Psalm 46 Verse-by-Verse

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Welcome to the Verse-by-Verse Notes for Psalm 46!

The Verse-by-Verse Notes present scholarly, exegetical materials (from all layers of analysis) in a verse-by-verse format. They often present alternative interpretive options and justification for a preferred interpretation. The Verse-by-Verse Notes are aimed at consultant-level users.

The discussion of each verse of this psalm includes the following items.

1. A link to the part of the overview video where the verse in question is discussed.
2. The verse in Hebrew and English.
3. An expanded paraphrase of the verse.
4. A grammatical diagram of the verse, which includes glosses for each word and phrase.
5. A series of notes on the verse, which contain information pertaining to the interpretation of the psalm (e.g., meaning of words and phrases, poetic features, difficult grammatical constructions, etc.).

v. 1

v. 1	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
1a	לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ לִבְנֵי־קֹ֑רַח	For the music director. By the Korahites.
1b	עַֽל־עֲלָמ֥וֹת שִֽׁיר׃	As young women. A psalm.

Expanded Paraphrase

For the music director. Written by the Korahites. The psalm is to be performed as young women. A psalm.

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• The superscription in v. 1 contains a few construct and prepositional phrases (on which also see the Grammatical Diagram above). The meaning of למנצח in the Psalter is debated (on this, see further Lamnaṣṣēaḥ). Here it is rendered as for the music director per discussion in Lamnaṣṣēaḥ. The ל preposition in this phrase can indicate "interest" or "advantage". Thus, based on inner- and extra-biblical evidence, it has been argued that למנצח should be read as "to be recited by the official in charge". Alternatively, it could signify possession, i.e., "for the leader... for/belonging to the one in charge."
• In the phrase by the Korahites (לבני־קרח), the ל preposition identifies the Korahites as the psalm's authors. For the list of other Korahite psalms, see Korahites.
• By the Korahites (לבני־קרח) is also a construct chain that indicates kinship or relationship (i.e., “Korah” is the psalmists' father or a male relative or a mentor). For the identity of this group, see notes on the superscription in Psalm 44 Verse-by-Verse.
• Rendered by the phrase as young women, the prepositional phrase על־עלמות is also difficult. Since the phrase as a whole most likely represents a “musical style”, the preposition על in it can be translated with “according to”, "as", or "in the manner of".
• Additionally the MT’s עלמות is uncertain. This term literally means “maidens, young women” and could be a reference to the tune or musical setting, explaining how the psalm was supposed to be performed. Thus, it could indicate that the psalm was to be sung by soprano voices of young women.

• Taking the difficult עלמות as young women is attractive, as it could help interpret Psalm 46 as a song about God's military victory(ies). More specifically, in terms of its literary type, Psalm 46 could be added to the ancient Near Eastern (ANE) and Hebrew Bible (HB) traditions
  

  Ashur-Sharrat, wife of the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal, wearing a crown in the shape of a crenelated city wall. 7th c. BCE. The Pergamon Museum, Berlin, Germany.
  which feature the practice of urbicide, i.e., the ritualized killing of cities. Within this category of texts, Psalm 46 can be understood as an anti-urbicide (or an inverted urbicide) poem, whereby the "killing" of God's holy city is attempted but prevented, and the groups that threatened its well-being are subjected to destruction. Given that the urbicide motif often appears in ANE and HB city laments, as a poetic text, Psalm 46 could further be viewed as an ideological reversal of these compositions. In relation to this, and in light of the superscription, a few observations are in order. ANE city laments were composed as if they were sung by patron city goddesses and were performed in the emesal dialect (a dialect associated with women). Ancient cities were personified as females (e.g., Isaiah 47, Lamentations 1; 2 Sam 20:19). In war iconography, cities under attack were often depicted with women lamenting on city walls representing both distressed civilians and cities themselves. In Psalm 46, the text alternates between community-focused sections with self-referential "we" and "us" statements and sections focusing on the fate of God's city. In light of this, the instruction "as young women" could indicate that the psalm (an inverted city lament, or a song about the city's inviolability) could be read as instructing the community to perform the psalm as a choir of young women. Notably, in ancient Israel women, particularly younger girls, were known to celebrate military successes with songs and dances. Moreover, singing as a choir of young women, the community, collectively, would stand for the city itself.

Stronger than Chaos (vv. 2-4)

The opening strophe of the psalm abounds in symbolism from the natural world, which cumulatively represents a large-scale natural disaster. The images in this strophe have led to varied interpretations not only of vv. 2-4 but also of the psalm as a whole. For a detailed discussion of these images, see The Raging Waters in Ps 46:2-4. In short, the tumult at this juncture in the psalm is best understood as signifying the hostile human forces (nations and kingdoms) mentioned later in v. 7. Given the conflation of the natural and human forces in the psalm, its main participants and their engagement could be understood as follows:

The Natural Forces: The earth, the raging waters, and the shaking mountains (vv. 3-4) form a set of inter-related participants. They have agency in the psalm and are literarily equated with God's human enemies (i.e., nations and kingdoms in v. 7). Metaphorically, the psalmist depicts all of these entities as engaging, to varying degrees, in hostility against God, his city, and his people.

Nations and Kingdoms: The identity of these synonymous participants is not specified, but in prophetic literature, they often refer to imperial superpowers (e.g., Isa 5:26; 13:4; 14:26; 30:28; 47:5; Jer 1:10, 15). In Psalm 46, the nations and kingdoms serve as subject participants, showing aggression against God's city and falling down as he defeats them (v. 7). In v. 11, they are also instructed to acknowledge God's supremacy.

The City of God: The psalm offers no specific details about the identity of the city and its geographical location. However, "the preservation and ongoing use of the psalm so that it came to be in the Psalter imply that it came to be a Jerusalem psalm (a “Zion song”...) even though Jerusalem is unmentioned."

YHWH: God appears under various names and appellations in the psalm (i.e., Elohim, the Most High, YHWH [the God of] Hosts, and the God of Jacob). Other descriptors featured in the song for God are a “refuge”, “fortress,” and "stronghold" (vv. 2, 8, 12). These architectural designations for God make his identification with the city and its community particularly intimate. Notably, in v. 5, God is also closely associated with the river and its streams (for this, see The River and Its Streams in Psalm 46), which function as YHWH’s agents, nourishing and defending the city and its populace. The interaction between all the above participants in the psalm are summarized in the visuals on the right .

Furthermore, the psalm can be divided into three major parts (vv. 2–4, vv. 5–7, and vv. 9–11). After strophes 2 and 3, there is a refrain (vv. 8 and 12 respectively). The three strophes are roughly equal in length, and the word Selah (rendered in the LXX as διαψαλμα [i.e., "interlude"]) finishes each section. Furthermore, the psalm is framed by an inclusio: its opening and concluding sections contain divine names ("God/Elohim", "YHWH, [the God] of Hosts", and "the God of Jacob"), and descriptors of God as a protector of his people ("refuge", "stronghold", "fortress"). In strophe 1, vv. 2–4 are bound together by:

• Similarity in content (tumult in the natural world)
• Similarity in language
  • Terms of instability (e.g., changing, sliding, shaking, raging, foaming, swelling)
  • Terms signifying landforms (e.g., "earth", "mountains", and bodies of water)
• Similarity in sound (יחמרו ;הרים ;המיר)
• Similarity in number of lines (2 lines)
• Similarity in length of lines (4 lines of 4 prosodic words each and 2 lines of 3 prosodic words)

The strophe finishes with a Selah. Visually, it can be represented as follows:

In terms of its line division, the strophe could be visualized as follows:

The macrosyntax of this section can be visualized in this way:

In v. 2, the two clauses (2a and 2b) are parallel, exhibiting an inversion of clause components, i.e., עזרה בצרות is fronted in v. 2b. The parallel elements are "God for us" (אלהים לנו)//"readily available" (נמצא מאד) and "a refuge and stronghold" (מחסה ועז)//"a help in great trouble" (עזרה בצרות) (>a.b|b’.a’). Through such arrangement of constituents the text creates a chiastic pattern, whereby אלהים לנו and נמצא מאד stand at the beginning and end of their respective cola and frame the role God plays in the lives of his people: מחסה ועז ,עזרה בצרות. For this see further Poetic Feature 2 (Chiastic Structures: God's Support and Protection) below.

In v. 3, על־כן is an adverb, which serves as a discourse marker. In Ps 46:3, based on the assertions of v. 2 which indicate God's protection of and availability to his people, על־כן points to the outcome of God's protective role, i.e., the community "will not fear". The two subordinate and coordinated statements (i.e., "even when the earth changes, (and) even when the mountains topple into the heart of the deepest sea") indicate scenarios in which God's people will not fear.

In v. 4, the scenarios from v. 3 are continued and their constituents create the following parallelism: a (יהמו יחמרו)//a' (ירעשו); b (מימיו)//b' (הרים), followed by c' (בגאותו). Furthermore, the constituents "seas" and "its waters" (vv. 3b and 4a) create another chiasmus. As van der Lugt notes, "It is not surprising that there is no refrain after v. 4, because vv. 2–4 as a whole represents the refrain." After v. 4, comes the first section break. This is indicated by a.) the presence of a Selah, a discourse marker, and b.) the opening clause of v. 5, which is a thetic statement, activating new referents ("the river and its streams").

