Tehillim 46 | A Psalm of Upheaval and War

Psalms 46 and 48 are spoken from within the established and secure City of God. Tomorrow we will explore their unity as a literary pair; today, we will focus on Psalm 46.

Rav Elkana Cherlow, in the attached shiur, highlights the dramatic nature of this psalm. The earth and mountains crumble (verse 3), and the waters rage and foam (verse 4). Yet amidst this great chaos, the waters of the City of God remain calm and symbolize abundance: “There is a river whose streams bring joy to the City of God” (verse 5).

Rav Elkana proposes two possible structural divisions of the psalm: one based on the refrain “The Lord of Hosts is with us; the God of Yaakov is our refuge – Selah” (verses 8 and 12), dividing it into two stanzas; or a second based on the word “Selah” (verses 4, 8, 12), dividing it into three. In the three-part structure, he identifies three stages in the psalm: First, it addresses the forces and tremors of nature, within which God protects His city (verse 2). Then it turns to the nations and kingdoms from whom God saves His city: “Nations rage, kingdoms crumble; He sounds His voice, and the earth dissolves” (verse 7). At this point, one might already suggest that the natural forces of the first section are a metaphor for the nations rising to attack Jerusalem. Note the parallel use of the root המ”ה (to rage) in both sections: “Its waters rage (הומה) and foam” and “Nations rage (המו)”. (See also other examples where invading nations are likened to natural forces: Yeshayahu 8:7; especially the water imagery in Yeshayahu 17:12. Tomorrow, we will expand on this comparison with Yeshayahu.)

In the third stage, God not only protects His people from war — He actually puts an end to war itself, reminiscent of the prophetic visions of peace: “He has ended war all over the earth; breaking bow and snapping spear, burning chariots with fire” (verse 10). The ending of war leads to global recognition of God’s name: “Desist and know that I am God, exalted among the nations, exalted over the earth” (verse 11). May we too hope for the breaking of the bow from the earth and for universal recognition of God’s name: “The Lord of Hosts is with us; the God of Yaakov is our refuge – Selah.”