Read Psalm 46 here (text coming …) or at Bible Gateway.
The Hebrew paragraph:
46:1-11 {p} God our high tower, no matter the shaking around us
Psa 46:1-11 Chiastic structure:
God is to us a refuge and strength, an exceedingly available help in overwhelming trouble. Psa 46:1
This translation captures the nuance of the Hebrew in a way that the common English rendering doesn’t.
‘God is to us,’ and not ‘God is our’: The refuge and strength of God does not belong to us, as ‘our’ implies, but is rather available to us.
‘Exceedingly available help,’ and not ‘very present help’: ‘Very present’ locks the help into the immediate moment. Yes, His help is immediate, but the Hebrew says more than that; it’s not only immediate, but also available, accessible, and abundant. It’s about the quality and extent of the help, and not just the timing.
‘Overwhelming trouble,’ and not just ‘trouble:’ ‘Trouble’ in the Hebrew it is in its plural form, but the English translators don’t render it “troubles.” They understood it as an intensive plural—a single concept, but emphatic or magnified. Since the intensive plural in Hebrew indicates trouble on a greatly magnified scale, the translation restores that meaning.
So the Hebrew construction brings out a valuable insight: just as the trouble is magnified, so is His help exceedingly available. It’s help that not only matches the scope of the trouble, but outstrips it. Thus, “Therefore we shall not fear …”
If there are questions, these are good resources:
God will help me – Christine Miller
Strong’s H4131, “To be moved/ shaken” Hebrew Root Word Parable – Christine Miller
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