Psalm 46:6
New International Version
Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

New Living Translation
The nations are in chaos, and their kingdoms crumble! God’s voice thunders, and the earth melts!

English Standard Version
The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts.

Berean Standard Bible
Nations rage, kingdoms crumble; the earth melts when He lifts His voice.

King James Bible
The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted.

New King James Version
The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted.

New American Standard Bible
The nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered; He raised His voice, the earth quaked.

NASB 1995
The nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered; He raised His voice, the earth melted.

NASB 1977
The nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered; He raised His voice, the earth melted.

Legacy Standard Bible
The nations roar, the kingdoms shake; He gives His voice, the earth melts.

Amplified Bible
The nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered and were moved; He raised His voice, the earth melted.

Christian Standard Bible
Nations rage, kingdoms topple; the earth melts when he lifts his voice.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Nations rage, kingdoms topple; the earth melts when He lifts His voice.

American Standard Version
The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved: He uttered his voice, the earth melted.

Contemporary English Version
Nations rage! Kingdoms fall! But at the voice of God the earth itself melts.

English Revised Version
The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Nations are in turmoil, and kingdoms topple. The earth melts at the sound of [God's] voice.

Good News Translation
Nations are terrified, kingdoms are shaken; God thunders, and the earth dissolves.

International Standard Version
The nations roared; the kingdoms were shaken. His voice boomed; the earth melts.

Majority Standard Bible
Nations rage, kingdoms crumble; the earth melts when He lifts His voice.

NET Bible
Nations are in uproar, kingdoms are overthrown. God gives a shout, the earth dissolves.

New Heart English Bible
The nations raged. The kingdoms were moved. He lifted his voice, and the earth melted.

Webster's Bible Translation
The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted.

World English Bible
The nations raged. The kingdoms were moved. He lifted his voice and the earth melted.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Nations have been troubled, "" Kingdoms have been moved, "" He has given forth with His voice—earth melts.

Young's Literal Translation
Troubled have been nations, Moved have been kingdoms, He hath given forth with His voice, earth melteth.

Smith's Literal Translation
Nations raged, kingdoms were moved: he gave with his voice, the earth will melt.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Nations were troubled, and kingdoms were bowed down: he uttered his voice, the earth trembled.

Catholic Public Domain Version
The peoples have been disturbed, and the kingdoms have been bowed down. He uttered his voice: the earth has been moved.

New American Bible
Though nations rage and kingdoms totter, he utters his voice and the earth melts.

New Revised Standard Version
The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
The heathen raged, the kingdoms trembled: he raised his voice, the earth quaked.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
The nations raged and the kingdoms moved, he raised his voice and the Earth shook.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Nations were in tumult, kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
The nations were troubled, the kingdoms tottered: he uttered his voice, the earth shook.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
God is Our Refuge and Strength
5God is within her; she will not be moved. God will help her when morning dawns. 6Nations rage, kingdoms crumble; the earth melts when He lifts His voice. 7The LORD of Hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah…

Cross References
Isaiah 17:12-14
Alas, the tumult of many peoples; they rage like the roaring seas and clamoring nations; they rumble like the crashing of mighty waters. / The nations rage like the rush of many waters. He rebukes them, and they flee far away, driven before the wind like chaff on the hills, like tumbleweeds before a gale. / In the evening, there is sudden terror! Before morning, they are no more! This is the portion of those who loot us and the lot of those who plunder us.

Isaiah 37:36-38
Then the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 men in the camp of the Assyrians. When the people got up the next morning, there were all the dead bodies! / So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there. / One day, while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer put him to the sword and escaped to the land of Ararat. And his son Esar-haddon reigned in his place.

Revelation 11:18
The nations were enraged, and Your wrath has come. The time has come to judge the dead and to reward Your servants the prophets, as well as the saints and those who fear Your name, both small and great—and to destroy those who destroy the earth.”

Revelation 19:19-21
Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies assembled to wage war against the One seated on the horse, and against His army. / But the beast was captured along with the false prophet, who on its behalf had performed signs deceiving those who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. Both the beast and the false prophet were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. / And the rest were killed with the sword that proceeded from the mouth of the One seated on the horse. And all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.

Jeremiah 25:31
The tumult will resound to the ends of the earth because the LORD brings a charge against the nations. He brings judgment on all mankind and puts the wicked to the sword,’” declares the LORD.

Ezekiel 38:18-23
Now on that day when Gog comes against the land of Israel, declares the Lord GOD, My wrath will flare up. / In My zeal and fiery rage I proclaim that on that day there will be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. / The fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the beasts of the field, every creature that crawls upon the ground, and all mankind on the face of the earth will tremble at My presence. The mountains will be thrown down, the cliffs will collapse, and every wall will fall to the ground. ...

Matthew 24:6-7
You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is still to come. / Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.

Luke 21:9-11
When you hear of wars and rebellions, do not be alarmed. These things must happen first, but the end is not imminent.” / Then He told them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. / There will be great earthquakes, famines, and pestilences in various places, along with fearful sights and great signs from heaven.

Isaiah 2:4
Then He will judge between the nations and arbitrate for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer take up the sword against nation, nor train anymore for war.

Isaiah 14:5-7
The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers. / It struck the peoples in anger with unceasing blows; it subdued the nations in rage with relentless persecution. / All the earth is at peace and at rest; they break out in song.

