Psalm 46:3
New International Version
though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.

New Living Translation
Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge! Interlude

English Standard Version
though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah

Berean Standard Bible
though their waters roar and foam and the mountains quake in the surge. Selah

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

New King James Version
Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah

New American Standard Bible
Though its waters roar and foam, Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. Selah

NASB 1995
Though its waters roar and foam, Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. Selah.

NASB 1977
Though its waters roar and foam, Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. Selah.

Legacy Standard Bible
Though its waters roar and foam, Though the mountains quake at its lofty pride. Selah.

Amplified Bible
Though its waters roar and foam, Though the mountains tremble at its roaring. Selah.

Christian Standard Bible
though its water roars and foams and the mountains quake with its turmoil. Selah

Holman Christian Standard Bible
though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with its turmoil. Selah

American Standard Version
Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, Though the mountains tremble with the swelling thereof. [Selah

Contemporary English Version
Let the ocean roar and foam, and its raging waves shake the mountains.

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

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Water roars and foams, and mountains shake at the surging waves. [Selah]

Good News Translation
even if the seas roar and rage, and the hills are shaken by the violence.

International Standard Version
when its waters roar and rage, when the mountains tremble despite their pride. Interlude

Majority Standard Bible
though their waters roar and foam and the mountains quake in the surge. Selah

NET Bible
when its waves crash and foam, and the mountains shake before the surging sea. (Selah)

New Heart English Bible
though its waters roar and are troubled, though the mountains tremble with their swelling. Selah.

Webster's Bible Translation
Though its waters shall roar and be disturbed, though the mountains shake with the swelling of it. Selah.

World English Bible
though its waters roar and are troubled, though the mountains tremble with their swelling. Selah.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Roar—troubled are its waters, "" Mountains shake in its pride. Selah.

Young's Literal Translation
Roar -- troubled are its waters, Mountains they shake in its pride. Selah.

Smith's Literal Translation
Its waters will roar, they will foam; the mountains will tremble in its pride. Silence.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Their waters roared and were troubled: the mountains were troubled with his strength.

Catholic Public Domain Version
They thundered, and the waters were stirred up among them; the mountains have been disturbed by his strength.

New American Bible
Though its waters rage and foam and mountains totter at its surging. Selah

New Revised Standard Version
though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult. Selah
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the force thereof.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Their waters shall be troubled and return and the mountains will be moved by his strength.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Though the waters thereof roar and foam, Though the mountains shake at the swelling thereof. Selah

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Their waters have roared and been troubled, the mountains have been troubled by his might. Pause.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
God is Our Refuge and Strength
2Therefore we will not fear, though the earth is transformed and the mountains are toppled into the depths of the seas, 3though their waters roar and foam and the mountains quake in the surge. Selah 4There is a river whose streams delight the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.…

Cross References
Isaiah 24:19-20
The earth is utterly broken apart, the earth is split open, the earth is shaken violently. / The earth staggers like a drunkard and sways like a shack. Earth’s rebellion weighs it down, and it falls, never to rise again.

Jeremiah 4:23-26
I looked at the earth, and it was formless and void; I looked to the heavens, and they had no light. / I looked at the mountains, and behold, they were quaking; all the hills were swaying. / I looked, and no man was left; all the birds of the air had fled. ...

Nahum 1:5
The mountains quake before Him, and the hills melt away; the earth trembles at His presence—the world and all its dwellers.

Revelation 6:14
The sky receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved from its place.

Isaiah 2:19-21
Men will flee to caves in the rocks and holes in the ground, away from the terror of the LORD and from the splendor of His majesty, when He rises to shake the earth. / In that day men will cast away to the moles and bats their idols of silver and gold—the idols they made to worship. / They will flee to caverns in the rocks and crevices in the cliffs, away from the terror of the LORD and from the splendor of His majesty, when He rises to shake the earth.

Matthew 24:29
Immediately after the tribulation of those days: ‘The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.’

Joel 2:10-11
Before them the earth quakes; the heavens tremble. The sun and moon grow dark, and the stars lose their brightness. / The LORD raises His voice in the presence of His army. Indeed, His camp is very large, for mighty are those who obey His command. For the Day of the LORD is great and very dreadful. Who can endure it?

Revelation 16:18-20
And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake the likes of which had not occurred since men were upon the earth—so mighty was the great quake. / The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. And God remembered Babylon the great and gave her the cup of the wine of the fury of His wrath. / Then every island fled, and no mountain could be found.

Ezekiel 38:19-20
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.

Habakkuk 3:6
He stood and measured the earth; He looked and startled the nations; the ancient mountains crumbled; the perpetual hills collapsed. His ways are everlasting.

Luke 21:25-26
There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among the nations, bewildered by the roaring of the sea and the surging of the waves. / Men will faint from fear and anxiety over what is coming upon the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

Isaiah 13:13
Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken from its place at the wrath of the LORD of Hosts on the day of His burning anger.

Revelation 11:13
And in that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand were killed in the quake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

Haggai 2:6-7
For this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. / I will shake all the nations, and they will come with all their treasures, and I will fill this house with glory, says the LORD of Hosts.

