INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 46 TO THE CHIEF MUSICIAN FOR THE SONS OF KORAH, A SONG UPON ALAMOTH. The word "Alamoth" is thought by some, as Aben Ezra, to be the beginning of a song, to which this psalm was set; and by others a high tune, such as virgins express; and by others the name of musical instrumen... [ Continue Reading ]
GOD [IS] OUR REFUGE AND STRENGTH,.... That is, Christ, who is God as well as man, is the "refuge" for souls to fly unto for safety; as for sensible sinners, in a view of danger, wrath, and misery, so for saints, in every time of distress; typified by the cities of refuge, under the legal dispensatio... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE WILL NOT WE FEAR,...., The consideration of the Lord's being the refuge, strength, and help of his people, in all times of trouble and distress, has a great influence on their faith and confidence, and makes them intrepid and fearless in the midst of the greatest dangers: nor indeed have t... [ Continue Reading ]
[THOUGH] THE WATERS THEREOF ROAR [AND] BE TROUBLED,.... The noise of which causes men's hearts to fail them for fear, Luke 21:25; [THOUGH] THE MOUNTAINS SHAKE WITH THE SWELLING THEREOF. All these figurative expressions denote the hurlyburlies, confusions, and disorders that have been or will be in... [ Continue Reading ]
[THERE] IS A RIVER,.... The allusion is either to the river Kidron, which ran by Jerusalem; or to the waters of Shiloah, which by different courses and branches, ran through the city of Jerusalem, and supplied the several parts of it with water, to the joy and comfort of its inhabitants: but the wor... [ Continue Reading ]
GOD [IS] IN THE MIDST OF HER,.... The church and people of God; not merely by his essence, power, and providence, as he is in the midst of the world; but by his gracious presence, and which always continues, though not always perceived; and is a sufficient antidote against all fear of men and devils... [ Continue Reading ]
THE HEATHEN RAGED,.... As they did at Christ's first coming, against him, his Gospel, and people; and which continued during the three first centuries; and then the Pagan kingdoms belonging to the Roman empire were removed; since then another sort of Heathens, the Papists, have raged, in violent per... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LORD OF HOSTS [IS] WITH US,.... The Targum is, "the Word of the Lord of hosts". He whose name is Immanuel, which is, by interpretation, "God with us", Matthew 1:23; who is King of kings, and Lord of lords; who has all creatures in heaven and earth at his command, whom all the hosts of angels obe... [ Continue Reading ]
COME, BEHOLD THE WORKS OF THE LORD,.... Of nature and grace, especially those of Providence; both in a way of judgment, as in this verse; and of mercy, as in Psalms 46:9. These words are an address of the psalmist to his friends, as Apollinarius supplies it; or of the church to the fearful among the... [ Continue Reading ]
HE MAKETH WARS TO CEASE UNTO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH,.... As at the birth of Christ, the Prince of peace, in the times of Augustus Caesar, when there was a general peace in the world, though it did not last long; and in the times of Constantine, signified by silence in heaven for half an hour, Revelat... [ Continue Reading ]
BE STILL, AND KNOW THAT I [AM] GOD,.... These words are thought by some to be spoken by the Lord to the nations of the world, to "cease from war", as the Targum renders the words; or from going up any more against Jerusalem, as Jarchi interprets them; and that they were spoken to them before the bre... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LORD OF HOSTS [IS] WITH US; THE GOD OF JACOB [IS] OUR REFUGE. Psalms 46:7. The Targum paraphrases it, "the Word of the Lord of hosts", as in Psalms 46:7; and the same words are here repeated, to comfort those that were fearful and unbelieving, with which the church then comforted herself. SELAH... [ Continue Reading ]