Overall, the first section of Psalm 46 communicates both positive and negative emotions of its participants. Thus, the word עז (rendered here as “stronghold”) in v. 2a represents positive emotions; but the word “refuge” indicates negative emotions and experiences (e.g., anxiety; note that “refuge” shelters from adverse circumstances). Similarly, in v. 2b, the word “help” sounds reassuring; yet in combination with “in great trouble”, it communicates negative emotions. Furthermore, the use of the plural pronouns “we” or “us” is telling. That is, in or after traumatic events, individuals tend to seek connection to and solidarity with others, linking themselves to larger groups and using communal language. The distribution of verbs is also indicative of the psalmists' emotional states. Vv. 2, 8, and 12 hardly use any verbs, communicating, to a degree, a sense of calm. Overall, this can be captured as follows:

v. 2

v. 2	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
2a	אֱלֹהִ֣ים לָ֭נוּ מַחֲסֶ֣ה וָעֹ֑ז	God is a refuge and stronghold for us.
2b	עֶזְרָ֥ה בְ֝צָר֗וֹת נִמְצָ֥א מְאֹֽד׃	He is readily available, as a help, in great trouble.

Expanded Paraphrase

God is a refuge and stronghold for us. He is a place that offers us protection and shelters us from any danger, threat, or trouble. In him, we are securely hidden from our enemies. Moreover, even if political allies may desert us, he is readily available to us, as a help, when we are in great trouble.

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• In v. 2a, some modern translations take a refuge and stronghold (מחסה ועז) as a hendiadys (e.g., "strong refuge"). But it is better to translate these terms separately and treat them as a type of fixed compound.
• Refuge (מחסה) signifies a place that is safe and inaccessible (cf. Ps 104:18). According to SDBH, it is a "location where one goes to find protection or safety" in difficult circumstances. Of significance for Psalm 46 is that in the Psalter as a whole, מחסה often represents God himself as the refuge for his people or “the asylum function of the sanctuary”.
• Rendered here as a stronghold, the word עז usually signifies material or physical “strength” or “might”. Notably, it is also used to describe architectural structures (Jdg 9:51) or urban spaces (e.g., Isa 26:1; Prov 18:19; Prov 10:15, 18:11). Of particular interest here are Amos 3:11 and Prov 21:22, where עז represents a "stronghold". Given that Psalm 46 reads as an anti-urbicide text (i.e., a text where the destruction of a city is attempted but prevented), the meaning "stronghold" for עז in v. 2 is preferred (cf. vv. 8 and 12, wherein God is "a fortress"). With such support and protection, God's city and its residents are safe and secure (for this, see further the Imagery table and Poetic Feature 1 [God As Urban Architecture/Defensive Structures] below).

• In v. 2b, the form נמצא can be read in three ways: a.) as a qatal of the tolerative niphal (preferred); b.) as a 1cpl qal yiqtol (disprefrerred); and c.) as a ms niphal participle (dispreferred). Here, taking נמצא as a qatal (has made himself to be found) is favored (although in CBC, it is smoothed out as is readily available; modern translations tend to be very paraphrastic as well, making it difficult to tell what they are paraphrasing, a qatal or a participle [cf. "an ever-present help in trouble", NIV; cf. NLT; ESV; NASV; NKJV; JPS1917; NRSV; HOF; NBS; etc]). The LXX has βοηθὸς ἐν θλίψεσιν ταῖς εὑρούσαις ἡμᾶς σφόδρα, wherein ταῖς εὑρούσαις modifies "afflictions", not "God" (NETS: "God is our refuge and power, very much a helper in afflictions that befall us"; cf. Vulg.; Luther 2017; WYC; UKR). The niphal of מצא with "God" as subject is well-attested in the Hebrew Bible (e.g., Isa 65:1: נמצאתי ללא בקשני/“I permitted myself to be found by those who did not seek me” [NASB]; cf. ראה in niphal in Ex 33:23 [sich sehen lassen]) and is preferred by a number of scholars. E.g., "a very present help in trouble] Lit., a help in distresses hath he let himself be found exceedingly" or "The niph'al in v. 1b should be taken in a reflexive [tolerative] rather than a passive sense (Duhm, Eaton), and the perfect needs to be translated in contrast with the imperfects in v. 3: 'He has made himself to be found indeed,' 'he has plainly shown himself'...." Based on such usage of מצא with God, v. 2b could indicate that the community in distress (בצרות) has sought God and he responded favorably by making himself available to them (cf. Jer 29:14; equally however, God can let people find him even when they do not seek him [cf. Isa 65:1]).
• Reading נמצא as a 1cpl qal yiqtol (i.e., “we find him when [we are] in trouble”, for which see the Grammatical Diagram below) is also viable on syntactic and semantic grounds, yet it has no strong versional support and is not well-represented in modern translations. For this reading, however, see Targ., whose נשכח seems to take MT's נמצא as a 1cpl yiqtol (see further Stec, who translates v. 2 as "God is our security and strength; we will readily find help in trouble." If accepted, this reading would also impact the text structurally and poetically, disrupting the "symmetry" between vv. 2a and 2b (and vv. 8 and 12, in which God is subject and the focus is on his roles and status). Notably, scholars point out that v. 2 could be viewed as an additional refrain in the psalm (cf. vv. 8 and 12).

• Alternatively, נמצא can be taken as a ms passive participle (cf. EHV; HCSB). But the temporal בצרות would suggest an interrupted action, calling for a yiqtol, not a participle which normally represents an uninterrupted event.
• The word help (עזרה) in v. 2b is theologically significant, as it often represents a divine title, i.e., "a help/helper", "the one who provides assistance or support to his people" (SDBH). In Psalms, in reference to God, "help" can appear alongside martial terms such as "shield" (e.g., Ps 33:20; 115:9-11). Given the military crisis in Psalm 46, it is of interest that in HB, nations, as political allies, can either offer or withhold help (cf. Isa 30:5; Ezek 12:14). By contrast, in Psalm 46, amidst a major armed conflict (vv. 6-7, 9-11), God is said to be made available to his people as "help"; and along with other descriptors of God (a "refuge", "stronghold" [v. 2], and a "fortress" [vv. 8 and 12]), "help" is made emphatic through the feature of chiasmus (for which see Poetic Feature 2 [God's Support and Protection] below).
• V. 2 contains two prepositional phrases (for which see further the Grammatical Diagram above). In for us (לנו), “we/us” is the recipient of God’s actions (i.e., God serves as a refuge for his people, offering them protection and strength).
• In the phrase in great trouble (בצרות), the preposition ב indicates the idea of time, that is, God provides help (or can be found as “help”) to his people when they are in trouble. The plural form בצרות is best understood as a plural of amplification, emphasizing the dire nature of scenarios considered here and later in the psalm. Hence, it is best translated as great trouble.

As noted previously, the city and city-scape is a prominent theme in Psalm 46, but more can be said about this theme developed by the Korahites.

Poetic Feature: God As Urban Architecture/Defensive Structures

The first section (vv. 2–4) in Psalm 46 utilizes terminology related to space and architecture to describe God in relation to his city and its people. Thus, he is imaged as a refuge (מחסה) and as a stronghold (עז). Based on Amos 3:11 and Prov 21:22, SDBH defines עז as “a construction that is strong and able to resist attacks--stronghold” (cf. Ps 61:3 [מחסה לי מגדל־עז מפני אויב׃]; Ps 91:2 [מחסי ומצודתי אלהי]; Jer 16:19 [יהוה עזי ומעזי ומנוסי]; Joel 3:16 [ויהוה מחסה לעמו ומעוז לבני ישראל]). The second and third sections (vv. 5–7 and vv. 9–11) are followed by a refrain (vv. 8, 12), wherein God is said to be a fortress (משגב), “a high and unattainable location, either because of its natural environment or as a result of human construction efforts" (SDBH). Furthermore, all three sections (vv. 4, 8, 12) finish with a סלה, a musical term, which echoes the Hebrew word “rock” (סלע). Notably, as an epithet for God, סלע appears in the Psalms alongside terms such as “refuge”, “fortress”, and “stronghold” (e.g., Ps 18:3: יהוה ׀ סלעי ומצודתי ומפלטי אלי צורי אחסה־בו מגני וקרן־ישעי משגבי; cf. Ps 31:4). Visually, it can be represented as follows:

Effect

Urbicide, “the strategic immolation of cities”, is a well-attested phenomenon in ancient warfare. In urbicide, kings at war target their opponents’ cities as political and cultural centers. Echoing ANE and HB urbicide texts, Psalm 46 speaks of political tumult, whereby nations and kingdoms foam in rage, but totter and fall down (v. 7; cf. vv. 3–4); the land around God's city is said to change and shake, but is subdued and turned into desolation (vv. 3, 9). Amidst such turmoil, however, the city of God stands; it is said to never move/totter/fall down (v. 7). If in cases of successful urbicide, cities are razed to the ground, turned into heaps of ruins, and become eternal tells of desolation (e.g., Josh 8:28), then Psalm 46's city is immovable. This is due to its protection by God, its divine patron, who is conceptualized through spatial and architectural metaphors (vv. 2, 8, 12). In this would-be urbicide text, God is said to be in the midst of the city (v. 6) and is part of the city-scape, i.e., he is a ­“refuge”, “stronghold”, and “fortress”. Additionally, located in close proximity to terms connoting architectural structures, the word Selah reinforces the image of God as a strong, immovable landmark. In a song about attempted urbicide, metaphorizing God as urban artifacts and defensive structures links the city’s fate with God’s own and guarantees its inviolability. Through this rhetorical move, the urbanization of God indicates the fortification of his city.

v. 3

v. 3	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
3a	עַל־כֵּ֣ן לֹא־נִ֭ירָא בְּהָמִ֣יר אָ֑רֶץ	Therefore, we will not fear though the earth change,
3b	וּבְמ֥וֹט הָ֝רִ֗ים בְּלֵ֣ב יַמִּֽים׃	and the mountains topple into the heart of the deepest sea.