Hebrews 12:26-27
At that time His voice shook the earth, but now He has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth, but heaven as well.” / The words “Once more” signify the removal of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that the unshakable may remain.


Treasury of Scripture

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

the waters

Psalm 18:4
The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.

Psalm 93:3,4
The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves…

Job 38:11
And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?

mountains

Psalm 114:4-7
The mountains skipped like rams, and the little hills like lambs…

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…

1 Kings 19:11
And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake:

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Disturbed Foam Motion Mountains Pride Quake Roar Selah Shake Shaking Sounding Surging Swelling Thereof Tremble Troubled Tumult Violent Waters
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Disturbed Foam Motion Mountains Pride Quake Roar Selah Shake Shaking Sounding Surging Swelling Thereof Tremble Troubled Tumult Violent Waters
Psalm 46
1. The confidence which the church has in God
8. An exhortation to behold it














though their waters roar and foam
This phrase evokes the imagery of tumultuous seas, symbolizing chaos and disorder. In biblical literature, the sea often represents danger and the unknown, as seen in Genesis 1:2, where the Spirit of God hovers over the waters, bringing order from chaos. The roaring and foaming waters can also be seen as a metaphor for nations in turmoil, as in Isaiah 17:12-13, where the nations are compared to the roaring of mighty waters. This imagery underscores God's sovereignty over creation and the nations, emphasizing His power to bring peace amidst chaos.

and the mountains quake in the surge
Mountains in biblical times were often seen as symbols of stability and permanence. The quaking of mountains signifies a dramatic upheaval, suggesting that even the most stable elements of creation are subject to God's power. This can be connected to the theophany at Mount Sinai in Exodus 19:18, where the mountain trembles at God's presence. The imagery of quaking mountains also points to eschatological themes, as seen in Revelation 6:14, where mountains are moved from their places during the end times. This serves as a reminder of God's ultimate authority over all creation.

Selah
The term "Selah" is a Hebrew word found frequently in the Psalms, often interpreted as a pause for reflection or a musical interlude. Its exact meaning is uncertain, but it invites the reader or listener to pause and consider the weight of the preceding words. In the context of this verse, "Selah" encourages contemplation of God's power over natural and national chaos, prompting trust in His unchanging nature amidst life's uncertainties.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The Psalmist
The author of Psalm 46, traditionally attributed to the sons of Korah, who were Levites and temple musicians. They express trust in God's protection amidst chaos.

2. Mountains
Symbolic of stability and permanence in the ancient world. Their quaking represents the upheaval of what is considered stable and secure.

3. Waters
Often symbolize chaos and danger in biblical literature. The roaring and foaming waters depict turmoil and uncertainty.

4. Selah
A term used in the Psalms, possibly indicating a pause for reflection or musical interlude, inviting the reader to meditate on the preceding verses.
Teaching Points
God's Sovereignty Over Chaos
Despite the roaring waters and quaking mountains, God remains in control. Believers can find peace knowing that God is sovereign over all circumstances.

Stability in God
The imagery of mountains quaking serves as a reminder that earthly stability is temporary, but God is our eternal refuge and strength.

Reflective Pause (Selah)
Taking time to pause and reflect on God's power and presence can strengthen our faith and provide peace in times of trouble.

Faith in Action
Trusting God in the midst of life's storms requires active faith. Believers are called to rely on God's promises and presence rather than their own understanding.(3) Though the waters . . .--The original is very expressive in its conciseness:

"They roar, they foam, its waters."

Comp. Homer's equally concise description, including in three words the "rush," the "swell," and the "roar" of ocean (Iliad, xxiii. 230).

Swelling.--Or, pride. (Comp. Job 38:11.) The change in construction in this verse seems to confirm the suspicion that the refrain has dropped away.

Verse 3. - Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled; or, roar and foam (Hengstenberg, Kay, Cheyne). Though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof (comp. Psalm 93:3, 4; Jeremiah 46:8, 9; Jeremiah 47:2).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
though its waters
מֵימָ֑יו (mê·māw)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 4325: Water, juice, urine, semen

roar
יֶהֱמ֣וּ (ye·hĕ·mū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1993: To make a, loud sound, commotion, tumult, to rage, war, moan, clamor

and foam
יֶחְמְר֣וּ (yeḥ·mə·rū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 2560: To boil up, to ferment, to glow, to smear with pitch

and the mountains
הָרִ֖ים (hā·rîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 2022: Mountain, hill, hill country

quake
יִֽרְעֲשֽׁוּ־ (yir·‘ă·šū-)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 7493: To undulate, through fear, to spring

in the surge.
בְּגַאֲוָת֣וֹ (bə·ḡa·’ă·wā·ṯōw)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1346: Arrogance, majesty, ornament

Selah
סֶֽלָה׃ (se·lāh)
Interjection
Strong's 5542: Suspension, pause


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OT Poetry: Psalm 46:3 Though its waters roar and are troubled (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 46:2
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