God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
What does Psalms 46:1 mean?
This psalm encourages to hope and trust in God; in his power and providence, and his gracious presence with his church in the worst of times.
Key themes
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Keep this verse inside its immediate passage and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on Psalms 46:1
God is our refuge and strength - God is for us as a place to which we may flee for safety; a source of strength to us in danger. The first word, "refuge," from a verb meaning to "flee," and then "to flee to" - chasah - or to take shelter in - denotes a place to which one would flee in time of danger - as a lofty wall; a high tower; a fort; a fortress. See the notes at Psalm 18:2 . The idea here is, that the people of God, in time of danger, may find him to be what such a place of refuge would be. Compare Proverbs 18:10 .
Key words
- from a verb meaning to
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from a verb meaning to . See the notes at Psalm 18:2 .
- help
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help. The word "trouble" would cover all that can come upon us which would give us anxiety or sorrow.
Context in Psalms 46
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Psalms 46 belongs to the middle movement of the book, especially the section often described as Book II. Psalms is the Bible’s great book of sung prayer, teaching the full range of faithful speech from anguish and repentance to jubilation and doxology. Read this chapter with the wider themes of prayer, praise, and lament in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
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