Psalms 46:6
in Psalms 46Nations rage, kingdoms crumble; the earth melts when He lifts His voice.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved: He uttered his voice, the earth melted.
KJV
The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted.
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This verse in Psalms 46
Commentary
10 notes on this verseThe heathen raged. The nations were in a furious uproar, they gathered against the city of the Lord like wolves ravenous for their prey; they foamed, and roared, and swelled like a tempestuous sea. The kingdoms were moved. A general confusion seized upon society; the fierce invaders convulsed their own dominions by draining the population to urge on the war, and they desolated other territories by their devastating march to Jerusalem.
This site's exposition
Nations rage, kingdoms crumble
on Psalms 46:6-7
Nations rage, kingdoms crumble, and one lift of God's voice melts the earth. Barnes found in that voice the same ground as the confidence of verse 1, and the threat has moved from the shaking earth to armies. The God of Jacob is our fortress.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
"The heathen are troubled" [Psalm 46:6]. And how troubled? Why troubled? To cast down the City of God, in the midst whereof is God? To overthrow the tabernacle sanctified, which God helps with His Countenance? No: with a wholesome trouble are the heathen now troubled. For what follows? "And the kingdoms are bowed." Bowed, says He, are the kingdoms; not now erected that they may rage, but bowed that they may adore. When were the kingdoms bowed? When that came to pass which was predicted in another Psalm, "All kings shall fall down before Him, all nations shall serve Him." What cause made the kingdoms to bow? Hear the cause. "The Most High gave His Voice, and the earth was moved." The fanatics of idolatry, like frogs in the marshes, clamoured, the more tumultuously, the more sordidly, in filth and mire. And what is the brawling of frogs to the thunder of the clouds? For out of them "the Most High gave His Voice, and the earth was moved:" He thundered out of His clouds. And what are His clouds? His Apostles, His preachers, by whom He thundered in precepts, lightened in miracles. The same are clouds who are also mountains: mountains for their height and firmness, clouds for their rain and fruitfulness. […]
A commentator
Ambrose of MilanCommentaries on the Twelve Davidic Psalms, On Psalm 46 · Written before 397.
proposed
Sin is a heavy kingdom, and it subjects to a heavy servitude the souls of all sinners. "Whoever commits sin is the slave of sin." The kingdom of sin is the kingdom of death, and for a long time it held sway over all the earth.… The truth came, the figure ceased. Life came, the kingdom of death vanished. Forgiveness of sin came, and the chains of sin were undone.… The cult of idols and the enticement of sin began to diminish with the preaching and doctrine of the gospel.
The Medieval Church1 voice
"The nations were troubled." Above, the Psalmist set forth the affliction of others and his own consolation under a likeness; here, however, he explains: first, what was said about the affliction; second, about the consolation, at "The Lord of hosts." And he explains everything in …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Such a melting of the spirits of the enemies is described, Judg. v. 4, 5 ; and see Luke xxi. When he pleases to draw his sword, and give it commission, he can make great havoc among the nations and lay all waste (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
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 persecutions and bloodshed of the saints and martyrs of Jesus, and will rage again, about and at the downfall of Babylon; see Rev 11:18; the kingdoms were moved; either from their Pagan or Papal religion, and became subject to Christ.
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
The heathen raged. The nations were in a furious uproar, they gathered against the city of the Lord like wolves ravenous for their prey; they foamed, and roared, and swelled like a tempestuous sea. The kingdoms were moved. A general confusion seized upon society; the fierce invaders convulsed their own dominions by draining the population to urge on the war, and they desolated other territories by their devastating march to Jerusalem. Crowns fell from royal heads, ancient thrones rocked like trees driven of the tempest, powerful empires fell like pines uprooted by the blast: everything was in disorder, and dismay seized on all who knew not the Lord. He uttered his voice, the earth melted. With no other instrumentality than a word the Lord ruled the storm. He gave forth a voice and stout hearts were dissolved, proud armies were annihilated, conquering powers were enfeebled. At first the confusion appeared to be worse confounded, when the element of divine power came into view; the very earth seemed turned to wax, the most solid and substantial of human things melted like the fat of rams upon the altar; but anon peace followed, the rage of man subsided, hearts capable of repentance relented, and the implacable were silenced. How mighty is a word from God! How mighty the Incarnate Word. O that such a word would come from the excellent glory even now to melt all hearts in love to Jesus, and to end for ever all the persecutions, wars, and rebellions of men!
