Psalms 46:1

Psalm 46 1 

For the music director; by the Korahites; according to the alamoth style; 2  a song.

46:1 God is our strong refuge; 3 

he is truly our helper in times of trouble. 4 

Psalms 46:7

46:7 The Lord who commands armies is on our side! 5 

The God of Jacob 6  is our protector! 7  (Selah)

1 sn Psalm 46. In this so-called “Song Of Zion” God’s people confidently affirm that they are secure because the great warrior-king dwells within Jerusalem and protects it from the nations that cause such chaos in the earth. A refrain (vv. 7, 11) concludes the song’s two major sections.

2 sn The meaning of the Hebrew term עֲלָמוֹת (alamoth, which means “young women”) is uncertain; perhaps it refers to a particular style of music. Cf. 1 Chr 15:20.

3 tn Heb “our refuge and strength,” which is probably a hendiadys meaning “our strong refuge” (see Ps 71:7). Another option is to translate, “our refuge and source of strength.”

4 tn Heb “a helper in times of trouble he is found [to be] greatly.” The perfect verbal form has a generalizing function here. The adverb מְאֹד (mÿ’od, “greatly”) has an emphasizing function.

5 tn Heb “the Lord of hosts is with us.” The title “Lord of hosts” here pictures the Lord as a mighty warrior-king who leads armies into battle (see Ps 24:10). The military imagery is further developed in vv. 8-9.

6 tn That is, Israel, or Judah (see Ps 20:1).

7 tn Heb “our elevated place” (see Pss 9:9; 18:2).