This article is aboutPsalm 46in Hebrew (Masoretic) numbering. ForPsalm 46in Greek Septuagint or Latin Vulgate numbering, seePsalm 47.
Psalm 46
"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble"
Print of Luther's paraphrase of Psalm 46 in Klug's Gesangbuch, 1533: Der xlvi. Psalm / Deus noster refugium et virtus
Other name
Psalm 46
"Deus noster refugium et virtus"
Language
Hebrew (original)
Psalm 46is the 46th psalm of theBook of Psalms,beginning in English in theKing James Version:"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble". In the slightly different numbering system used in the GreekSeptuagintand LatinVulgatetranslations of the Bible, this psalm isPsalm 45.In Latin, it is known as "Deus noster refugium et virtus".[1]The song is attributed to thesons of Korah.
The following table shows the Hebrew text[3][4]of the Psalm with vowels alongside an English translation based upon theJPS 1917translation (now in thepublic domain).
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.
There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.
God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.
The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted.
The LORDof hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
Come, behold the works of the LORD,what desolations he hath made in the earth.
Illustration from theStuttgart Psalterfor verse 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.
Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
The LORDof hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
According toMatthew Henry,this psalm may have been composed afterDaviddefeated the enemies ofancient Israelfrom surrounding lands.[6]Spurgeon notes that the description in verse 1 in the Hebrew Bible version, calling for the psalm to be played "onalamot",could denote either a high-pitched musical instrument or the soprano voices of young girls who went out to dance in celebration of David's victory over the Philistines.[2]TheJerusalem Biblerenders this word as anoboe.[7]TheMidrash Tehillim,however, parses the wordalamot(Hebrew:עלמות) as referring to the "hidden things" that God does for his people.[8]The psalm praises God for being a source of power and salvation in times of trouble.
There is a difference of opinion among Christian scholars as to which "river" the psalm is referring to in verse 4 of theKJV,the streams of which make glad the city of God. Among the possibilities are:[9]
TheJordan River.However, the Jordan River is a distance of 20 miles (32 km) northeast ofJerusalem(assuming that the "city of God" is a reference to Jerusalem). For this reason, some have found this possibility unlikely.
It has been proposed that this psalm is prophesying the kingdom of God under Jesus Christ, which He inaugurated at His first coming and will conclude when He returns.
This verse is further developed inPsalm 47,which opens with the words "Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples!
Shout to God with the voice of triumph![12]It is all the nations of the world who are addressed.[13]
This psalm was traditionally recited or sung at the office ofmatinson Tuesday[16]after St. Benedict of Nursia established his rule of St. Benedict around 530, mainly in the numerical order of the psalms.[17]Today, Psalm 46 is sung or recited atVesperson Friday of the first week of the liturgical four weekly cycle.
In the 17th century,Johann Pachelbelcomposed amotetsetting of Psalm 46,Gott ist unser Zuversicht und Stärke.Heinrich Schützwrote a setting of a paraphrase in German, "Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott",SWV143, for theBecker Psalter,published first in 1628. In 1699,Michel-Richard Delalandebased a grand motet on the psalm.Marc-Antoine Charpentierset in early 1690s a"Deus noster refugium"H.218, for soloists, chorus, 2 treble instruments and continuo.Jean Philippe Rameauset the psalm for the motetDeus noster refugium.
In the eighteenth century, the childMozartwrotea short motetto the text of the first verse as a gift to theBritish Museumand an homage to 16th century English composers such asThomas Tallis.
In contemporary music, the Christian duoShane & Shaneadapted the psalm into the song "Psalm 46 (Lord of Hosts)", which appeared on their 2016 albumPsalms II.
For several decades, some theorists have suggested thatWilliam Shakespeareplaced his mark on the translated text of Psalm 46 that appears in theKing James Bible,although many scholars view this as unlikely, stating that the translations were probably agreed upon by a committee of scholars.[21]
Alleged evidence for this claim is that Shakespeare was in King James' service during the preparation of the King James Bible, and was generally considered to be 46 years old in 1611 when the translation was completed. There are a few extant examples of Shakespeare's actual signature, and on at least one occasion he signed it 'Shakspeare', which divides into four vowels and six consanants, thus '46'. The 46th word from the beginning of Psalm 46 is "shake" and the 46th word from the end (omitting the liturgical mark "Selah") is" spear "(" speare "in the original spelling).[22][23]
^Mabillard, Amanda (20 Aug 2000),"General Q & A",Shakespeare Online,retrievedJune 13,2019.Citing Humes. James C. Citizen Shakespeare: a social and political portrait. Lanham: University Press of America, 2003, p. 164.
