the mountains are toppled
into the depths of the seas,
3 though their waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake in the surge.
Selah
4 There is a river whose streams delight the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
5 God is within her; she will not be moved.
God will help her when morning dawns.
6 Nations rage, kingdoms crumble;
the earth melts when He lifts His voice.
7 The LORD of Hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah
8 Come, see the works of the LORD,
who brings devastation upon the earth.
9 He makes wars to cease throughout the earth;
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
He burns the shields in the fire.
10 “Be still and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted over the earth.”
11 The LORD of Hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah
टिप्पणियाँ
- 1 Alamothis probably a musical or liturgical term; here and in 1 Chronicles 15:20.
- 9 Or chariots
About this passage
Psalm 46 is a psalm of the sons of Korah, a guild of temple singers named in several headings. It declares that God is a refuge and strength and a help in trouble, and so the speaker will not fear even if the earth gives way and the mountains fall into the sea.
The psalm has three parts, closed by a refrain about the LORD of hosts being with us. It describes a river whose streams make glad the city of God, which most readers connect to Jerusalem, and ends with God speaking: Be still, and know that I am God.
Jews and Christians have used it in times of upheaval. It is often linked with Martin Luther's hymn A Mighty Fortress, said to be inspired by it. Many scholars connect its imagery of nations in uproar with a time of threat to Jerusalem, though the exact event is not known.
- Refuge and strength
- Be still
- Peace in turmoil
- The city of God
Questions
What does Be still and know that I am God mean?
In context God is speaking to the nations, so it can mean stop striving and recognize God's power. Many readers also use it more personally as an invitation to rest and trust. Both uses have a long history.
Who wrote Psalm 46?
The heading credits the sons of Korah, who were Levite singers. It does not name David. The psalm is thought to come from the temple tradition, and its date is uncertain.
What is the selah in Psalm 46?
Selah appears at the ends of verses and is probably a musical or liturgical marker. Its exact meaning is unknown, and many modern translations leave it untranslated or note it only in a footnote.