Hey Church!
During personal worship this week, when we read about Elijah being taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire, my mental song index reminded me of Shane & Shane’s song “Psalm 46 (Lord of Hosts).” Granted, the fiery chariots referenced in the psalm carry a different connotation (warfare; not a tricked-out escort to heaven), but the song made it into this Sunday’s set nonetheless. I decided to do a deep dive into Psalm 46, so below is my own translation of the psalm with commentary somewhat crudely scribbled in. I hope it will be a fruitful meditation for you as you prepare your hearts for worship this Sunday!
Psalm 46
1 To the choir director, of the sons of Korah (likely the musical performers), to the Alamot (root word “almah” translates literally, “young woman”; in the style of young girls, soprano, high-pitched musical instrument), a song.
God is our refuge (Hebrew “mahseh” = “shelter”) and strength,
“Refuge” can refer to a literal place of shelter, as from a rainstorm or a pursuing enemy, or to the figurative protection that is God’s gift to the godly–those who seek comfort in him rather than in the powers or goods of this earth.
an exceedingly present (lit. “found”) help (“ezra”) in distress.
The word “distress” has the sense of something narrow and confining that causes great anxiety.
This first verse seems to picture a besieged warrior who feels the constricting pressure of his “exceedingly present” enemies who are closing in upon him. He hides and calls for divine “help,” a word that occurs approximately eighty times in the Old Testament and generally indicates military assistance.
2 Therefore, we will not fear though the earth should change and the mountains shake into the heart of the sea.
The picture of an earthquake; a violent shaking that roars up from the depths of the sea to the heights of mountains.
The word “fear” is more nuanced here than merely the emotion of being afraid. It may be better translated, “Therefore, we will not shake as a result of fear (or, anxiety).” This idea of shaking/quaking/raging is repeated frequently throughout this psalm in juxtaposition to the equally prominent idea of refuge/shelter, the concluding call to “cease [shaking in agitation]” in verse ten, and the vision of streams of gladness in verse seven.
3 When the waters cry out (or “rage,” “roar”) and foam, though the mountains shake at its rising up.
Selah.
Selah means “lift up, exalt” and its use in the psalms is believed to denote a musical interlude, a moment of pause, and/or a time for the congregation to lift up their voices.
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High.
The river is divided into separate streams or channels. This image, coupled with the reference to the holy habitation of the Most High, brought to mind the Tigris and Euphrates that flank the Garden of Eden on both sides. In any case, it’s a vision of the New Heavens and Earth.
5 God is in her midst, she will not be shaken. God will help her when the morning turns (i.e. dawn, when battle ensues; also images resurrection).
6 The nations cry out (“rage” or “roar”; see parallel in verse three: the seas cry out), kingdoms shake; He gave forth (lifted up) His voice and the earth melted.
First the earth, then the waters and mountains, and now the peoples of the earth “shake,” “cry out,” “roar,” and “rage.”
7 The LORD (YHWH) of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is a refuge to us. Selah.
“Hosts” is related to fighting, such as “The LORD of armies.” Elsewhere it refers to celestial bodies (i.e. stars) or the inhabitants of heaven (i.e. angels). In any case, the refuge of God is not a passive kind of peace but one that is won as the spoil of (spiritual) war.
8 Come behold the works of the LORD, who has worked (wrought) desolations in (on) the earth.
God is in the midst of the earth, even in its quaking, and he will execute judgment.
9 He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the war-chariots with fire.
“Wars” might be a reductive translation that happens sometimes when translating a Hebrew word to our (much less nuanced) English language. The full range of possible meanings includes, “an event causing horror, astonishment, agitation; a waste.” The sense of agitation would certainly be consistent with the theme.
10 Cease and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth.
“Cease” what? Translators have inferred “Striving” but the Hebrew text itself omits the word. It seems to me that the parallel thought is actually found in verse two, which says, “We will not shake in fear.” So then verse ten might mean, “Cease shaking in fear/agitation and know that I am God.” I might call that a probable interpretation not, strictly speaking, a translation. But it literally says, “Cease and know,” leaving the hearer to fill in the missing word based on what has been revealed more explicitly in the preceding verses.
11 The LORD (YHWH) of hosts (fighting armies) is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
This is the third and final repetition of the refrain, “God is our refuge.” It appears in verse one, then verse seven, and finally in verse eleven, denoting three stanzas with the central stanza being the highest point in the chiasm.
A chiasm is a literary technique used very frequently in ancient Hebrew poetry (and even narrative writings, such as the Joseph story). You may recall seeing the picture of a ziggurat on the screen recently as Tom explained how these writers would structure their writings in identical, paralleling ideas (not necessarily identical words) such that the main idea is located in the center and all the supporting material ascends/descends in mirroring ideas. There are often chiasms within chiasms within chiasms, which reveal an intricately woven masterpiece that requires patience, study, and the Holy Spirit to help us see.
Recognizing this technique can help us get inside the mind of the author. It gets far more granular than this on a verse by verse and even word by word level, but for the sake of brevity here’s an example of a macro-level chiasm.
The theme of the middle stanza is the central vision around which this psalm was written:
“There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God. God is in her midst, she will not be shaken.”
The disquieting spirit of this age, which tempts our souls to shake in fear will, in an instant, be “made to cease” and replaced with a gladness of heart when our eyes become fixed upon the Heavenly City and He who stands in her midst. The LORD of hosts is with us! Let that vision of glory be your refuge today.
Your brother,
Ryan