Psalms 46:6
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Nations rage, kingdoms crumble; the earth melts when He lifts His voice.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
These verses give glory to God both as King of nations and as King of saints. I. As King of nations, ruling the world by his power and providence, and overruling all the affairs of the children of men to his own glory; he does according to his will among the inhabitants of the earth, and none may say, What doest thou? 1. He checks the rage and breaks the power of the nations that oppose him and his interests in the world (Psa 46:6): The heathen raged at David's coming to the throne, and at the setting up of the kingdom of the Son of David; compare Psa 2:1, Psa 2:2. The kingdoms were moved with indignation, and rose in a tumultuous furious manner to oppose it; but God uttered his voice, spoke to them in his wrath, and they were moved in another sense, they were struck into confusion and consternation, put into disorder, and all their measures broken; the earth itself melted under them, so that they found no firm footing; their earthly hearts failed them for fear, and dissolved like snow before the sun. Such a melting of the spirits of the enemies is described, Jdg 5:4, Jdg 5:5; and see Luk 21:25, Luk 21:26. 2. When he pleases to draw his sword, and give it commission, he can make great havoc among the nations and lay all waste (Psa 46:8): Come, behold the works of the Lord; they are to be observed (Psa 66:5), and to be sought out, Psa 111:2. All the operations of Providence must be considered as the works of the Lord, and his attributes and purposes must be taken notice of in them. Particularly take notice of the desolations he has made in the earth, among the enemies of his church, who thought to lay the land of Israel desolate. The destruction they designed to bring upon the church has been turned upon themselves. War is a tragedy which commonly destroys the stage it i…
Open source ↗46:6 People and nations live in chaos, characterized by opportunism (83:2), busyness (39:6), and noise. These people shake, totter, and crumble, unlike the city of God (cp. 15:5). In contrast, when the godly feel disturbed, they cry out for God’s help (42:5, 11; 43:5; 55:17).
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
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The 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—
The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded— hailstones and coals of fire.
The mountains quake before Him, and the hills melt away; the earth trembles at His presence— the world and all its dwellers.
The mountains will melt beneath Him, and the valleys will split apart, like wax before the fire, like water rushing down a slope.
The LORD raises His voice in the presence of His army. Indeed, His camp is very large, for mighty are those who obey His command. For the Day of the LORD is great and very dreadful. Who can endure it?
After this, the Moabites and Ammonites, together with some of the Meunites, came to make war against Jehoshaphat.
“The LORD has surely delivered the entire land into our hands,” they said to Joshua. “Indeed, all who dwell in the land are melting in fear of us.”
So you are to prophesy all these words against them and say to them: ‘The LORD will roar from on high; He will raise His voice from His holy habitation. He will roar loudly over His pasture; like those who tread the grapes, He will call out with a shout against all the inhabitants of the earth.
The mountains melt like wax at the presence of the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth.
When we heard this, our hearts melted and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in the heavens above and on the earth below.