Psalm 46:8
New International Version
Come and see what the LORD has done, the desolations he has brought on the earth.

New Living Translation
Come, see the glorious works of the LORD: See how he brings destruction upon the world.

English Standard Version
Come, behold the works of the LORD, how he has brought desolations on the earth.

Berean Standard Bible
Come, see the works of the LORD, who brings devastation upon the earth.

King James Bible
Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth.

New King James Version
Come, behold the works of the LORD, Who has made desolations in the earth.

New American Standard Bible
Come, behold the works of the LORD, Who has inflicted horrific events on the earth.

NASB 1995
Come, behold the works of the LORD, Who has wrought desolations in the earth.

NASB 1977
Come, behold the works of the LORD, Who has wrought desolations in the earth.

Legacy Standard Bible
Come, behold the works of Yahweh, Who has appointed desolations in the earth.

Amplified Bible
Come, behold the works of the LORD, Who has brought desolations and wonders on the earth.

Christian Standard Bible
Come, see the works of the LORD, who brings devastation on the earth.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Come, see the works of the LORD, who brings devastation on the earth.

American Standard Version
Come, behold the works of Jehovah, What desolations he hath made in the earth.

Contemporary English Version
Come! See the fearsome things the LORD has done on earth.

English Revised Version
Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Come, see the works of the LORD, the devastation he has brought to the earth.

Good News Translation
Come and see what the LORD has done. See what amazing things he has done on earth.

International Standard Version
Come, observe the mighty works of the LORD, who causes desolation in the earth.

Majority Standard Bible
Come, see the works of the LORD, who brings devastation upon the earth.

NET Bible
Come! Witness the exploits of the LORD, who brings devastation to the earth!

New Heart English Bible
Come, see the LORD's works, what desolations he has made in the earth.

Webster's Bible Translation
Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth.

World English Bible
Come, see Yahweh’s works, what desolations he has made in the earth.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Come, see the works of YHWH, "" Who has done astonishing things in the earth,

Young's Literal Translation
Come ye, see the works of Jehovah, Who hath done astonishing things in the earth,

Smith's Literal Translation
Come, behold the works of Jehovah, what desolations he set in the earth.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Come and behold ye the works of the Lord: what wonders he hath done upon earth,

Catholic Public Domain Version
Draw near and behold the works of the Lord: what portents he has set upon the earth,

New American Bible
Come and see the works of the LORD, who has done fearsome deeds on earth;

New Revised Standard Version
Come, behold the works of the LORD; see what desolations he has brought on the earth.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Come, behold the works of God, for he does wonders in the earth.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Come behold the works of God who does wonders in the Earth.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Come, behold the works of the LORD, Who hath made desolations in the earth.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Come, and behold the works of the Lord, what wonders he has achieved on the earth.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
God is Our Refuge and Strength
7The LORD of Hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah 8Come, see the works of the LORD, who brings devastation upon the earth. 9He makes wars to cease throughout the earth; He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; He burns the shields in the fire.…

Cross References
Isaiah 2:4
Then He will judge between the nations and arbitrate for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer take up the sword against nation, nor train anymore for war.

Isaiah 14:24-27
The LORD of Hosts has sworn: “Surely, as I have planned, so will it be; as I have purposed, so will it stand. / I will break Assyria in My land; I will trample him on My mountain. His yoke will be taken off My people, and his burden removed from their shoulders.” / This is the plan devised for the whole earth, and this is the hand stretched out over all the nations. ...

Isaiah 37:36-38
Then the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 men in the camp of the Assyrians. When the people got up the next morning, there were all the dead bodies! / So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there. / One day, while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer put him to the sword and escaped to the land of Ararat. And his son Esar-haddon reigned in his place.

Isaiah 42:13-15
The LORD goes forth like a mighty one; He stirs up His zeal like a warrior. He shouts; yes, He roars in triumph over His enemies: / “I have kept silent from ages past; I have remained quiet and restrained. But now I will groan like a woman in labor; I will at once gasp and pant. / I will lay waste the mountains and hills and dry up all their vegetation. I will turn the rivers into dry land and drain the marshes.

Isaiah 66:15-16
For behold, the LORD will come with fire—His chariots are like a whirlwind—to execute His anger with fury and His rebuke with flames of fire. / For by fire and by His sword, the LORD will execute judgment on all flesh, and many will be slain by the LORD.

Jeremiah 25:31-33
The tumult will resound to the ends of the earth because the LORD brings a charge against the nations. He brings judgment on all mankind and puts the wicked to the sword,’” declares the LORD. / This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Behold! Disaster is spreading from nation to nation; a mighty storm is rising from the ends of the earth.” / Those slain by the LORD on that day will be spread from one end of the earth to the other. They will not be mourned, gathered, or buried. They will be like dung lying on the ground.

Ezekiel 38:18-23
Now on that day when Gog comes against the land of Israel, declares the Lord GOD, My wrath will flare up. / 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. ...

Ezekiel 39:21-22
I will display My glory among the nations, and all the nations will see the judgment that I execute and the hand that I lay upon them. / From that day forward the house of Israel will know that I am the LORD their God.

Zephaniah 3:8
Therefore wait for Me,” declares the LORD, “until the day I rise to testify. For My decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour out upon them My indignation—all My burning anger. For all the earth will be consumed by the fire of My jealousy.

Zechariah 14:3-4
Then the LORD will go out to fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. / On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half the mountain moving to the north and half to the south.

