Psalms 46:6-11

46:6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms are overthrown. ¹ 

God ²  gives a shout, ³  the earth dissolves. ⁴ 

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

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

46:8 Come! Witness the exploits ⁸  of the Lord,

who brings devastation to the earth! ⁹ 

46:9 He brings an end to wars throughout the earth; ¹⁰ 

he shatters ¹¹  the bow and breaks ¹²  the spear;

he burns ¹³  the shields with fire. ¹⁴ 

46:10 He says, ¹⁵  “Stop your striving and recognize ¹⁶  that I am God!

I will be exalted ¹⁷  over ¹⁸  the nations! I will be exalted over ¹⁹  the earth!”

46:11 The Lord who commands armies is on our side! ²⁰ 

The God of Jacob ²¹  is our protector! ²²  (Selah)

[46:6]  ¹ tn Heb “nations roar, kingdoms shake.” The Hebrew verb הָמָה (hamah, “roar, be in uproar”) is used in v. 3 of the waves crashing, while the verb מוֹט (mot, “overthrown”) is used in v. 2 of mountains tumbling into the sea (see also v. 5, where the psalm affirms that Jerusalem “cannot be moved”). The repetition of the verbs suggests that the language of vv. 2-3 is symbolic and depicts the upheaval that characterizes relationships between the nations of the earth. As some nations (symbolized by the surging, chaotic waters) show hostility, others (symbolized by the mountains) come crashing down to destruction. The surging waters are symbolic of chaotic forces in other poetic texts (see, for example, Isa 17:12; Jer 51:42) and mountains can symbolize strong kingdoms (see, for example, Jer 51:25).

[46:6]  ² tn Heb “He.” God is the obvious referent here (see v. 5), and has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[46:6]  ³ tn Heb “offers his voice.” In theophanic texts the phrase refers to God’s thunderous shout which functions as a battle cry (see Pss 18:13; 68:33).

[46:6]  ⁴ tn Or “melts.” See Amos 9:5. The image depicts the nation’s helplessness before Jerusalem’s defender, who annihilates their armies (see vv. 8-9). The imperfect verbal form emphasizes the characteristic nature of the action described.

[46:7]  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.

[46:7]  ⁶ tn That is, Israel, or Judah (see Ps 20:1).

[46:7]  ⁷ tn Heb “our elevated place” (see Pss 9:9; 18:2).

[46:8]  ⁸ sn In this context the Lord’s exploits are military in nature (see vv. 8b-9).

[46:8]  ⁹ tn Heb “who sets desolations in the earth” (see Isa 13:9). The active participle describes God’s characteristic activity as a warrior.

[46:9]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “[the] one who causes wars to cease unto the end of the earth.” The participle continues the description begun in v. 8b and indicates that this is the Lord’s characteristic activity. Ironically, he brings peace to the earth by devastating the warlike, hostile nations (vv. 8, 9b).

[46:9]  ¹¹ tn The verb שָׁבַר (shavar, “break”) appears in the Piel here (see Ps 29:5). In the OT it occurs thirty-six times in the Piel, always with multiple objects (the object is either a collective singular or grammatically plural or dual form). The Piel may highlight the repetition of the pluralative action, or it may suggest an intensification of action, indicating repeated action comprising a whole, perhaps with the nuance “break again and again, break in pieces.” Another option is to understand the form as resultative: “make broken” (see IBHS 404-7 §24.3). The imperfect verbal form carries on and emphasizes the generalizing nature of the description.

[46:9]  ¹² tn The perfect verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive carries along the generalizing emphasis of the preceding imperfect.

[46:9]  ¹³ tn The imperfect verbal form carries on and emphasizes the generalizing nature of the description.

[46:9]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “wagons he burns with fire.” Some read “chariots” here (cf. NASB), but the Hebrew word refers to wagons or carts, not chariots, elsewhere in the OT. In this context, where military weapons are mentioned, it is better to revocalize the form as עֲגִלוֹת (’agilot, “round shields”), a word which occurs only here in the OT, but is attested in later Hebrew and Aramaic.

[46:10]  ¹⁵ tn The words “he says” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[46:10]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “do nothing/be quiet (see 1 Sam 15:16) and know.” This statement may be addressed to the hostile nations, indicating they should cease their efforts to destroy God’s people, or to Judah, indicating they should rest secure in God’s protection. Since the psalm is an expression of Judah’s trust and confidence, it is more likely that the words are directed to the nations, who are actively promoting chaos and are in need of a rebuke.

[46:10]  ¹⁷ tn Elsewhere in the psalms the verb רוּם (rum, “be exalted”) when used of God, refers to his exalted position as king (Pss 18:46; 99:2; 113:4; 138:6) and/or his self-revelation as king through his mighty deeds of deliverance (Pss 21:13; 57:5, 11).

[46:10]  ¹⁸ tn Or “among.”

[46:10]  ¹⁹ tn Or “in.”

[46:11]  ²⁰ 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.

[46:11]  ²¹ tn That is, Israel, or Judah (see Ps 20:1).

[46:11]  ²² tn Heb “our elevated place” (see Pss 9:9; 18:2).