Psalm 46:1–3

Context

The superscription of Psalm 46 reads "for the sons of Korah" and "a song upon Alamoth." The sons of Korah were a Levitical family responsible for praise in the temple. Alamoth appears to refer to a tune or vocal range, but its precise meaning is unknown. The psalm divides into three stanzas: verses 1–3 are a confession of trust amid upheavals in nature; verses 4–7 celebrate the security of the city where God dwells (Zion); and verses 8–11 declare that God makes wars to cease. The word "Selah" at the end of verse 3 also appears in verses 7 and 11. It is thought to indicate a pause or a musical direction, but its meaning has not been determined. Because the Hebrew Bible counts the superscription as verse 1, this passage corresponds to 46:2–4 in the Hebrew numbering.

The phrase "very present help" in verse 1 (KJV) is, rendered literally, closer to "a help in trouble that is surely found." The expression emphasizes that God is truly present in the midst of hardship.

Interpretation

• Historical reading: Some commentators hold that the psalm is set against the background of Jerusalem's deliverance from the Assyrian threat during the reign of Hezekiah. Many scholars also group it with Psalms 48 and 76 as one of the "Songs of Zion." No specific event, however, is named in the psalm itself.
• Creation-theology reading: In the ancient Near East, the sea and the quaking mountains symbolized chaos threatening the created order. This interpretation reads the text as an expression of trust in the Creator, who rules even over chaos.
• Eschatological reading: Some interpreters see in the images of the earth being removed and the mountains being carried into the midst of the sea a foreshadowing of the cosmic upheavals of the last days.
• Ecclesiological reading: Martin Luther is known to have written the hymn "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God" on the basis of this psalm in the late 1520s. Through this hymn, the psalm came to be widely read as a confession of faith in God, who protects his persecuted church.

Questions of Application

There is no significant doctrinal dispute among denominations concerning this passage. Several questions are, however, addressed in preaching and devotional reflection. Some point out that "therefore will not we fear" should not be read as a promise that believers will not experience disaster; the text presupposes that upheaval actually occurs and speaks of trust offered in the very midst of it. Others caution against reading this confession as a demand to suppress emotions such as fear or grief.

In the Korean Church

"A Mighty Fortress Is Our God" appears as Hymn 585 in the New Hymnal (Sae Chansongga). It is frequently sung in Reformation Sunday services, and this psalm is often read as a Scripture text at that time as well. The psalm is also commonly chosen as a sermon text of comfort when personal crises or social disasters strike.

Related Passages

• Psalm 46:8–11
• Psalm 121:3–8
• Isaiah 43:1–2
• Psalm 125:1–2
• Exodus 14:13–14