Expanded Paraphrase

Therefore, we will not fear though the earth change its appearance, and the mountains topple into the heart of the deepest sea.

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

In terms of emotions communicated in this verse, they are extremely negative. Thus, the phrase “we will not fear” features the particle of negation “not” with the verb “to fear”. Together, they register negative emotions and states of mind, such as anxiety. The presence of negations in close proximity to the many self-referential statements further signals an anxious state of mind. More negative emotions are presupposed in vv. 3b-4. Although in English the word "change" may be neutral, the Hebrew מור is negative. As such, it frequently features in prohibitions. Other verbs such as “shake” and “rage” can also be viewed as reflecting negative emotional conditions. Furthermore, anxiety is also associated with "what if" questions, with their fixation on worst case scenarios, which is found in vv. 3-4. Relatedly, the use of words that indicate a need or wish to explain things, e.g., "because, since, in order to, and therefore", is also suggestive of anxiety. Hence, the word "therefore" gives away the inner state of mind which is worried.

• In v. 3b, the MT has בְּהָמִיר, which is usually taken as the hiphil infinitive construct of מור I/“to change” (thus, though the earth change or is "altered”; cf. NRSV, NASB1995, KJ21, etc.; cf. α': ἐν τῶι ἀνταλλάσσεσθ(αι) γῆν from "to change/exchange"). The LXX, however, has ἐν τῷ ταράσσεσθαι (from "to be agitated, troubled", "to be disquieted/restless"; cf. Pesh. ܕܙܝܥܐ from "to shake"). Accordingly, some (e.g., HALOT, 560 s.v. II מור; BHS) suggest emending בְּהָמִיר to a niphal of מוּר II, i.e., "to shake" (cf. NASB, NET, NLT [“So we will not fear when earthquakes come... ”], HFA, NGÜ, ELB, EÜ, GNB; CSB, CEB [“That’s why we won’t be afraid when the world falls apart...”]; for this revocalization, see the Grammatical Diagram below) or to הִמּוֺג, a niphal of מוג/“to melt, dissolve” (SDBH). With "shaking" here, as well as later in v. 7 (ἐσαλεύθη ἡ γῆ, "the earth was shaken" [NETS; a generalization via the LXX's preferred word in the Psalter]; cf. Pesh.: ܘܙܥܬ ܐܪܥܐ "and the earth shakes"), the LXX and Pesh. seem to understand the image of an earthquake throughout the psalm, not only in vv. 2-4. Additionally, in v. 4, the LXX uses the same word with waters (ἐταράχθησαν τὰ ὕδατα αὐτῶν) and mountains (ἐταράχθησαν τὰ ὄρη) (NETS [45:3-4]: "Therefore we will not fear, when the earth is troubled and mountains be transposed in hearts of seas. Their waters roared and were troubled; the mountains were troubled by his force."). As it stands, MT's בְּהָמִיר is viable semantically and is reflected in many modern translations.

• V. 3 contains several construct and prepositional phrases (on which see further the Grammatical Diagram above). The collocation (lit.) "in the changing of the earth" (בהמיר ארץ) indicates that the earth is the entity performing the changing. בהמיר ארץ is also a prepositional phrase, wherein the preposition ב functions temporally with the infinitive construct, i.e., when the earth changes. Although the Hebrew has a temporal clause, the smoothest English translation (cf. NIV) is with the conditional/subjunctive. Hence, here, it is rendered as “We will not fear, though the earth change...” (cf. NIV, NRSV; ESV; NKJV; NASV; JPS1917; etc.).
• Similar to בהמיר ארץ, the phrase (lit.) "in the toppling of mountains" (ובמוט הרים) represents the “verbal notion–subject” type (i.e., the toppling performed by mountains). In it, the preposition ב is also used temporally and should be rendered as when. Again, as before, the temporal clause ("when the mountains topple...") should be read as conditional (i.e., "[though] the mountains topple...").
• In the phrase the heart of the deepest sea (בלב ימים), "the heart" represents a part of the divided whole ("the sea"), and the preposition ב indicates the sphere or space, where the mountain slide into.
• In terms of notable vocabulary in v. 3, the verbs מור and מוט are of significance. As noted above, the hiphil inf. cons. בהמיר is understood as coming from מור I, meaning a "process by which objects take on different characteristics--to change" (SDBH). Hence, here, v. 3a should be read as "though the earth change" (cf. NRSV, NASB1995, KJ21 [“though the earth be removed”], etc.).
• Another notable verb in this verse, as well as in the Psalm as a whole (vv. 3, 6, 7), is מוט rendered here as "to topple". In Hebrew, it signifies a “state in which an object is not firmly fixed to the surface on which it stands so that it can move or slip” (SDBH; cf. BDB, HALOT). In Ps 46:3, it indicates that even though the mountains are symbols of security and stability, they can, so to speak, lose their balance and slide into the sea (on which see further the Imagery table below). By contrast, negated and used in reference to the city of God in v. 6, מוט represents the city's secure position, that is, it will not be compromised by “moving" or "sliding”. It will stand immovable, no matter what. Unlike the city, however, its opponents (the kingdoms in v. 7) are said to be able to “slip” and "fall". Therefore, “[t]he divine protection is here depicted as true stability in a world where powerful foreign nations are fundamentally unstable.”

v. 4

v. 4	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
4a	יֶהֱמ֣וּ יֶחְמְר֣וּ מֵימָ֑יו	Though its waters foam in rage.
4b	יִֽרְעֲשֽׁוּ־הָרִ֖ים בְּגַאֲוָת֣וֹ סֶֽלָה׃	Though mountains quake at its surging. Selah

Expanded Paraphrase

Though its waters foam in rage and increase in strength, like wine bubbling up during fermentation. They may want to see us reel and stagger as from wine, yet we will not be afraid. Though mountains quake at the sea’s surging, and even then we will not be afraid. Selah

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

The emotions communicated in v. 4 are extremely negative. As previously noted, the distribution of verbs in the psalm helps communicate the psalmists' emotional states. Unlike vv. 2, 8, and 12, the verses about enemy forces (the mountains, waters, and nations) use a lot of verbal forms. Thus, a series of verbs appear in vv. 3b–4, 6–7, 10–11, representing tumult in various spheres. This in turn presupposes a high level of anxiety. All in all, the first section (as well as the sections that follow) communicates both positive and negative emotions, even where confidence and trust in God are asserted.

• In CBC, v. 4 is rendered as Though its waters foam in rage. Though mountains quake at its surging. In v. 4a, the two verbs יהמו יחמרו ("foam in rage") are taken as a serial verb construction, i.e., “a sequence of verbs which act together as a single predicate. Serial verbs are always monoclausal and are pronounced as a single verb would be. The components of a serial verb construction share tense, aspect, modality, reality status, evidentiality, mood, and also polarity values. A serial verb construction typically refers to what can be conceptualized as one event, and one recognizable event type, in terms of cultural stereotypes available to the speakers. Serial verbs tend to share at least one argument. An overwhelming majority of serial verbs have a single overall argument structure, with the subjects, objects and obliques belonging to the whole construction.” These verbal forms (and clauses) are then taken as a semantic continuation of the events of the infinitival clauses in v. 3. Significantly, יהמו יחמרו is echoed in v. 7, where the nations are also said to be "roaring" or "raging".
• V. 4 contains several construct phrases (for which see also the Grammatical Diagram above). In the constituent its waters (מימיו), the suffix "its" refers back to "the sea" in v 3. and represents possession (i.e., "waters" belong to or are a constituent part of the “sea”). Incidentally, the plural form "seas" from v. 3 should be understood as signifying intensification, i.e., "seas"="the deepest sea."
• In the phrase its surging (בגאותו) the third masculine singular suffix (ו) refers back to the sea as subject, indicating its turbulence (i.e., the surging which is performed by the sea). The precise function of the preposition ב in this phrase is not straightforward. Given its context, it could serve either temporally, i.e., the mountains quake at or when the surging of the sea takes place, or instrumentally (or causatively), i.e., the mountains shake “with” (or “because of”) the sea's surging. In this psalm, the two uses of ב can be taken as coinciding, that is, the sea causes the mountains to move (instrumental/causative), and the mountains begin to move at the point of the sea's impact on them (temporal).
• The verbs רעש, חמר, המה are important to the message of Psalm 46 (for the first two, see further the relevant Imagery tables and Poetic Feature Intoxication and Warfare below; for רעש, see below and The Raging Waters in Ps 46:2-4).
• The verb רעש (qal, intransitive) means "to quake, shake, tremble" and "to toss, rage, undulate." As such, it appears with elements in creation and architectural structures (e.g., Jer 8:16; 10:10; 49:21; Isa 24:18 [of the foundations of the earth]; Joel 2:10 [of heavens]; Joel 4:16 [of heavens and earth]; Jer 4:24 [of mountains]; Ezek 26:10 [of walls]; Am 9:1 [of thresholds]). In Ps 46:3-4, the rhetoric of shaking is reminiscent of the shaking of the earth (cf. Isa 24:19–20) and the trembling of mountains (cf. Isa 54:10; Hag 2:6; on this, see further the Imagery table above, in notes on v. 3).
• The verb חמר means "to ferment, boil, or foam up" (BDB; HALOT), and represents the “process by which liquids form small bubbles, due to agitation or fermentation” (SDBH). Hence in Ps 46:4, the image associated with the waters of chaos also reflects the fermenting process in the production of wine and beer (cf. Ps 75:8).
• The verb המה is also of interest, as it appears twice in the psalm (vv. 4, 7). Generally, the verb connotes “an action by which humans, animals, or objects produce a variety of sounds" (SDBH), hence "to murmur, growl, roar, be boisterous" (BDB; HALOT). With waters (cf. v. 4), it represents the roaring and raging of waves (e.g., Jer 5:22; 31:35; Isa 51:15), and with human subjects (cf. 7), it connotes the roaring and being tumultuous of multitudes (e.g., Isa 17:12; Jer 6:23; Jer 50:42; 51:55; cf. Ps 83:3). Of further interest here is that המה can signify being boisterous due to inebriation (Zech 9:5; Prov 20:1), on which, see further the Imagery tables and Poetic Feature 3 (Intoxication and Warfare) below.

