Psalm 46:4 - Printer Friendly

ESV: There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High.

NIV: There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.

NASB: There is a river whose streams make the city of God happy, The holy dwelling places of the Most High.

CSB: There is a river -- its streams delight the city of God, the holy dwelling place of the Most High.

NLT: A river brings joy to the city of our God, the sacred home of the Most High.

KJV: There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.

NKJV: There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.

This verse mentions the presence of a stream that blesses Jerusalem, the city of God. Spiritually, Scripture often speaks of this as the dwelling place of the Most High God (Psalm 9:11; 132:13; Joel 3:17; Zechariah 8:3). Streams and rivers are common symbols of abundance: a source which perpetually flows. The imagery here resembles that of the river which Ezekiel 47 describes, gushing forth from the temple in the millennium when Christ rules the earth. Revelation 22:1–2 depicts a "river of the water of life" flowing in the New Jerusalem.

Some believe this psalm was composed to celebrate God's deliverance of Israel from the Assyrians in the days of king Hezekiah. If so, the reference to water might have a double meaning. Hezekiah had built an underground aqueduct that connected the Spring of Gihon in Kidron with the Pool of Siloam in Jerusalem (2 Kings 20:20; 2 Chronicles 32:30). The sea might roar and foam, just as the Assyrians might rattle their swords and spears. Even so, the water supply in Jerusalem was calm and secure, just as God was reliably established in Jerusalem, His holy mountain.

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.