Psalm 46:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts.

NIV: Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

NASB: The nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered; He raised His voice, the earth quaked.

CSB: Nations rage, kingdoms topple; the earth melts when he lifts his voice.

NLT: The nations are in chaos, and their kingdoms crumble! God’s voice thunders, and the earth melts!

KJV: The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted.

NKJV: The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted.

This psalm celebrates God's omnipotent ability to protect the city of Jerusalem and the people of the nation of Israel. Despite natural disaster or international war, the people of God can look on God's fulfilled promises as a source of trust in Him (Psalm 46:1–3). Some see parallels between this psalm and the miraculous rescue of Jerusalem from an Assyrian siege (2 Kings 18:28–35; 19:35). This verse certainly emphasizes God's power. He simply issued a command, and the Assyrian army was defeated.

The images here contrast the supposed strength of ungodly nations with the power of God. By comparison, He merely speaks, and they lose their balance. They stumble like a little child whose steps falter. The earth "melts" at the sound of God's voice, symbolizing God's power to destroy even what seems to be indestructible (Amos 9:5).

Someday, as Psalm 2:4–5 predicts, the Lord will strike all the nations that oppose Him. That event awaits the close of the tribulation period when Jesus returns to earth. Revelation 19:15 reports that at Jesus' coming a sharp sword will proceed from His mouth, with which He will "strike down the nations." Furthermore, the whole earth will undergo a dramatic renovation at the end of time. The apostle Peter writes, "But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed" (2 Peter 3:10).

Psalm 46:1–7 introduces the theme of trust in God. He is Israel's protector, and He is present whenever the people of Israel need Him. The people may trust in Him regardless of what happens. Neither natural calamities nor the threat of nations can shake God's people, because they have an abundant supply of the presence of the Lord of hosts, the God of Jacob.

Trust and thanksgiving are the main themes in Psalm 46. It begins with strong praise for God's strength and availability. It continues with the assurance that the nation of Israel need not fear, no matter what happens. Despite how anyone might rage, or strive, the psalm declares that God will one day judge mankind and put a dramatic end to war. The psalm ends as it began by confiding in the Lord of hosts, since He is with His people as their secure, undefeatable Protector. This psalm may have inspired Martin Luther to write the hymn "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God."

This psalm, found in the second division of Psalms (42—72), seems to have been composed for congregational worship. One possible background for this song is God's deliverance of Jerusalem from the Assyrians. They threatened the city in the time of King Hezekiah (2 Kings 18—19; 2 Chronicles 32; Isaiah 36—37). Scholars speculate Hezekiah may have written this psalm, as well as Psalms 47 and 48.

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.