• Regarding the significance of the noun surging (גאוה) in v. 4, Kraus noted that here “the archetypal flood lifts its head in ‘presumption’ and causes the hills to quake.” Representing the human enemy forces (cf. v. 7; The Raging Waters in Ps 46:2-4), this behavior of the chaotic sea waters can be compared and contrasted with v. 11, wherein God is twice said "to be exalted" among the nations and in all the earth. For more on גאוה, see the Venn Diagram below:

Poetic Feature: Intoxication and Warfare

Alcoholic intoxication, especially with wine, was a common image used throughout the Hebrew Bible, with both negative and positive connotations. Negatively, it was common to speak of forcing a recipient to drink wine and become drunk as a metaphor for assault, judgment, and destruction, as in Jer 25:15-16 where God says “Take this cup of the wine of wrath from my hand and cause all the nations to whom I send you to drink it. They will stagger and go mad because of the sword that I will send among them” (see also Isa 29:9–10; Jer 49:12–13, 51:7; Hab 2:15–16; Lam 4:21; Ezek 23:31–34; Obad 1:16; Zech 12:2; Isa 51:17–23; cf. Job 21:20; Ps 60:3, 75:8). Positively, however, wine was associated with joy, abundance, and provision, as in Ps 104:15 where God provides "wine which makes man's heart glad" (ויין ׀ ישמח לבב־אנוש) (cf. Eccl 10:19). In Psalm 46, this image is used in three ways. First, the nations are depicted as seeking to intoxicate the city of God (vv. 3–4, 7), echoing the negative imagery of wine of wrath. Second, God is depicted as "making glad" the city and its residents (v. 5), echoing the positive imagery of good wine, and protecting them from the intoxication of the enemies (v. 6). Finally, God is depicted as intoxicating the nations, again echoing the negative imagery (v. 7, cf vv. 9–10). This unfolds through the psalm in the following way:

Section I: Attempted “Intoxication” of the City. In section I, the city of God is seen under attack from the hostile forces, metaphorized as chaotic waters (The Raging Waters in Ps 46:2-4). These in turn rage (המה; cf. Prov 20:1) and foam (חמר; cf. Ps 75:8; Deut 32:14) like wine (vv. 3–4, cf. v. 7). Given such aggression, the city is in danger of being “intoxicated”, i.e., of suffering military defeat. Granted, the rhetoric of instability in vv. 3–4 could be understood as representing the waters, earth, and mountains as being intoxicated themselves, while they are trying to intoxicate the city and its residents. This, however, would be an overinterpretation of the images in vv. 3–4. The instability of hostile forces in vv. 3–4 indicates their tumult and aggression against the city, and anticipates their defeat (cf. vv. 7, 9–11). Their "intoxication" is properly articulated in vv. 7, 9–11, where "intoxication" imagery (losing balance and falling down, v. 7) gradually gives way to and is superseded by more overt imagery of military defeat (vv. 9–11, on which see Section II). This move from more figurative representation of military aggression (i.e., via intoxication imagery) to more overt/literal representation of military action (i.e., as terminating wars and destroying implements of war, vv. 9–11) parallels the move from more figurative representation of enemies (i.e., as the waters, earth, and mountains, vv. 3–4) to their more literal depiction (i.e., as the nations and kingdoms, vv. 7, 9–11) later in the psalm. In sum, in Psalm 46, the figurative rhetoric decreases as the "narrative" progresses, but the literal language increases. The overlap in terminology between the two (e.g., raging, falling in vv. 3–4 and 7) is needed to bind the two together and keep the overall story line cohesive and poignant.

Section II: “Intoxication” of the City and the Nations. In section II, despite its opponents' efforts, the city is supported by God (v. 5–6) and stands (בל־תמוט [v. 6]). Part of its survival is due to the presence of the river and its streams, which “gladden” the city as good wine. Since ancient canal systems supplied water to cities and were part of their defensive structures (The River and Its Streams in Psalm 46), the presence of the river in v. 5 ensures the city's defense and survival. By contrast, the city's attackers are said to totter and fall down (מוט [v. 7]; cf. vv. 9–10), presumably in “drunken stupor” (cf. Hab 2:15–16; Ps 75:8; Zech 12:2, 3; cf. תמוט רגלם [Deut 32:35] in wine and judgment related context [Deut 32:23–33, cf. v. 14]). Visually, it can be represented as follows:

Effect

The effect of this feature is to employ the imagery of intoxication to create an ironic reversal throughout the psalm. The efforts of the nations to intoxicate the city and its residents are in vain. YHWH protects them (v. 6), gladdens them as if with good wine (v. 5), and instead intoxicates the nations (vv. 9–10) with the cup of his wrath.

Stronger than Nations (vv. 5-8)

In strophe 2, vv. 5–7 are bound together by:

• Similarity in content (tumult in the political domain)
• Similarity in language
  • Terms of instability (e.g., toppling, raging, melting)
  • Terms signifying landforms (e.g., "earth" and bodies of water)
  • Terms signifying divine names and epithets
• Similarity in number of lines (2 lines)
• Similarity in length of lines (4 lines of 4 prosodic words each and 2 lines of 3 prosodic words).

Similar connections exist between the strophe (vv. 5–7) and the refrain that follows it (v. 8). Namely:

• Similarity in content (divine protection; warfare)
• Similarity in language
  • The use of divine names and epithets
  • References to architectural structures
• Similarity in number of lines (2 lines)
• Similarity in length of lines (lines of 3 and 4 prosodic words).

Notably, the refrain (v. 8) finishes with a Selah. Visually, it can be represented as follows:

The line division of the strophe can be visualized as follows:

The macrosyntax of this section can be represented in this way:

In v. 5, "[There is] a river" is a thetic statement, containing new information and a new referent, but the fact that it contains a body of water echoes the waters from vv. 3-4. Hence, v. 5a indicates the beginning of a new section (vv. 5–7), which focuses on God's holy city in the context of tumult in the political realm. Subject fronting in v. 5b (פלגיו ישמחו) could be due to syntactic consideration, i.e., to assist in understanding the rest of the statement. The second section break comes after v. 7, which is indicated by the appearance of the refrain (v. 8). After it, comes a section demarcated by 2 sets of imperatives, the second of which is direct speech. The refrain (vv. 8, 12) has a symmetric word order (a.b|b’.a’). In vv. 8-12, it has a structuring function, demarcating vv. 9-11 through an inclusio. The word Selah appears at the end of each refrain.

Poetic Feature: Chiastic Structures: God's Support and Protection

Sections II and III (vv. 5–7 and 9–11) are followed by the refrain, YHWH, [the God] of Hosts, is with us. The God of Jacob is a fortress for us (vv. 8, 12). This refrain has a symmetric word order (a.b|b’.a’). In it, in the second clause (v. 8b, v. 12b), a fortress for us (משגב־לנו) is fronted to create a chiasm with the first clause (v. 8a and v. 12a).

Effect

As previously noted, Psalm 46 can be divided into three sections, and each section highlights God’s power to sustain and protect his people in the most adverse of circumstances, i.e., warfare. Given the multitude of the enemy forces (nations and kingdoms, v. 7) and the magnitude of their military might (cf. vv. 3–4), God’s ability to protect his people is their only chance for survival. Accordingly, in the refrain, God’s role in relation to his people under attack is emphasized through chiastic arrangements of clause constituents in vv. 8 and 12—i.e., God is his people’s fortress. Through such chiastic arrangement, the psalm centers the benefits of God’s presence in his people’s lives. Given the context of warfare, these benefits literally equal their physical survival.

