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Psalm 46: Do not fear

Ryan Boyer
04/20/25 - Sun PM

Psalm 46 is ultimately an encouragement to God’s people to not fear. It is divided into three sections: 

- vv. 1-3 - do not fear what may be
- vv. 4-7 - do not fear because of what is
- vv. 8-11 - do not fear because of what will be

Psalm 46:1-3 begins with the basis for courage and confidence. I’m going to describe this basis as two themes that run throughout the psalm, which I will summarize at the end. Those themes are God as refuge, strength, help, and protection, and God as present. Verse 1 in my ESV says God is, “a very present help in trouble.” Various translations give different shades of meaning to this:

- NET – he is truly our helper in times of trouble (i.e. he really is our helper)
- NIV – an ever-present help (i.e. he is a helper who is always there)
- CSB – a helper who is always found in times of trouble (i.e. he is easy to find when you need him)
- Message – ready to help when we need him (i.e. he is ready to help when you need him)
- NCV – he always helps in times of trouble (i.e. he always helps when you need him)

Regardless of the nuance, based especially on the theme of presence throughout the rest of this psalm, the main thrust is that he is there, or can be there in a snap in your moment of need.

Verse 2a is the main message of this psalm, “Therefore we will not fear…” Because of God’s protection and presence his people don’t need to be afraid even when faced with the very worst circumstances.

Verse 2-3 paint a picture of these bad circumstances as monumentally huge:

- though the earth gives way
- though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea
- those its waters roar and foam
- though the mountains tremble at its swelling

Rather than imagining four separate really bad events, I think the main focus of all four is the destructive and (literally) earth-shattering nature of the sea. You can imagine the waves of a raging sea beating against the land, even a rock cliff, and wearing it down little by little over time. This is what troubles in life are like. But more than this, the sea throughout the Bible represents a kind of primordial destructive chaos. Whatever it is, it is not good, and good things do not come from it (e.g. Gen. 1:1-2; Dan. 7:3; Rev. 21:1). 

For this reason, I think it’s important to go back to v. 1. Almost all Bibles say that God is present in “trouble” (singular). In the Hebrew, trouble is plural, and now that we see those troubles are described as world-altering, I think the plural should be maintained.

You can summarize the message of vv. 1-3 (and the whole psalm) by moving backwards from vv. 3, 2, and 1.

- Even in the face of apocalyptic-level troubles
- God’s people don’t need to fear what may be
- Because God is present, and he is their protection

In vv. 4-7 we will move from courage in the face of what may be to a further description of the basis of our confidence: do not fear because of what is.

Make sure to see the contrast between the raging destructive sea in vv. 2-3 and the “river whose streams make glad” in v. 4. Like the sea, we may just take this as a poetic description of peacefulness that can be felt. Dale Ralph Davis says, “He wants you to ‘hear’ the difference between the world falling apart and a place of quiet and peace.” Or we may see the bigger biblical theme of “the river” as being a picture of God’s provision (e.g. Gen. 2:8-10; Rev. 22:1). I’m inclined toward the latter because vv. 4-5 remind me of some of the most important themes from Gen. 1-2: God’s presence, God’s peace, and God’s provision / protection. 

God’s people don’t need to fear because, “God will help her when the morning dawns.” That phrase, when the morning, dawns is only found one other place in the Bible. In Ex. 14:27, after Israel passed through the parted sea, “Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its normal course when the morning appeared.”

After the long night of suffering, God turns a raging sea into a calm and peaceful river. 

There is a verbal connection worth noticing. In v. 2 the mountains may be moved by the sea, but notice that in v. 5 the city of God shall not be moved. As we move into v. 6 we are going to use this, and another verbal connection to return to our discussion of how life is sometimes filled with truly really bad stuff. In v. 6 the nations rage. Rage is the same word as that waters that roar in v. 3. Also in v. 6, the kingdoms totter. Totter is the same word as moved in vv. 2 and 5. I consider myself in many ways very libertarian. I just want people to leave me alone. But as much as I dislike human government, the thought of a national and social collapse is terrifying.

To summarize, the raging sea roars and the nations rage, but God’s people do not need to fear. Why? Because mountains and kingdoms can be moved, but God cannot, and he is both our protection, and present with us, says the summary in v. 7.

The third, and last, section in vv. 8-11 will finish by telling us we don’t need to fear because of what will be. Just as the raging sea was transformed into a peaceful river in vv. 2-4, so now the raging and tottering nations from v. 6 will be made peaceful.

Verse 10 may be the most famous and memorable words from this psalm, “Be still, and know that I am God.” It is possible that “Be still” is in line with the main point of this psalm, “Therefore we will not fear” (v. 2). Calm yourself. There is no need to fear even when the very worst is upon you. The Message says, “Step out of the traffic!” However, it is also possible that “Be still” is spoken directly to the raging and tottering nations in v. 6. Following this option, the NASU says, “Cease striving,” the NET says, “Stop your striving,” and the CSB says, “Stop fighting.”

As much as I would like to know God’s intent, both can be true at the same time. Let’s compare this to Mk. 4:37-40,

> 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 39 And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?”
> 

In this text, Jesus specifically spoke to the storm and told it to stop. But v. 40 also implies that he did expect his disciples to have some confidence in his presence and protection, so he asked them, “Why are you so afraid?”

No matter whether God’s people are told to be still, or the nations are told to stop raging, the reason for both at the end of v. 10 is because God will be exalted.

You can tell the story of this psalm by revisiting each of the themes we talked about:

- God is our refuge and strength (vv. 1, 7b, 11b)
- He is very present (vv. 1b, 5, 7a, 11a)
- Because of these, God’s people do not need to be afraid (v. 2, and maybe v. 10a)
- …Even when faced with the very worst. God turns the raging sea into a peaceful river, and he causes raging nations to make wars cease.

Since I have been aiming to improve my prayer throughout this study of the psalms, here are a couple biblical prayers where people asked for the kind of courage we have been talking about in Ps. 46:

- Ps. 56:3-4 - “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?
- 2 Chron. 20:12 - “O our God, will you not execute judgment on them? For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”
- Acts 4:29 - “And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness…”