Psalms 46:1

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

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalms 46:1-11.-The Church's security, because God is in her, amidst the world's convulsions: as shown in the sudden overthrow of Sennacherib's invading hosts (cf.

Psalms 46 THE The occasion of this Psalm is thought to be that happy success, and settlement, and peace which God granted to the people of Israel in David’ s time, and by his means, 2 Samuel 8 The confidence and safe condition of the church under God’ s care, ; manifested in his wonderful deliverance from her enemies, . He exhorteth all to consider it, to the magnifying his name, ,11. God is our refuge, i.e. he hath now manifested himself to be so by the course of his providence. A very present; or, a sufficient, as this word is sometimes used, as .

Psalms 46:1 « To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth. » God [is] our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.Upon Alamoth] i.e. Upon the Virginals. Virgins with their shrill treble tune, 1 Chronicles 15:20, used (belike) to sing this triumphant psalm, and to play it on the instrument; and their hearts were somewhat suitable to it. The penman some think to have been David, upon occasion of those notable victories, 2 Samuel 8:1-14; others, Solomon, for the virgins to sing and play at his wedding, Psalms 45:8-9 Son 1:2; others, Isaiah, either upon the overthrow of those two kings, Rezin and Pekah, 2 Kings 16:5 Isaiah 7:8, confer Judges 5:11, or else after the slaughter of Sennacherib’ s army by an angel; then the virgin daughter of Zion (much more than before) despised him, and laughed him to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem shook her head at him, Isaiah 37:22, and sang as followeth: Ver. 1. God is our refuge and strength] Deus nobis est receptus, et robur (Tremel.). All creatures, when in distress, run to their refuges, Proverbs 30:26 Psalms 104:18 Proverbs 18:11 Daniel 4:10-11 Judges 9:50-51. So do the saints to God Almighty, for the safe-guarding of their persons, as here, and Isaiah 25:4. Luther, when in greatest distress, was wont to call for this psalm, saying, Let us sing the forty-sixth psalm in concert; and then let the devil do his worst. A very present help in trouble] Or, we have abundantly found him a help in tribulation (Joh. Manlii loc. com.). God, as he is not far off his people at such a time, so he needeth not much entreaty; but when we are nearest danger he is nearest to deliver, as in the gunpowder plot prevented eight or nine hours before it should have been acted; masses were sung in Rome for the prospering of it; but no prayers particularly made in England for the preventing, nor could be. Here God was, if ever, auxilium praesentissimum.

(1) Refuge and strength.—Better, a refuge and stronghold, or a sure stronghold, as in Luther’s hymn, Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott. A very present help.—Better, often found a help.

PSALM XLVI The confidence of believers in God, 1-3. The privileges of the Church, 4, 5; her enemies, and her helper, 6, 7. God's judgments in the earth, 8, 9. He will be exalted among the heathen, and throughout the earth, 10, 11. NOTES ON PSALM XLVI The title in the Hebrew is, "To the chief musician for the sons of Korah; an ode upon Alamoth, or concerning the virgins:" possibly meaning a choir of singing girls. Some translate the word secrets or mysteries; and explain it accordingly. Calmet thinks it was composed by the descendants of Korah, on their return from the Babylonian captivity, when they had once more got peaceably settled in Jerusalem; and that the disturbances to which it refers were those which took place in the Persian empire after the death of Cambyses, when the Magi usurped the government. Many other interpretations and conjectures are given of the occasion of this fine ode. Houbigant thinks it was made on occasion of an earthquake, which he supposes took place on the night that all Sennacherib's army was destroyed, Dr. Kennicott thinks that alamoth means a musical instrument. All I can pretend to say about it is, that it is a very sublime ode; contains much consolation for the Church of God; and was given by the inspiration of his Holy Spirit. Verse 1. God is our refuge] It begins abruptly, but nobly; ye may trust in whom and in what ye please: but GOD (ELOHIM) is our refuge and strength. A very present help] A help found to be very powerful and effectual in straits and difficulties. The words are very emphatic: עזרה בצרות נמצא מאד ezerah betsaroth nimtsa meod, "He is found an exceeding, or superlative help in difficulties." Such we have found him, and therefore celebrate his praise.

1–3. Secure under His protection God’s people have nothing to fear, even though the solid earth were convulsed, and rent asunder.

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.

1. Refuge and strength—Two strong words to express complete safety. Very present help—Literally, God has been found a help in distress exceedingly. The idea is of greatness and sufficiency of help.