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Wisdom & Poetry · WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE

Psalm 46

Psalm 46 is read especially through the theme of creation, within Book II (Psalms 42–72). Its language invites attentive prayer before quick application.

CreationTrust & RefugeKingship
Psalms overview
Old Testament

Psalm 46

1For the Chief Musician. By the sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

2Therefore we won’t be afraid, though the earth changes, though the mountains are shaken into the heart of the seas;

3though its waters roar and are troubled, though the mountains tremble with their swelling. Selah.

4There is a river, the streams of which make the city of God glad, the holy place of the tents of the Most High.

5God is within her. She shall not be moved. God will help her at dawn.

6The nations raged. The kingdoms were moved. He lifted his voice and the earth melted.

7The LORD of Armies is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

8Come, see the LORD’s works, what desolations he has made on the earth.

9He makes wars cease to the end of the earth. He breaks the bow, and shatters the spear. He burns the chariots in the fire.

10“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted on the earth.”

11The LORD of Armies is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

READ IN CONTEXT

Understanding Psalm 46

Psalm 46 is read especially through the theme of creation, within Book II (Psalms 42–72). Its language invites attentive prayer before quick application. Read it within the complete five-book Psalms collection, then compare its prayer language with the types of prayer found across Scripture. Classification is a reading aid rather than a replacement for the Psalm's own movement and tension.

Collection

Book II (Psalms 42–72). The five-book shape of the Psalter helps readers hear individual prayers within a deliberately arranged collection.

Themes detected

Creation, Trust & Refuge, Kingship. Read for these themes while remaining open to tension and secondary movements.

TEXT-DERIVED READING NOTES

What to notice in Psalm 46

Psalm 46 contains 11 verses and about 198 words in this translation. These observations come from the chapter itself; they are prompts for close reading, not claims about its only possible meaning.

The opening movement

Verse 1 begins: “For the Chief Musician. By the sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Ask what situation, voice, image, or argument this opening establishes for everything that follows.

The closing movement

Verse 11 closes: “The LORD of Armies is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.” Compare the ending with the opening and note what changed, resolved, intensified, or remained open.

Vocabulary worth tracing

Recurring or prominent content words include earth, though, refuge, selah, will, help. Follow where each word appears and whether its meaning shifts with the speaker or setting.

COMMON QUESTIONS

About Psalm 46

Which Bible translation is shown here?+

This page reproduces the World English Bible Protestant edition (WEBP), a modern-English translation dedicated to the public domain.

How should I cite a specific verse?+

Use the book, chapter, and verse—for example, Psalms 46:1—and name the World English Bible if the wording matters. Each verse number above is a direct anchor link.

Does the chapter number define the complete literary unit?+

Not always. Chapter and verse numbers were added for navigation. Check the paragraphs, scenes, poetic stanzas, or argument before and after this chapter.

What kind of Psalm is this?+

Our reading profile emphasizes creation, with related themes of Creation, Trust & Refuge, Kingship. Many Psalms blend genres or move between moods, so this label is a guide rather than a rigid classification.

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