Wisdom & Poetry · Old Testament

Psalms 46

Psalm 46: God our refuge, the river of the city and the word Be still

General context

The speakers say God is their refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble, and therefore they will not fear though the earth be removed, the mountains carried into the sea, the waters roar and the mountains shake with the swelling; Selah follows. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. God is in her midst, she will not be moved, and God will help her right early. The heathen raged and the kingdoms were moved; God uttered his voice and the earth melted. The refrain follows: the Lord of hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is our refuge, with Selah. The hearers are called to come and behold the works of the Lord, the desolations he has made in the earth: he makes wars cease to the end of the earth, breaks the bow, cuts the spear in sunder and burns the chariot in the fire. A voice says, Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the heathen and in the earth. The refrain returns to close the psalm: the Lord of hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is our refuge, and Selah.

Cited passages: Psalms 46:1, Psalms 46:2, Psalms 46:3, Psalms 46:4, Psalms 46:5, Psalms 46:6, Psalms 46:7, Psalms 46:8, Psalms 46:9, Psalms 46:10, Psalms 46:11

Psalms 46 (KJV)

¹God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

²Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;

³Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.

⁴There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.

⁵God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.

⁶The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted.

⁷The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

⁸Come, behold the works of the Lord, what desolations he hath made in the earth.

⁹He 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.

¹⁰Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

¹¹The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

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Historical context

The text as printed here carries no heading; verse 1 opens with "God is our refuge and strength", so this source names no author, occasion or musical direction. The voice is a plural "we" and "us" speaking about God in the third person; God is not addressed directly anywhere in the psalm. The one exception in voice is verse 10, where the words "Be still, and know that I am God" are spoken in the first person as God's own, without an introduction naming the speaker. "The city of God" is not named, and the river and its streams are not located. "The heathen" and "the kingdoms" that raged are unidentified, and the text does not say which wars ceased or when. "The God of Jacob" is the only name tied to a people. Selah stands three times, after verses 3, 7 and 11, the last two following the identical refrain. The psalm reports outcomes, the earth melting and wars ceasing, without narrating any particular event.

Cited passages: Psalms 46:1, Psalms 46:10, Psalms 46:4, Psalms 46:6, Psalms 46:9, Psalms 46:7, Psalms 46:3

Literary context

The psalm is built in three panels marked by Selah, with a refrain, "The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge", closing the second and third. The first panel sets unmoving trust against a moving world: earth removed, mountains carried, waters roaring. The second answers those waters with a quiet river that makes a city glad, and the word "moved" is turned round: the kingdoms "were moved", but the city "shall not be moved". The third panel invites the hearers to look at broken weapons, bow, spear and chariot, and then gives way to a single first-person command, "Be still, and know that I am God". Refuge frames the whole, in the first line and in the last. Verbs of motion belong to the world and the nations; God's actions are a voice uttered, a help given early, and wars made to cease. This psalm follows the wedding song of Psalm 45 and precedes the shout of Psalm 47, "O clap your hands, all ye people".

Cited passages: Psalms 46:7, Psalms 46:11, Psalms 46:2, Psalms 46:4, Psalms 46:6, Psalms 46:5, Psalms 46:9, Psalms 46:10, Psalms 46:1, Psalms 47:1

Key moments

Our refuge and strength (Psalms 46:1). The speakers call God their refuge and a very present help in trouble.
Though the mountains shake (Psalms 46:3). They will not fear though the waters roar and the mountains shake, and Selah follows.
A river for the city of God (Psalms 46:4). A river's streams make glad the city where God dwells.
He uttered his voice (Psalms 46:6). The heathen raged and kingdoms moved, but God's voice melted the earth.
The God of Jacob is our refuge (Psalms 46:7). The refrain declares the Lord of hosts is with them.
Bow, spear and chariot (Psalms 46:9). God makes wars cease and breaks the weapons of war.
Be still, and know (Psalms 46:10). A first-person voice commands stillness and promises to be exalted in the earth.

For reflection

The command to be still comes right after an invitation to behold desolations and broken weapons; what kind of stillness does the poem have in mind, and who is being told to stop?