The emotions experienced by the participants in this strophe are mixed. The beginning of v. 5a conveys positive emotions, mostly due to the presence of the verb “to gladden” (סמח). Since this verse contains only one verb ("to gladden"), appearing after the fronted subject, i.e., the river's streams, the overall effect is descriptive (cf. v. 2). This in turn offers "a solid and reassuring picture of how things are." This beginning notwithstanding, later the strophe will contain a variety of statements which would signal extremely negative emotions and affects. Visually, this can be captured as follows:

v. 5

v. 5	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
5a	נָהָ֗ר פְּלָגָ֗יו יְשַׂמְּח֥וּ עִיר־אֱלֹהִ֑ים	[There is] a river whose streams gladden the city of God—
5b	קְ֝דֹ֗שׁ מִשְׁכְּנֵ֥י עֶלְיֽוֹן׃	the holy dwelling of the Most High.

Expanded Paraphrase

Moreover, God has prepared us for the fiercest attack from enemies. Like other kings, he has engineered a canal system to provide water to his city so that we will be nourished and defended during siege. That is why we have a river whose streams rush to the city of God and gladden it—they run to the city of God which is the holy dwelling of the Most High.

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

A Babylonian map with canals, villages, and fields near the city of Nippur (1550-1450 BCE).

• The river and its streams featured in v. 5 have been interpreted in a number of ways. For a detailed discussion of the various views and their significance, see The River and Its Streams in Psalm 46 (and the Imagery table below). In short, the river and its streams can be read as God's supply of water to the city akin to the irrigation projects of ANE monarchs. Significantly, ancient canal systems not only provided water to cities and their surroundings, but also served as part of the cities' defensive structures. Similarly, in Psalm 46, God, the city's divine king, addresses external threat, i.e., nations and kingdoms metaphorized as chaotic waters (vv. 2-4, 7-11), and turns his city into a well-watered and well-protected, Eden-like, space (v. 5).
• In v. 5, נהר is taken as a verbless clause with an elided יש, followed by an asyndetic relative clause (v. 5b), with a fronted subject (פלגיו). In terms of information packaging, v. 5a is a presentational clause, indicating, again, the beginning of a new section (vv. 5–7; for this reading, see the Grammatical Diagram above).
• Alternatively, v. 5b can be taken as an independent clause, after a sentence fragment (see the Grammatical Diagram below)--e.g., "A river! Its streams cause rejoicing for the city of God..." Such reading, however, is not well-represented among modern translations.

• Furthermore, for the MT's 5a (נהר פלגיו), some versions use a different syntax, with the LXX and Pesh. both having genitive constructions (τοῦ ποταμοῦ τὰ ὁρμήματα and ܬ̈ܦܐ ܕܢܗܪ̈ܘܬܐ respectively) as subjects of the verb "to gladden". Hence, LXX: "The river’s strong currents make glad the city of God ...' (NETS); Pesh.: "Streams of rivers will cause gladness in the city of our God ..." Moreover, some scholars have proposed to realign vv. 4-5. Briggs and Briggs, for example, connect נהר with v. 4 and the word “swelling” in it. Repositioned this way, נהר/"stream" becomes part of the sea in vv. 3-4 (cf. Pss 93:3) and פלגיו/'his brooks" are taken as God's (metaphoric) brooks of blessings. But such realignment is not reflected in ancient or modern translations.
• In v. 5c, the LXX diverges from the MT (קְדֹשׁ מִשְׁכְּנֵי עֶלְיוֹן), containing ἡγίασεν τὸ σκήνωμα αὐτοῦ ὁ ὕψιστος (cf. Vulg). It appears to presuppose a piel verb קִדֵּשׁ (“ to make holy”) and understand the next form as “his [God's] dwelling place” (singular; see the Grammatical Diagram below). Presumably, the LXX reads the final yod of משכני as a waw. Barthélemy sees both the MT's קְדֹשׁ and מִשְׁכְּנֵי עֶלְיוֹן as "highly probable with a certain margin of doubt" and most modern translations follow the MT over and against the LXX. Intriguingly, Dahood realigned vv. 4-5, reading v. 5bc as "God brings happiness to his city, the Most High sanctifies his habitation." In his understanding, "the river and its channels" should be linked to the word סלה (v. 4), which he read in light of Exod 15:8. Thus, he took the whole collocation to mean "the river and its channel stand in a heap." This reading has no support among the versions and is not represented in any major translations. As to the LXX (cf. BHS), it likely reflects the unusual nature of the construction in the MT (note that the plural form of משכן is usually משכנות [cf. Pss. 43:3; 84:1; 132:5]). Notably, the LXX also adds the definite article to "city", which leads some to think that this collocation ("the city of God") refers to Jerusalem. Here, the MT is taken as a preferred reading, understanding קְדֹשׁ as an adjective used substantivally.

• V. 5 contains several construct phrases (for which see the Grammatical Diagram for the preferred reading above). In the constituent its streams (פלגיו), the suffix "its" represents possession, i.e., it refers to the river to which "the streams" belong or of which they are a constituent part.
• In the collocation the city of God (עיר־אלהים), the second member, "God", functions as a “possessor” of the first, that is God owns the city and the city belongs to him.
• In the holy dwelling (קדש משכני), the adjective “holy” acts as a substantive in construct with a noun. The plural form משכני is best understood as a plural of degree or of amplification, emphasizing the special character of this locale. The dwelling of the Most High (משכני עליון) further nuances the relationship between God and the city, namely, the city serves as the residence of the Most High. Additionally, משכני עליון stands in apposition to the preceding עיר־אלהים, once again pointing out the role played by the city, i.e., housing or accommodating its divine patron.

v. 6

v. 6	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
6a	אֱלֹהִ֣ים בְּ֭קִרְבָּהּ בַּל־תִּמּ֑וֹט	God is in its midst. It cannot be moved.
6b	יַעְזְרֶ֥הָ אֱ֝לֹהִ֗ים לִפְנ֥וֹת בֹּֽקֶר׃	God helps it at the approach of morning.

Expanded Paraphrase

God is in the very midst of his city. Therefore, it cannot be moved. When enemies come and attack us in the morning, God meets and repels their strike. God helps his city at the approach of morning.

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

The emotions represented in v. 6 are mixed, as they are in the strophe as a whole. Although the overall message of the verse is positive and reassuring (i.e., God resides in his city and comes to its rescue), the statement that the city of God “cannot be moved/overthrown” (cf. v. 3a) features a verb which represents extremely negative emotions and the particle of negation which signals exclusive thinking. Hence, as before, positive reassuring assertions are paired up with the statement that indicates negative affect. Visually, this can be captured as follows:

• As the preceding verses, v. 6 contains several construct phrases (for which see further the Grammatical Diagram above).
  

  A tribute bearer presenting a city model to the Assyrian king Sargon II (721-705 BCE), Khorsabad.
  The constituent in the midst of it (בקרבה) signifies the presence of God in his city and among his residence; again, the preposition ב here indicates “the idea of being or moving within some definite region, or some sphere of space.”
• In the collocation at the approach of morning (לפנות בקר), literally, "in the turning of [or which is performed by] morning", the preposition ל is used temporally, appearing a number of times in constructions similar to לפנות בקר and signifying the “turn toward, approach, of some specific time."
• Of interest for Psalm 46 is that in HB, early morning is closely associated with warfare, both with the time of aggression and attacks (e.g., Josh 8:10-14; Jdg 9:33) and the time of deliverance (e.g., Exod 14:27-28; Isa 17:12–14; 29:5-7; 37:36; Ps 5:4; 30:5; 130:6). Accordingly, some scholars read Psalm 46 as alluding to Exodus 14, wherein God overthrew the Egyptians at the Sea of Reeds. Others in turn thought that Jehoshaphat's predicament in 2 Chronicles 20 was the most likely candidate for the psalm's inspiration. Some have read it in light of the events of the Syro-Ephraimite war (Isaiah 7), while others have considered it in connection with Hezekiah and Jerusalem's deliverance from the Assyrian siege at the end of the eighth century BCE. That is, in 2 Kings 19//Isaiah 37, the angel of the Lord goes through the Assyrian camp in the middle of the night putting to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand of Sennacherib's warrior subjects. When Hezekiah and his people rise in the morning, they find Sennacherib's camp littered with dead corpses (cf. Isa 37:36). Given its highly evocative imagery (e.g., demythologizing and historicizing of the Chaoskampf motif in vv. 3-4, and 7, for which, again, see The Raging Waters in Ps 46:2-4) and lack of specific details, the psalm is best understood as a song celebrating God’s general protection of his city against its adversaries.
• As previously discussed (see notes for v. 3), the verb "to move/topple" is of particular significance to the message of the psalm. Here it applies to the city of God, representing its security. Regarding its use in v. 6, Waltke et al. note, "Môt, the root of will not be toppled (yimmôt), means concretely 'to rock or shake and to fall off a base,' and in Proverbs 10:30 'to never be toppled' stands in antithesis to 'not dwell' (škn, see v. 1). The metaphor of never toppled connotes durability, stability, unalterability, finality, and permanence. This is so because the accepted worshiper dwells in the Eternal’s holy mountain, a type of heaven. The world may collapse, but God never will."

v. 7

v. 7	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
7a	הָמ֣וּ ג֭וֹיִם מָ֣טוּ מַמְלָכ֑וֹת	(When) nations raged, (and) kingdoms fell down,
7b	נָתַ֥ן בְּ֝קוֹל֗וֹ תָּמ֥וּג אָֽרֶץ׃	(then) he thundered with his voice: (and) the earth would melt!

