Psalm 46 Academics
God is Our Fortress
Psalm 46
Academic Resources
Explore our academic Psalms resources for Psalm 46, including our Layer-by-Layer analysis, select Exegetical Issues, and Overview Videos.
Overview 
- This page will introduce and provide orientation to Psalm 46 as a whole. It covers the message, structure, background and participants of the psalm.
Layer-by-Layer Analysis 
- The heart of our process is our layer-by-layer exegetical analysis, where we unfold the semantics, story behind, discourse, and poetics of each psalm.
Grammar & Semantics
Semantics is the study of how language is used to represent meaning. The goal of semantic analysis is to understand the meaning of words and how they relate to each other in context. Our Semantics analysis consists of the following sub-layers:
- Grammar & Textual Criticism
- Lexical Semantics
- Phrase-Level Semantics
- Verbal Semantics
Story Behind
The Story Behind the Psalm shows how each part of the psalm fits together into a single coherent whole. Here, we analyze the meaning of sentences and larger units of discourse, up to and including the entire psalm. This also include historical background and figurative imagery.
Discourse
Our Discourse Layer moves beyond semantic-level meaning, and analyzes features of the text dependent on the speaker, addressee, and macrosyntax.
Poetics
Exploring the Psalms as poetry is crucial for understanding and experiencing the psalms and thus for faithfully translating them into another language.
Verse-by-Verse Notes 
- Explore the psalm verse-by-verse and section-by-section.
Psalm 46 Exegetical Issues 
- These issues examine the top three tough questions for each psalm, explaining different scholarly interpretations, and offering our perspective.
- Psalm 46:5 speaks of a river whose streams run to the city of God and "gladden" it. The river has been interpreted in a number of ways, e.g., (1) a real river or water course; (2) the river with four streams from Genesis 2; (3) water associated with the Temple in Jerusalem; or (4) God's royal provision of water to his city.
- The beginning of Psalm 46 abounds in water images, featuring the heart of deepest sea, raging and foaming waters in vv. 2-4, and a river with streams in v. 5. These images have led to varied interpretations not only of vv. 2-5 but also of the psalm as a whole. The focus of this exegetical issue page is on the waters in vv. 2-4.
- The Masoretic Text of Ps 46:10b lists several items that YHWH plans to destroy in his engagement with the hostile nations and kingdoms. If the first two terms—bow(s) and spear(s)—are straightforward, then the third one, עֲגָלוֹת, is less clear and causes difficulties in translation and interpretation. This in turn is reflected in ancient and modern translations.
Psalm 46 Videos 
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