Psalm 46:10
In Psalm 46:10 God himself speaks: "Be still, and know that I am God." In context it is a call to stop striving and fearing, and to recognise that God is in control and will be exalted over all the earth.
Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
Psalm 46:10 · KJV
Psalm 46:10 in context
7The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
8Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth.
9He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire.
10Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
11The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
Psalm 46:7-11, King James Version. Read the whole chapter →
What Psalm 46:10 means
The speaker changes in verse 10. Up to this point the psalm talks about God. Here God speaks in the first person: I am God, I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
Be still is often read as a call to quiet prayer, and it can include that. In the flow of the psalm, though, it comes right after God makes wars to cease, breaks the bow, and burns the chariot (verse 9). The Hebrew word is often explained as letting go, or ceasing. It is spoken to frightened believers and to warring nations alike: stop your striving, stop your panic, and recognise who God is.
The second half of the verse gives the reason the stillness is safe. God's rule is not in doubt. The heathen, here meaning the nations, rage in verse 6, but God will be exalted among them.
The verse sits inside a psalm about trust in disaster. Psalm 46 begins, God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble, and it imagines the earth removed and the mountains thrown into the sea. Stillness, in this psalm, is not the calm of easy days. It is trust in the middle of upheaval.
Background and context
The Hebrew heading of Psalm 46 assigns it to the sons of Korah, a family of Levite singers, and directs it to the chief Musician. We do not know the exact occasion. Some readers connect it with Jerusalem's rescue from the Assyrian army in Hezekiah's day, but the psalm does not say.
The psalm has three stanzas, each ending with Selah, and a refrain that appears in verses 7 and 11: The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Martin Luther's hymn A Mighty Fortress Is Our God was inspired by this psalm.
Key verses
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Psalm 46:1 · KJV
The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
Psalm 46:11 · KJV
Cross references
- Exodus 14:13-14 At the Red Sea, Moses tells Israel to stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, for the LORD shall fight for them.And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.
- 2 Chronicles 20:17 Judah is told they need not fight: stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD.Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you.
- Isaiah 30:15 In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength.For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.
- Psalm 37:7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him.Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
- Habakkuk 2:20 The LORD is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.But the LORD is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.
- Mark 4:39 Jesus says to the sea, Peace, be still, and there is a great calm.And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
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Common questions
What does Psalm 46:10 mean?
It is God's call to stop striving and fearing and to recognise that he is God. The psalm sets it in the middle of trouble and war, so the stillness is trust, not just quiet.
Who wrote Psalm 46:10?
The psalm's Hebrew heading assigns it to the sons of Korah, a family of temple singers. No single author is named.
Who is speaking in Psalm 46:10?
God himself speaks in this verse. The rest of the psalm speaks about God, but verse 10 is in the first person.
Does 'be still' mean to be quiet?
It can include quietness, but the Hebrew word is often explained as letting go or ceasing. In context it tells people to stop striving and trust God.
What hymn is based on Psalm 46?
Martin Luther's A Mighty Fortress Is Our God was inspired by Psalm 46.
100 Roots in Scripture
Every verse in its own language, in its own place
The Hebrew word behind be still is often explained as letting go, and 100 Roots in Scripture opens up the original words behind well-known verses like this one.
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