Expanded Paraphrase

(When) nations raged like mighty chaotic waters, (and) kingdoms fell down like mountains into the deepest sea, (then) he thundered with his voice like a storm: (and) the whole earth would melt!

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

The emotions and dispositions of v. 7 echo those found in vv. 3-4. Here, the nations are said to "have raged", creating a lot of anxiety. Through this, the second strophe picks up and further develops "the negative emotions and yearning for security already laid bare" in the first strophe. The appearance of God with his powerful thundering voice (cf. Ps 68:34–36) exacerbates the situation by adding an element of divine aggression (cf. Jer 12:8). Furthermore, a combination of positive and negative emotions is communicated rhetorically via a multiplicity of agents and entities cramped into a relatively tight poetic space. Thus, in vv. 6–7, there is a succession of nouns—i.e., God, the city, God, the city again, nations, kingdoms, God’s voice, and the earth. "It is as if the battlefield is laid out before us, in all its intensity of movement by opposing parties, though the city is here a passive entity vulnerably caught up in the midst of the action ... : it cannot act for itself in the melée of raging and tottering nations and kingdoms, the thundering God and melting earth.” This could be represented as follows:

• In with his [God's] voice (בקולו), the only construct phrase in v. 7, the preposition ב is instrumental, i.e., it represents "the means or instrument [or even the personal agent], as something with which one has associated himself in order to perform an action”.
  

  Basalt Relief representing a Hittite storm god (10th c. BCE).
  Here, it would be God using his voice as an instrument, literally, "giving with his voice", which in turn can be read as he [God] thundered with his voice.
• Such description of God and the use of his voice coheres well with a number of extra-biblical accounts related to storm deities and their manifestations. E.g., an Akkadian inscription which speaks of the Babylonian storm-god Adad as the one "... at whose voice the mountains rock the seas swell" (The Kurbaail Statue of Shalmaneser 111, 1.6). Or "Ishkur . . . great storm, . . . who masses the clouds, at his rushing in the storm wind he causes the earth to tremble. In broad heaven he is a mighty wind which roars, whose [rum]ble is abundance. At his roar the land and the great mountains are afraid. . . At his thundering (over) the sea (and) covering the land with ra<diance>, great (hail)stones rain" (Sin-Iddinam). Using his voice in v. 7, God not only defeats the city's enemies but also, potently, impacts the whole earth, that is, he makes it melt (מוג).
• The verb מוג represents a “process by which a relatively hard object becomes softer” (SDBH). In HB, it often indicates helplessness and terror, especially in “holy war” traditions. Hence, it describes a "process by which people are strongly affected by fear" and lose courage (literally, their "heart" or "soul" can melt; SDBH). With "earth" as its subject, מוג signifies melting or dissolving of the earth in response to theophanies, in response to God’s punitive actions (e.g., Am 9:5). In v. 7, amidst the turmoil orchestrated by human forces, God raises his voice (cf. Ps 29; the Ugaritic texts [e.g., CTA 4.v. 70]), and “the very earth, which is the setting for the power of human states, 'melts' beneath them (v 7d).”

v. 8

v. 8	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
8a	יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֣וֹת עִמָּ֑נוּ	YHWH, [the God] of Hosts, is with us.
8b	מִשְׂגָּֽב־לָ֝נוּ אֱלֹהֵ֖י יַעֲקֹ֣ב סֶֽלָה׃	The God of Jacob is a fortress for us. Selah

Expanded Paraphrase

YHWH, [the God] of heavenly Hosts, is with us. The God of Jacob is a fortress for us. He is our most reliable defensive structure in which we can find shelter from hostile forces. Selah

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

Unlike in the preceding verses, the emotions communicated in v. 8 are extremely positive. As previously discussed (Poetic Feature God as Urban Artefacts/Defensive Structures and Poetic Feature God's Support and Protection), here the people experience God as a refuge, i.e., as something protective, reassuring, and stable. Additionally, and as noted before, this verse has no active verbs, which creates "the sense of divine immovability and solidity, whilst underlining their [people's] own passivity.” Visually, the people's overall emotions and dispositions at this juncture could be represented as follows:

• V. 8 contains several construct phrases (for which see the Grammatical Diagram above). The name יהוה צבאות is thought to be short for YHWH, the God of Hosts. In "the God of Hosts" (reconstructed as אלהי צבאות), the first member, "God", would be the one who possesses and commands heavenly hosts or armies. In the name יהוה צבאות, the two elements are in apposition, with the second member, "[the God of] Hosts", specifying the status or role (or even characteristic) of the first member, "YHWH" (and "God"). In other words, God here is cast as a warrior who leads his heavenly armies into battle. Without restoring "the God of", some, however, render this name as "Yhwh Armies" and others take it as "YHWH of Hosts", for which see the Grammatical Diagram below.

• The word צבא signifies an army or host. As such, it can represent (a) a military group organized for war; (b) a body of celestial beings (i.e., the host of heaven); (c) luminaries collectively; and (d) all of creation. As part of the divine name, צבא serves as "an epithet of God with focus on his being in charge of the host of heavenly beings surrounding his throne, praising him, and carrying out his will in earth." Additionally, as an epithet, "it relates to God's power and control of the cosmos as the divine king and warrior” (SDBH). As such, this martial title fits the context of Psalm 46 well, i.e., YHWH, [the God of] Hosts, fights for his people, protecting them against the foreign nations and kingdoms.
• The collocation the God of Jacob (אלהי יעקב) casts God as being in a relationship with, or followed by, Jacob (one of Israel's prominent ancestors). E. Peterson has rendered it, poetically, as “Jacob-wrestling God” (cf. Genesis 32).
• V. 8 also contains several prepositional phrases
  

  The citadel of Aleppo, a medieval fortified palace in northern Syria, which has been in use since the 3rd millennium BC.
  (for which see the Grammatical Diagram for the preferred reading above; for the poetic and theological significance of these phrases see also Poetic Feature Chiastic Structures: God's Support and Protection). In the collocation with us (עמנו), the preposition signifies both “fellowship/companionship” and “a locality, i.e., being close to, beside...” Significantly, in v. 8, it represents divine companionship and divine closeness in relation to Israel.
• In for us (לנו), “us” is the recipient of God’s protective actions, i.e., God serves as a fortress for his people, sheltering them and offering them security.
• This prepositional phrase לנו is linked to the noun משגב, which is “a high and therefore unattainable location, either because of its natural environment or as a result of human construction efforts"; thus, it is associated "with security and protection from the enemy” (SDBH).
• For the MT's משגב־לנו here and v. 12, the LXX has ἀντιλήμπτωρ ἡμῶν, "our helper" or "supporter" (NETS; cf. Pesh. which has ܘܡܥܕܪܢܢ/"and our helper"), perhaps harmonizing the refrain, conceptually, with v. 2 (cf. Ps 118:7). For משגב, see further Poetic Feature God As Urban Architecture/Defensive Structures above and the Imagery table below.

Stronger than All (vv. 9-12)

In strophe 3, vv. 9–11 are linked by:

• Similarity in content
  • Tumult in the political domain (wars, desolation, and destruction of weapons)
• Similarity in language
  • Terms signifying landforms ("earth" x3)
  • The use of divine names (x2)
  • Statements about divine exaltation (x2)
• Similarity in syntax
  • The use of imperatives
  • Identical verbal forms (x2)
  • The use of plural nouns in reference to God's deeds
• Similarity in sound (קצה; קצץ)
• Similarity in number of lines (2 sets of 2 lines and 1 set of 3 lines)
• Similarity in length of lines (4 lines of 4 prosodic words each and 3 lines of 3 prosodic words).

Similar connections can also be identified between the strophe (vv. 9–11) and the refrain that follows it (v. 12):

• Similarity in content (divine protection; warfare)
• Similarity in language
  • The use of divine names and epithets
  • References to architectural structures
• Similarity in number of lines (2 lines)
• Similarity in length of lines (lines of 3 and 4 prosodic words).

As before, the refrain (v. 12) finishes with a Selah. Visually, it can be represented as follows:

The line division within the strophe can be represented visually as follows:

Notably, some scholars take the participle משבית in v. 10 as introducing an asyndetic relative clause, i.e., “[the] one who causes wars to cease" or "stopping/terminating wars" unto the end of the earth, while others understand it as introducing a new, independent sentence ("He makes wars cease, etc."). Here, the participle is taken as a substantive, i.e., “[the] one who terminates wars to the end of the earth...", which serves as the subject of two yiqtols in v. 10bc. V. 9 starts with 2 imperatives ("Come! See [the works of the Lord]!"), and what is to be seen is communicated in vv. 9b-10. If vv. 9b-10a contain a description of God's general acts, then these acts are followed by v. 10b, which focuses on the specific acts of destruction (i.e., breaking and burning implements of war). Furthermore, vv. 8-12 are marked by a series of concentric features, and within this section v. 10 is "pivotal". "The double imperatives [...], exactly at the beginning of the outer verselines (vv. 9 and 11), and b’rs (‘on earth’) exactly at the end of these lines deserve special mentioning." Again, within these frames, v. 10 (describing general and specific acts of God) could be emphatic. Note, also that van der Lugt sees v. 10 as "standing out in the strophe [and also in the entire poem] because it is a tricolon."

