The Meaning of Psalms 46:6 Explained

Psalms 46:6

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

YLT: Troubled have been nations, Moved have been kingdoms, He hath given forth with His voice, earth melteth.

Darby: The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; he uttered his voice, the earth melted.

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

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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

What does Psalms 46:6 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalm 46:1-11 - "our Refuge And Strength"
The historical origin of this psalm cannot be certainly determined. Probably it was composed when Jerusalem was beleaguered by Sennacherib's hosts, 2 Kings 18:1-37. It befits every era in which the Church is in danger from her foes, and foretells the final destruction of Antichrist. It was Luther's favorite psalm, and is rendered into verse in his memorable hymn, Ein' Feste Burg. During the sitting of the Diet of Augsburg he sang it every day to his lute, standing at the window and looking up to heaven. The theme of the psalm is the security of God's people, and this is elaborated in three stanzas, each of which ends with Selah.
Alone among great cities, Jerusalem lacked a river; but God was willing to become all that a river could be and more. Your deficiencies give more room for God's all-sufficiency. Mark the beautiful alternative translation of Psalms 46:5, r.v., margin, "at the dawn of morning." Your sorrow is limited to a single night. See also Isaiah 37:36; Matthew 14:25. Be still, O troubled heart! The God of the nations is your Father! Desolations are the snapping off of the dead branches to prepare for the spring. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalm 46

1  The confidence which the church has in God
8  An exhortation to behold it

What do the individual words in Psalms 46:6 mean?

Raged the nations were moved the kingdoms He uttered His voice melted the earth
הָמ֣וּ ג֭וֹיִם מָ֣טוּ מַמְלָכ֑וֹת נָתַ֥ן בְּ֝קוֹל֗וֹ תָּמ֥וּג אָֽרֶץ

הָמ֣וּ  Raged 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: הָמָה  
Sense: to murmur, growl, roar, cry aloud, mourn, rage, sound, make noise, tumult, be clamorous, be disquieted, be loud, be moved, be troubled, be in an uproar.
ג֭וֹיִם  the  nations 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: גֹּוי 
Sense: nation, people.
מָ֣טוּ  were  moved 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: מֹוט  
Sense: to totter, shake, slip.
מַמְלָכ֑וֹת  the  kingdoms 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: מַמְלָכָה  
Sense: kingdom, dominion, reign, sovereignty.
נָתַ֥ן  He  uttered 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
בְּ֝קוֹל֗וֹ  His  voice 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: קֹול 
Sense: voice, sound, noise.
תָּמ֥וּג  melted 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: מוּג  
Sense: to melt, cause to melt.
אָֽרֶץ  the  earth 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.