The heathen raged - There had been terrible wars on all hands, and mighty states were crushed, when the poor Jews were, by the especial favor of God, kept in peace and safety. Kingdoms were moved while they were preserved. He uttered his voice - These words seem to refer to thunder, lightning, and earthquake. The expressions, however, may be figurative, and refer to the wars and desolations already mentioned. God gave the command; and one empire was cast down, and another was raised up.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
The heathen raged - The nations were in commotion, or were agitated like the waves of the sea. This language would well describe the consternation of the nations when the Assyrians went forth to conquest, and when, having subdued so many other kingdoms, they made war on Jerusalem. Compare Isa 36:18-20. The kingdoms were moved - That is, those who were invaded, as well as those that made the invasion. There was a general convulsion or shaking among the nations of the earth. He uttered his voice - God spoke; he gave command; he expressed his will. Compare Gen 1:3; Hab 3:6. The earth melted - The very earth seemed to melt or dissolve before him. Everything became still. The danger passed away at his command, and the raging world became calm. The Bible abounds in language of this kind, showing the absolute power of God, or his power to control all the raging elements on land and ocean by a word. Compare the notes at Psa 33:9. See also Psa 107:25, Psa 107:29; Mat 8:26.
The words behind it
8 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| הָמ֣וּ | hamu | they were in a tumult | H1993 → | 34 times |
| ג֭וֹיִם | goyim | nations | H1471 → | 561 times |
| מָ֣טוּ | matu | they shook | H4131 → | 38 times |
| מַמְלָכ֑וֹת | mamlakhot | kingdoms | H4467 → | 117 times |
| נָתַ֥ן | natan | he gave | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| בְּ֝קוֹל֗וֹ | bekolo | with voice his | H6963 → | 506 times |
| תָּמ֥וּג | tamug | it melted | H4127 → | 17 times |
| אָֽרֶץ׃ | ʾaretz | [the] earth | H776 → | 2504 times |
הָמ֣וּthey were in a tumult
hamuH1993 →34 times
ג֭וֹיִםnations
goyimH1471 →561 times
מָ֣טוּthey shook
matuH4131 →38 times
מַמְלָכ֑וֹתkingdoms
mamlakhotH4467 →117 times
נָתַ֥ןhe gave
natanH5414 →2011 times
בְּ֝קוֹל֗וֹwith voice his
bekoloH6963 →506 times
תָּמ֥וּגit melted
tamugH4127 →17 times
אָֽרֶץ׃[the] earth
ʾaretzH776 →2504 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Micah 1:4The mountains will melt beneath Him, and the valleys will split apart, like wax before the fire, like water rushing down a slope.
it leads to
- Habakkuk 3:10
The mountains saw You and quaked; torrents of water swept by. The deep roared with its voice and lifted its hands on high.
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- Nahum 1:5
The mountains quake before Him, and the hills melt away; the earth trembles at His presence—the world and all its dwellers.
- Psalms 97:5
The mountains melt like wax at the presence of the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth.
- Habakkuk 3:10
Through
Nahum 1:5The mountains quake before Him, and the hills melt away; the earth trembles at His presence—the world and all its dwellers.
it leads to
- Micah 1:4
The mountains will melt beneath Him, and the valleys will split apart, like wax before the fire, like water rushing down a slope.
- Jeremiah 4:24
I looked at the mountains, and behold, they were quaking; all the hills were swaying.
- Micah 1:4
Through
Amos 9:5The Lord GOD of Hosts, He who touches the earth and it melts, and all its dwellers mourn—all the land rises like the Nile, then sinks like the river of Egypt—
it leads to
- Amos 8:8
Will not the land quake for this, and all its dwellers mourn? All of it will swell like the Nile; it will surge and then subside like the Nile in Egypt.
- Amos 8:8
Through
Psalms 18:13The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded— hailstones and coals of fire.
it leads to
- Psalms 104:7
At Your rebuke the waters fled; at the sound of Your thunder they hurried away—
- 1 Samuel 7:10
As the Philistines drew near to fight against Israel, Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering. But that day the LORD thundered loudly against the Philistines and threw them into such confusion that they fled…
- Psalms 104:7
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Psalms
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Psalms; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrose of Milan, Commentaries on the Twelve Davidic Psalms, On Psalm 46; Augustine of Hippo, Exposition on Psalm 46; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 2; Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Psalms; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Exposition on the Psalms of David.