Exodus 15:1-3
Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD: “I will sing to the LORD, for He is highly exalted. The horse and rider He has thrown into the sea. / The LORD is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise Him, my father’s God, and I will exalt Him. / The LORD is a warrior, the LORD is His name.

2 Kings 19:35
And that very night the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 men in the camp of the Assyrians. When the people got up the next morning, there were all the dead bodies!

2 Chronicles 20:22-24
The moment they began their shouts and praises, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir who had come against Judah, and they were defeated. / The Ammonites and Moabites rose up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, devoting them to destruction. And when they had finished off the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another. / When the men of Judah came to a place overlooking the wilderness, they looked for the vast army, but there were only corpses lying on the ground; no one had escaped.

Revelation 19:11-16
Then I saw heaven standing open, and there before me was a white horse. And its rider is called Faithful and True. With righteousness He judges and wages war. / He has eyes like blazing fire, and many royal crowns on His head. He has a name written on Him that only He Himself knows. / He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is The Word of God. ...

Revelation 19:19-21
Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies assembled to wage war against the One seated on the horse, and against His army. / But the beast was captured along with the false prophet, who on its behalf had performed signs deceiving those who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. Both the beast and the false prophet were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. / And the rest were killed with the sword that proceeded from the mouth of the One seated on the horse. And all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.


Treasury of Scripture

Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he has made in the earth.

Come

Psalm 66:5
Come and see the works of God: he is terrible in his doing toward the children of men.

Psalm 92:4-6
For thou, LORD, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands…

Psalm 111:2,3
The works of the LORD are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein…

desolations

Exodus 10:7
And Pharaoh's servants said unto him, How long shall this man be a snare unto us? let the men go, that they may serve the LORD their God: knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed?

Exodus 12:30
And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead.

Exodus 14:30,31
Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore…

Jump to Previous
Astonishing Desolations Destruction Earth Works Wrought
Jump to Next
Astonishing Desolations Destruction Earth Works Wrought
Psalm 46
1. The confidence which the church has in God
8. An exhortation to behold it














Come
The Hebrew word used here is "לְכוּ" (lechu), which is an imperative form, inviting or commanding the audience to approach. This word sets the tone for an active engagement with God's actions. It is a call to attention, urging believers to step forward and witness the divine power and sovereignty of God. In a spiritual sense, it is an invitation to draw near to God, to be present and attentive to His mighty works.

see
The Hebrew root "רָאָה" (ra'ah) means to perceive, consider, or understand. This is not merely a physical act of seeing but involves a deeper comprehension and acknowledgment of God's actions. It suggests an invitation to discern and reflect on the divine interventions in the world. The act of seeing here is transformative, encouraging believers to gain insight and wisdom from observing God's handiwork.

the works of the LORD
The term "works" (מַעֲשֵׂה, ma'aseh) refers to the deeds or actions of God. In the context of the Psalms, these works often include acts of creation, judgment, and salvation. The phrase emphasizes God's active role in the world, showcasing His power and authority. Historically, the Israelites would recall the mighty acts of God, such as the Exodus, as evidence of His ongoing involvement and faithfulness.

who brings devastation
The Hebrew word "שָׁמָה" (shamah) can be translated as desolation or ruin. This phrase acknowledges God's sovereignty over all things, including His ability to bring judgment and correction. It serves as a reminder of the seriousness of God's power and the consequences of turning away from His will. In a broader theological context, it underscores the belief that God is just and righteous, even when His actions involve destruction.

upon the earth
The phrase "בָּאָרֶץ" (ba'aretz) refers to the physical world, the land, or the earth. It highlights the scope of God's influence, which extends over all creation. This serves as a reminder of God's omnipresence and omnipotence, reinforcing the idea that nothing is beyond His control. Historically, this would resonate with the Israelites' understanding of God as the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, whose authority is unmatched.

(8) The Lord.--Many MSS. read Elohim instead of "Jehovah."

Desolations . . .--Either, silence of desolation, "silence" being the primary sense of the word, or (as in Jeremiah 19:8), wonders, which silence by their suddenness and marvel. So LXX. and Vulg., and this is confirmed by Psalm 46:10.

Verse 8. - Come, behold the works of the Lord, what desolations he hath made in the earth. The deliverance of Israel from its peril is effected by "desolations" or "devastations," which God accomplishes among the nations. The announcement is very vague and general, so that it would apply to almost any occasion when the people of God were delivered from a pressing peril.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Come,
לְֽכוּ־ (lə·ḵū-)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

see
חֲ֭זוּ (ḥă·zū)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 2372: To gaze at, to perceive, contemplate, to have a, vision of

the works
מִפְעֲל֣וֹת (mip̄·‘ă·lō·wṯ)
Noun - feminine plural construct
Strong's 4659: A work, something made

of the LORD,
יְהוָ֑ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

who
אֲשֶׁר־ (’ă·šer-)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

brings
שָׂ֖ם (śām)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7760: Put -- to put, place, set

devastation
שַׁמּ֣וֹת (šam·mō·wṯ)
Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 8047: Ruin, consternation

upon the earth.
בָּאָֽרֶץ׃ (bā·’ā·reṣ)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land


Links
Psalm 46:8 NIV
Psalm 46:8 NLT
Psalm 46:8 ESV
Psalm 46:8 NASB
Psalm 46:8 KJV

Psalm 46:8 BibleApps.com
Psalm 46:8 Biblia Paralela
Psalm 46:8 Chinese Bible
Psalm 46:8 French Bible
Psalm 46:8 Catholic Bible

OT Poetry: Psalm 46:8 Come see Yahweh's works what desolations he (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 46:7
Top of Page
Top of Page