Chapter 46
11 verses — switch translations with the toolbar below.
Scripture
KJV1God 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.
“Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”
Overview
This psalm declares that God is the refuge and strength of His people, a very present help in trouble. Even if the earth is removed, the mountains shake, and the waters roar, the psalmist declares confidence in God's protection. God's city — His dwelling place — will not be moved because God is in the midst of her. The psalm reaches its climax with God's command to the nations: 'Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.'
Key Themes
God as Refuge in Catastrophe
When the natural world collapses and nations rage, God Himself is the unshakeable shelter — not circumstances but God is the basis of security.
The Presence of God in His City
God dwells in the midst of His people, and His presence makes the difference between destruction and deliverance — 'God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved.'
Be Still and Know God's Sovereignty
The command to 'be still' is not passive resignation but an active trust that releases anxiety and rests in God's sovereign control over all nations and events.
Study Questions
What does it mean that God is 'a very present help in trouble' (v. 1), and how is this different from a distant or abstract comfort?
The psalm describes catastrophic imagery — earth removed, mountains carried into the sea (vv. 2-3). What circumstances in our lives correspond to these images?
What is the 'city of God' (v. 4), and how does God's presence within it guarantee its security?
What does 'Be still, and know that I am God' (v. 10) mean in context — is it addressed to believers, to the nations, or to both?
How does this psalm challenge our tendency to find security in things other than God?
Connection to Christ
God's promise to be a refuge and strength is fulfilled in Christ, through whom believers have access to the very presence of God. Jesus is Emmanuel — God with us — the ultimate expression of God dwelling 'in the midst of her.' His death and resurrection have made peace between God and man, and in Him we find the stillness and security this psalm celebrates.
Personal Reflection
Take time to journal or meditate on what God is teaching you through Psalms 46. How can these truths transform your thinking and actions today?