The macrosyntax of this strophe can be visualized as follows:

In v. 10, the text first makes a general statement about God's military activity, i.e., him terminating all wars (v. 10a, cf. v. 9), which is topical. Following this, the text zooms in on more specific acts, i.e., the destruction of implements of war (v. 10bcd), which are topically accessible (cf. vv. 9, 10a). By fronting objects in v. 10b, d, the text focalizes offensive weapons (i.e., the bow) and carts carrying supplies. This in turn indicates topic specification or expansion. The reason for the unmarked word-order in וקצץ חנית is that of defamiliarisation, i.e., a symmetrical pattern embedded between v. 10b and 10d. In v. 11, the text has YHWH's direct speech, presumably addressing both the nations and God's own people. The nations are "to stop asserting themselves, behaving like the seas pointlessly hurling themselves against the land that they are never going to overwhelm." The last section is marked by the refrain (v. 12), which in turn is marked by the final, third Selah.

In terms of the participants' overall emotions and dispositions, the third strophe is where the tables are finally turned for good. Here, the audience is invited to see the desolation that God has brought about in his engagement with human aggressors. Already negative, this section is continued with the word "wars"/"armed conflicts", which God terminates throughout, and also with implements of war which are “broken/smashed” and “snapped/cut in pieces.” These actions are associated with hostility, aggression, and anger. Of further interest here is that the rhetoric used throughout gives away indications that the individuals reciting the psalm are dealing with and overcoming traumatic experiences. A few elements testifying to this are 1.) words signaling divine causation (i.e., he has brought desolation on the earth [v. 9]; he has done so while terminating wars [v. 10; cf. v. 5, wherein the river's streams were making the city glad"]); 2.) indicators of insight and perception (i.e., the imperatives "perceive" [v. 9], "know" [v. 11]); 3.) the giving forth of the divine voice (v. 7b) and the burning with fire (v. 10c, causatory and sensory). At this juncture in the text, "[a]n increase in insight and causation language is a healthy characteristic of the forms of expression of those processing trauma and gradually coming to terms with it." As in vv. 3b–4, 6–7, there is also a sense of a fierce, intense battle taking place. Here, there is a rapid verbal sequence present (e.g., in v. 10, God intervenes and brings about the cessation of wars; he also destroys all weapons and food supplies). As previously noted, God’s aggression in this strophe is beneficial for the people and their processing collective trauma is a positive and healthy condition. Visually, this can be captured as follows:

v. 9

v. 9	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
9a	לְֽכוּ־חֲ֭זוּ מִפְעֲל֣וֹת יְהוָ֑ה	Come! Perceive the works of YHWH
9b	אֲשֶׁר־שָׂ֖ם שַׁמּ֣וֹת בָּאָֽרֶץ׃	who has wrought great devastation in the land.

Expanded Paraphrase

Come! Inspect this massive battlefield! Perceive the works of YHWH who has wrought great devastation in the land.

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• V. 9 contains two construct phrases (for which also see the Grammatical Diagram above). The collocation the works of YHWH (מפעלות יהוה) represents the acts of God (cf. Ps 66:5: מפעלות אלהים), the deeds carried out by him in the land, making it desolate (שמות; cf. Isa 13:9).
• Additionally, it is of note that some MSS (32 Kenn., 46 De-Rossi), the LXX, and Pesh. read "God" in v. 9 instead of יהוה (Targ. follows the MT). For this, see Ps 66:5, which echoes v. 9, but the noun מפעלות/"works" in it is in construct with "God", i.e., לכו וראו מפעלות אלהים. The more general אלהים in v. 9 fits better with Book II, which is a part of the Elohistic Psalter. Hence, יהוה should be preferred as the original reading.

• In in the land (בארץ) (v. 9), the preposition ב is spatial, signifying “the idea of being or moving within some definite region.”
• In the collocation to the ends of the earth (עד־קצה הארץ), the "end" is part of the divided whole, that is, the earth. The preposition עד here connotes "the idea of being or acting within some definite region”, more specifically "up to" a point or landmark in space. Of interest here is also the notion of a far-reaching action or event (cf. עד לשמים [2 Chr 28:9; Ezra 9:6]). Cumulatively, עד־קצה הארץ signifies the extent of God's focused and comprehensive termination of armed conflicts. The definite article in הארץ (vv. 9, 10, 11) is due to the noun's identifiability, i.e., it marks a unique referent.
• Other notable features include the imperatives Come! Perceive! (לכו־וראו), which is a case of the serial verb construction. In the text, these imperatives are made one prosodic word with the maqqef.
• The noun devastation (שמה) in v. 9 represents "a state in which an area has become empty as a result of destruction and depopulation" (SDHB). As such, it can be used to speak of land, cities, and other locales. Additionally, it can communicate a negative response to destructive actions, that is, appallment or horror. In Isa 13:9, turning the land into a desolation (לשום הארץ לשמה) is linked to the Day of the Lord... The plural form שׁמות in v. 9 could be a plural of amplification, emphasizing the special character of God's actions, i.e., God's decisive, great devastation in the land. Notably here, in Psalm 46, people are invited to come and see the works of YHWH and how he brought about great devastation in the land. Cf. "Therefore the wrath of the LORD was against Judah and Jerusalem, and He has made them an object of terror, of horror/לשמה, and of hissing, as you see with your own eyes" (2 Chr 29:8).

v. 10

v. 10	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
10a	מַשְׁבִּ֥ית מִלְחָמֹות֮ עַד־קְצֵ֪ה הָ֫אָ֥רֶץ	The one who terminates wars to the end of the earth
10b	קֶ֣שֶׁת יְ֭שַׁבֵּר וְקִצֵּ֣ץ חֲנִ֑ית	breaks the bow and snaps the spear.
10c	עֲ֝גָל֗וֹת יִשְׂרֹ֥ף בָּאֵֽשׁ׃	He burns transport wagons with fire.

Expanded Paraphrase

See how God, the one who terminates wars to the end of the earth destroys his enemies' weapons. Look how he breaks the bow and snaps the spear. See how he burns the enemy's food supplies heaped on transport wagons. See how they are engulfed in fire.

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• In v. 10, the Lord is presented as someone who terminates wars (v. 10). This participle משבית in v. 10a can be taken as introducing a circumstantial clause, i.e., "terminating wars to the end of the earth" (for which see the Grammatical Diagram below). Cf. the LXX's δεῦτε ἴδετε τὰ ἔργα κυρίου ἃ ἔθετο τέρατα ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἀνταναιρῶν πολέμους μέχρι τῶν περάτων τῆς γῆς (vv. 9-10a), rendered in NETS as, “Come, see the works of the Lord, what feats he put on the earth, canceling wars to the ends of the earth....”. But in this case, the clause in Hebrew would begin with a והוא or, to represent the manner by which God creates devastation, it would need an infinitive const. with ל. Some take משבית as starting an asyndetic relative clause. Cf. Kraus, who renders all of v. 10 as a series of relative clauses subordinate to v. 9: "Who controls wars to the end of the world, who breaks bows and shatters lances, who burns chariots’ in fire".

• Here, משבית is understood as a substantive, i.e., “[the] one who terminates wars to the end of the earth". Taken this way, it serves as the subject of the two yiqtols in v. 10bc---“The one terminating wars (or who terminates wars) breaks the bow and snaps the spear.” Separating v. 10 from v. 9 makes v. 10 emphatic: v. 9 mentions “works of the Lord” and "great devastation" which are general (military) deeds undertaken by God. In v. 10, however, the focus shifts to more specific acts of God in warfare: terminating wars and destroying weaponry. This shift from general to specific is also found in Ps 66:5ff, which quotes Ps 46:9a.
• The hiphil of שׁבת indicates a “causative process by which humans or deities cause an activity to come to an end--to make cease, to stop” (SDBH).
  

