Psalms 46 · Verse 3

Psalms 46:3

Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.
Psalms 46:3, King James Version

Psalms 46:3 in other translations

BSBthough their waters roar and foam and the mountains quake in the surge. Selah
WEBthough its waters roar and are troubled, though the mountains tremble with their swelling. Selah.
ASVThough the waters thereof roar and be troubled, Though the mountains tremble with the swelling thereof. [Selah
YLTRoar--troubled are its waters, Mountains they shake in its pride. Selah.
DARBYThough the waters thereof roar and foam, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.
BBEThough its waters are sounding and troubled, and though the mountains are shaking with their violent motion. (Selah.)
WebsterThough its waters shall roar and be disturbed, though the mountains shake with the swelling of it. Selah.

What does Psalms 46:3 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 46:2-3

2-3. The most violent civil commotions are illustrated by the greatest physical commotions.

Read the full comment on Psalms 46:2-3 →

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 3 Though the waters thereof roar - Waters, in prophetic language, signify people; and, generally, people in a state of political commotion, here signified by the term roar. And by these strong agitations of the people, the mountains - the secular rulers, shake with the swelling thereof - tremble, for fear that these popular tumults should terminate in the subversion of the state. This very people had seen all Asia in a state of war. The Persians had overturned Asia Minor, and destroyed the Babylonian empire: they had seen Babylon itself sacked and entered by the Persians; and Cyrus, its conqueror, had behaved to them as a father and deliverer. While their oppressors were destroyed, themselves were preserved, and permitted to return to their own land.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Psalms 46:1-5

This psalm encourages to hope and trust in God; in his power and providence, and his gracious presence with his church in the worst of times. We may apply it to spiritual enemies, and the encouragement we have that, through Christ, we shall be conquerors over them. He is a Help, a present Help, a Help found, one whom we have found to be so; a Help at hand, one that is always near; we cannot desire a better, nor…

Read the full comment on Psalms 46:1-5 →

Psalms 46:3 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

יֶהֱמ֣וּye.he.Muthey will roarH1993
יֶחְמְר֣וּyech.me.Ruthey will foamH2560
מֵימָ֑יוmei.Mavwaters itsH4325
יִֽרְעֲשֽׁוּ\־yir.'a.shu-they will shakeH7493
הָרִ֖יםha.RimmountainsH2022
בְּגַאֲוָת֣וֹbe.ga.'a.va.Toat swelling itsH1346
סֶֽלָה\׃Se.lahSelahH5542

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Psalms 46:3

  • Psalms 93:3-4

    The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves. The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea.

  • Jeremiah 5:22

    Fear ye not me? saith the Lord: will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it?

  • Job 9:5-6

    Which removeth the mountains, and they know not: which overturneth them in his anger. Which shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble.

  • Micah 1:4

    And the mountains shall be molten under him, and the valleys shall be cleft, as wax before the fire, and as the waters that are poured down a steep place.

  • Nahum 1:5

    The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at his presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein.

  • Judges 5:4-5

    Lord, when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped water. The mountains melted from before the Lord, even that Sinai from before the Lord God of Israel.

  • Revelation 16:20

    And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.

  • Psalms 114:4-7

    The mountains skipped like rams, and the little hills like lambs. What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest? thou Jordan, that thou wast driven back? Ye mountains, that ye skipped like rams; and ye little hills, like lambs? Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob;

  • Job 38:11

    And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?

  • Isaiah 5:3

    And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard.

  • Matthew 7:25

    And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

  • Psalms 18:4

    The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
the waters.
18:4; 93:3,4; Job 38:11; Isa 5:3; 17:12,13; Jer 5:22; Mt 7:25
Re 17:15
mountains.
114:4-7; Jud 5:4,5; 1Ki 19:11; Job 9:5,6; Jer 4:24; Mic 1:4; Na 1:5
Re 16:20

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Psalms 46:2

    Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;

  • Psalms 46:3

    Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.

  • Psalms 46:4

    There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.

Read all of Psalms 46

Psalms 46:3 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Bramarán, turbaránse sus aguas; temblarán los montes á causa de su braveza. (Selah.)
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		C’est pourquoi nous ne craindrons point, quand la terre serait transportée de sa place, et que les montagnes seraient remuées et jetées au cœur des mers;
German
Elberfelder 1871		Wenn seine Wasser tobten und schäumten, die Berge erbebten durch sein Ungestüm.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		quoniam Dominus excelsus, terribilis, rex magnus super omnem terram.