Zechariah 14:3-4
Then the LORD will go out to fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. / On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half the mountain moving to the north and half to the south.

Revelation 16:14-16
These are demonic spirits that perform signs and go out to all the kings of the earth, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty. / “Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who remains awake and clothed, so that he will not go naked and let his shame be exposed.” / And they assembled the kings in the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.

Daniel 2:44
In the days of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will shatter all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, but will itself stand forever.

Daniel 7:26-27
But the court will convene, and his dominion will be taken away and completely destroyed forever. / Then the sovereignty, dominion, and greatness of the kingdoms under all of heaven will be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will serve and obey Him.’

Micah 4:3
Then He will judge between many peoples and arbitrate for strong nations far and wide. Then they will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer take up the sword against nation, nor will they train anymore for war.


Treasury of Scripture

The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted.

heathen

Psalm 2:1-4
Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? …

Psalm 83:2-8
For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head…

2 Chronicles 14:9-13
And there came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with an host of a thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots; and came unto Mareshah…

kingdoms

Isaiah 14:12-16
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! …

earth

Psalm 68:8
The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel.

Psalm 97:5
The hills melted like wax at the presence of the LORD, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.

Joshua 2:9,11,24
And she said unto the men, I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you…

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Angry Earth Fall Forth Heathen Kingdoms Lifted Melted Melteth Melts Moved Nations Rage Raged Raised Sound Totter Troubled Tumult Uproar Uttered Utters Voice Wax
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Angry Earth Fall Forth Heathen Kingdoms Lifted Melted Melteth Melts Moved Nations Rage Raged Raised Sound Totter Troubled Tumult Uproar Uttered Utters Voice Wax
Psalm 46
1. The confidence which the church has in God
8. An exhortation to behold it














Nations rage
The Hebrew word for "nations" is "goyim," which often refers to Gentile nations or peoples outside of Israel. In the context of Psalm 46, it signifies the tumultuous and rebellious nature of the world powers against God's sovereignty. The word "rage" comes from the Hebrew "hamah," which conveys a sense of uproar or commotion. Historically, this reflects the constant state of conflict and unrest among nations, a theme prevalent throughout the Bible. The imagery here is of a world in chaos, yet it serves as a reminder of God's ultimate control over the affairs of men.

kingdoms crumble
The term "kingdoms" in Hebrew is "mamlakhot," referring to established realms or dominions. The word "crumble" is translated from "mowt," meaning to totter or fall. This phrase captures the transient nature of earthly powers. Throughout history, empires have risen and fallen, underscoring the futility of human pride and ambition when set against the eternal kingdom of God. This serves as a powerful reminder that no matter how mighty a kingdom may appear, it is subject to the will of God and can be brought to nothing in an instant.

the earth melts
The Hebrew word for "earth" is "erets," which can mean land, ground, or the entire world. "Melts" is derived from "muwg," suggesting a dissolving or vanishing. This vivid imagery portrays the overwhelming power of God, who can cause the very foundations of the earth to dissolve. It echoes the biblical theme of God's sovereignty over creation, as seen in passages like 2 Peter 3:10, where the elements will be destroyed by fire. This serves as a sobering reminder of the impermanence of the physical world and the enduring nature of God's word and promises.

He lifts His voice
The phrase "lifts His voice" indicates the authority and power of God's spoken word. In Hebrew, "nasa" means to lift or carry, and "qol" refers to voice or sound. This suggests that when God speaks, His voice carries weight and authority, commanding attention and obedience. Throughout Scripture, God's voice is depicted as powerful and creative, as in Genesis 1, where He speaks the world into existence. This phrase reassures believers of God's active presence and intervention in the world, emphasizing that His word is final and decisive.

the earth melts
Reiterating the previous phrase, the repetition underscores the certainty and immediacy of God's power over creation. The melting of the earth symbolizes the ultimate authority of God over all things, reminding believers of the temporary nature of the physical world and the eternal nature of God's kingdom. This serves as an encouragement to place trust not in earthly powers or possessions, but in the unshakeable foundation of God's sovereignty and love.

(6) The absence of conjunctions, and sudden change from the preterite to the future, lends a vividness to the picture.

"Raged heathen, tottered kingdoms

Gave with His voice (the signal) (and lo !)

Melts the earth."

Verse 6. - The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted (comp. vers. 2 and 3). The past tenses arc probably the "preterite of prophetic certainty." The writer foresees and announces the destruction of Israel's enemies.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Nations
ג֭וֹיִם (ḡō·w·yim)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1471: A foreign nation, a Gentile, a troop of animals, a flight of locusts

rage,
הָמ֣וּ (hā·mū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 1993: To make a, loud sound, commotion, tumult, to rage, war, moan, clamor

kingdoms
מַמְלָכ֑וֹת (mam·lā·ḵō·wṯ)
Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 4467: Kingdom, sovereignty, dominion, reign

crumble;
מָ֣טוּ (mā·ṭū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 4131: To waver, to slip, shake, fall

the earth
אָֽרֶץ׃ (’ā·reṣ)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land

melts
תָּמ֥וּג (tā·mūḡ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 4127: To melt

when He lifts
נָתַ֥ן (nā·ṯan)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

His voice.
בְּ֝קוֹל֗וֹ (bə·qō·w·lōw)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 6963: A voice, sound


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OT Poetry: Psalm 46:6 The nations raged (Psalm Ps Psa.)
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