  A fragment of a bas-relief from the south-west palace of Nineveh, on the taking of Lachish (c. 700-692 BCE). After the capture of Lachish, Assyrian soldiers carry off booty and lead Judeans away into exile.
  It can be used with mirth (Hos 2:13); work (2 Chr 16:5; Neh 4:5); sacrifice (Dan 9:27); and war (Ps 46:10, cf. Isa 13:11; Ezek 7:24; Prov 18:18). It can also be rendered as "to exterminate, destroy" (2 Kgs 23:5,11; Am 8:4; Hos 1:4; Ps 8:3; 119:119; Jer 36:29; Lev 26:6; Ezek 34:25; אלילים Ezek 30:13; Deut 32:26) (BDB; HALOT).
• Furthermore, v. 10 lists several items related to weaponry and military activity in general, which the Lord destroys. Thus, the first weapon that God is said to shatter in v. 10b is a bow (קשת), “a strong but flexible piece of wood to which a string is attached for the firing of arrows, ► used for hunting or as weapon of war” (SDBH). In HB, it appears with a variety of other weapons in contexts related to warfare (Gen 48:22; Josh 24:12; Hos 1:7; 2:20; 1 Sam 18:4; 2 Sam 1:22; 2 Kgs 6:22; Isa 41:2, etc.). As the distance weapon par excellence, the bow (especially the composite type, with a range of c. 120m) was in wide use in antiquity, being particularly effective at various stages of siege.
• The next weapon that God destroys is a spear or javelin (חנית)
  

  A fragment of a bas-relief from the south-west palace of Nineveh, on the taking of Lachish (c. 700-692 BCE).
  which is “a long, straight rod, usually made of wood, with a sharp iron head or point; used for piercing by thrusting; its length varied from the height of a man to much longer” (SDBH). In HB, a חנית is featured as "thrown" (1 Sam 18:10, 11; 19:9, 10 [x2]; 20:33); as held by king (1 Sam 22:6); or as a sign of king’s presence (1 Sam 26:7, 8, 11, 12, 16, 22).
• The final item listed in v. 10b, and which is also destroyed, is carts or transport wagons (עגלות). Although the majority of scholars prefer to follow the LXX and read "shields" here, the MT's עגלות, i.e., "carts" or "transport wagons" should be preferred. In military campaigns, these would have been essential for carrying food supplies, cultic objects, and booty. The bas-relief from Nineveh (above and to the right) demonstrates it well. Given the scope of YHWH's devastation in the earth (universal) and his decisive dealings with the nations in the psalm, v. 10 could have in view the destruction of their implements of war (military might) and food supplies (sustenance). Metonymically, these two would signify YHWH's comprehensive blow to the hostile nations and their royal leaders. On the use of עגלות/"carts" in HB and Psalm 46, see further the Venn diagram below and The Meaning of עגלות in Ps 46:10.

• V. 10 contains one prepositional phrase (for which see also the Grammatical Diagram above). In the phrase באש, the preposition ב either signifies the idea of being in the domain of something or serves as an “instrument”. In this psalm, the two uses of ב can be viewed as coinciding, i.e., the fire here serves both as a site for the destruction of wagons (i.e., there are literally placed into it to be destroyed), and as a means through or substance with which they are destroyed.

v. 11

v. 11	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
11a	הַרְפּ֣וּ וּ֭דְעוּ כִּי־אָנֹכִ֣י אֱלֹהִ֑ים	"Be still and acknowledge that I am God!
11b	אָר֥וּם בַּ֝גּוֹיִ֗ם אָר֥וּם בָּאָֽרֶץ׃	I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted throughout the earth.”

Expanded Paraphrase

And now hear what our God commands: "Be still and acknowledge that I am God! Surrender is the only option when you are fighting against my people. My city and I are indestructible. I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted throughout the earth.”

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

Since in this verse, the speaker is God, the text captures both human and divine emotions. As previously noted, God’s aggression in this section is salvific for his community and hence carries positive emotions. Here everyone, the community included, is instructed to be still and trust. Hence, the community is reassured that God is in control. His exercise of power and aggression is beneficial to the people. Furthermore, the verb ארום in v. 11 can be understood as “to triumph over”, in which case it communicates positive emotions. If it is read as signifying “to dominate” then it will carry negative overtones, representing anger, indignation, and resolve. As noted by R. Watson, “[T]he triumph of God may induce both fear at his power and relief or delight at its results, as well as providing a channel for vicarious aggression towards the enemy.” Although this section presupposes both human and divine emotional states, the visual below captures the main conditions characterizing God's people:

• V. 11 contains two prepositional phrases (for which also see the Grammatical Diagram above). In the phrase among the nations (בגוים), the preposition ב could be viewed as connoting “the sense of among (in the domain of), e.g. Mi 7 יָשָׁר בָּֽאָדָם אָ֫יִן there is none upright among men.” The article in this phrase represents "totality of an identifiable group", i.e., the nations.
• In the phrase throughout the earth (בארץ), the preposition ב signifies “the idea of being or moving within some definite region.” The definite article here (cf. vv. 9, 10) is due to the earth's "identifiability", i.e., the article marks the earth which is a unique referent.
• Some interesting vocabulary in this verse includes the verb הרפו in hiphil, for which see the Venn diagram below:

v. 12

v. 12	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
12a	יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֣וֹת עִמָּ֑נוּ	YHWH, [the God] of Hosts, is with us.
12b	מִשְׂגָּֽב־לָ֝נוּ אֱלֹהֵ֖י יַעֲקֹ֣ב סֶֽלָה׃	The God of Jacob is a fortress for us. Selah

Expanded Paraphrase

YHWH, [the God] of heavenly Hosts, is with us. The God of Jacob is a fortress for us. He is our most reliable defensive structure in which we can find shelter from hostile forces. Selah

Grammatical Diagram

The distribution of the people's emotions and dispositions throughout the psalm could be represented in this manner.

Notes

Since v. 12 contains the refrain featured in v. 8, for its discussion, see notes on v. 8 above. In terms of the emotions communicated in this verse, they are extremely positive. As previously explained (Poetic Feature 1 [God as Urban Artefacts/Defensive Structures] and Poetic Feature 2 [God's Support and Protection]), here the people experience God as a refuge, i.e., as something protective, reassuring, and stable. As noted before, this verse has no active verbs, which creates "the sense of divine immovability and solidity, whilst underlining their own passivity.” Visually, the people's overall emotions and dispositions at this juncture could be represented as follows:

Legends

Grammatical diagram

For legend, click "Expand" to the right

Grammatical Term	Definition	Diagram	Example
Clausal Additions
Subject	The subject performs the action of the active verb or receives the action of a passive verb. With intransitive verbs	Indicated at the beginning of the main clausal line, and followed by a vertical line that crosses over the main clause line (separating the subject from the predicate).
Direct Object	Object that receives the direct action of a (transitive) verb	Indicate with a vertical line up from main clausal line
Predicate adjective/ Subject complement	A word used with a linking verb (ex. "to be"), renaming or restating the subject. Can be a whole prepositional phrase.	Indicate with a vertical slanted line up from the main clausal line. It can be on a stand if it is an embedded clause.
Object Complement	Word following a direct object to state what it has become.	Indicate with a vertical slanted line up from the main clausal line.
Infinitives	Can be subject, adverbial, or an infinitive construct.	Indicate with double vertical lines that cross the main clausal line. If used adverbially (ie. an embedded clause), place on a stand.
Participles	A verbal noun/adjective that can be used in three positions: (1) substantival; (2) attributive; (3) predicative.	Indicate with a round vertical line. Substantival participles are placed on a stand (they are embedded). Attributive participles are placed with a rounded line underneath what is modified.
Modifiers
Adjectives	A word modifying a noun to indicate quality, quantity, extent, or differentiating something from something else.	Indicate with a slanted line down from what is modified.
Adverbs	A word that modifies a verb, adverb, adjective, prepositional phrase, clause, or sentence to express a relation (ex. manner, quality, or time).	Indicate with a slanted line down from what is modified.
Construct relationships	Construction can express many different relationships between two (or more) nouns. English grammarians call this construction a ‘Construct’ (our term) or ‘Genitive’ phrase; Hebrew grammarians call it smīḵūt (סְמִיכוּת).	Indicate with a stair-step down from the modified word/clause/phrase.
Prepositional phrases	A phrase that consists of a preposition and its object and has adjectival or adverbial value	Indicate with a slanted vertical line connecting to a new clause.
Connectives	(1) Coordinating conjunctions join together words or word groups of equal grammatical rank (2) Subordinating conjunctions join a main clause and a clause which does not form a complete sentence by itself.	Indicate with a dashed line down from a vertical line marker.
Embedded clause	A clause inside another clause which can include substantival participles, adverbial infinitives, and prepositional phrases.	Indicate using stilts.
Particles
Subordinating particle	Indicates a dependent clause.	Indicate with a dashed line down from the antecedent to the pronoun.
Apposition	A word that is functioning as an explanatory equivalent as another in the sentence	Place on a line apart from the diagram but next to the word it is the equivalent of with an equal sign in between.
Vocative	Indicating a person being addressed (usually with a 2nd person verb)	Place on a line apart from the diagram next to the '()' indicating the gapped subject an equal sign in between.

Master Diagram

Shapes and colours on grammatical diagram

For legend, click "Expand" to the right

	Prepositional phrase	Construct chain	Construct chain within a prepositional phrase	Phrase-level waw	Article and כֹּל
Diagram Shading
Definition	- A prepositional phrase consists of a preposition plus its object. The phrase usually modifies the clause or another constituent in the clause.	- A construct chain, also called a 'genitive phrase', is a grammatical encoding of the relationship 'A of B,' in which A is a phonologically modified noun (in the construct state), and B is a phonologically unmodified noun (the absolute state).	- Some construct chains occur within prepositional phrases	- A waw conjunction can join units of all sizes. Phrase level waw join units at the word or phrase level (i.e., below the level of the clause).	- Definite articles tell you something about the identifiability or inclusiveness about the word it is attached to - כֹּל is a quantifier that tells you about the scope of a word it is attached to

Expanded paraphrase

For legend, click "Expand" to the right

• Close but Clear (CBC) translation
• Assumptions which provide the most salient background information, presuppositions, entailments, and inferences

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Footnotes

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