What does Psalm 48:6 mean?

Here, the effects of fear on Jerusalem's enemies is compared to the experience of a woman giving birth. Scripture isn't clear about what event—if any—was the inspiration for this psalm. The main point is using Jerusalem as a living example of God's glory (Psalm 48:1–3). However, recent phrases have referred to an assembly of kings, who are now fleeing in terror (Psalm 48:4–5).

This may be a reference to the miraculous rescue of Jerusalem during the reign of Jehoshaphat. Several enemy nations gathered to attack, but fell into an ambush and were driven away without Israel fighting, at all (2 Chronicles 20).

Another option is the failed siege on Jerusalem led by Sennacherib (2 Kings 19). Isaiah spoke about how God will "punish the speech of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and the boastful look in his eyes" (Isaiah 10:12). Sennacherib, King of Assyria, bragged he would capture Jerusalem, underestimating the Lord. God promised Sennacherib would not only be barred from Jerusalem, but that he would fail to so much as mount an actual attack (Isaiah 37:33). When Assyria's army camped to prepare for battle, the Lord annihilated vast numbers of their soldiers. Those who remained panicked and fled. Sennacherib returned home to Nineveh quickly, but as he was worshiping in the house of his god Nisroch, his two sons murdered him (Isaiah 37:37–38).