4 A river -- its rivulets rejoice the city of God, Thy holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High.
And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, bright as crystal, going forth out of the throne of God and of the Lamb: in the midst of its broad place, and of the river on this side and on that, `is' a tree of life, yielding twelve fruits, in each several month rendering its fruits, and the leaves of the tree `are' for the service of the nations; and any curse there shall not be any more, and the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him,
`Because that this people hath refused The waters of Shiloah that go softly, And is rejoicing with Rezin and the son of Remaliah, Therefore, lo, the Lord is bringing up on them, The waters of the river, the mighty and the great, (The king of Asshur, and all his glory,) And it hath gone up over all its streams, And hath gone on over all its banks.
And he causeth me to turn back unto the opening of the house; and lo, water is coming forth from under the threshold of the house eastward, for the front of the house `is' eastward, and the water is coming down from beneath, from the right side of the house, from the south of the altar. And he causeth me to go out the way of the gate northward, and causeth me to turn round the way without, unto the gate that `is' without, the way that is looking eastward, and lo, water is coming forth from the right side. In the going out of the man eastward, and a line in his hand, then he measureth a thousand by the cubit, and he causeth me to pass over into water -- water to the ankles. And he measureth a thousand, and causeth me to pass over into water -- water to the knees. And he measureth a thousand, and causeth me to pass over -- water to the loins. And he measureth a thousand -- a stream that I am not able to pass over; for risen have the waters -- waters to swim in -- a stream that is not passed over. And he saith unto me, `Hast thou seen, son of man?' and he leadeth me, and bringeth me back unto the edge of the stream. In my turning back, then, lo, at the edge of the stream `are' very many trees, on this side and on that side. And he saith unto me, `These waters are going forth unto the east circuit, and have gone down unto the desert, and have entered the sea; unto the sea they are brought forth, and the waters have been healed. And it hath come to pass, every living creature that teemeth, whithersoever the streams come, doth live: and there hath been great abundance of fish, for these waters have come thither, and they are healed; and every thing whither the stream cometh hath lived. And it hath come to pass, fishers do stand by it, from En-Gedi even unto En-Eglaim; a spreading place of nets they are; according to their own kind is their fish, as the fish of the great sea, very many. Its miry and its marshy places -- they are not healed; to salt they have been given up. And by the stream there cometh up on its edge, on this side and on that side, every `kind of' fruit-tree whose leaf fadeth not, and not consumed is its fruit, according to its months it yieldeth first-fruits, because its waters from the sanctuary are coming forth; and its fruits hath been for food, and its leaf for medicine.
And I have covered over this city, To save it, for Mine own sake, And for the sake of David My servant.' And a messenger of Jehovah goeth out, and smiteth in the camp of Asshur a hundred and eighty and five thousand; and `men' rise early in the morning, and lo, all of them `are' dead corpses.
`And it hath been, the place on which Jehovah your God doth fix to cause His name to tabernacle there, thither ye bring in all that which I am commanding you, your burnt-offerings, and your sacrifices, your tithes, and the heave-offering of your hand, and all the choice of your vows which ye vow to Jehovah; and ye have rejoiced before Jehovah your God, ye, and your sons, and your daughters, and your men-servants, and your handmaids, and the Levite who `is' within your gates, for he hath no part and inheritance with you.
and I, John, saw the holy city -- new Jerusalem -- coming down from God out of the heaven, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband; and I heard a great voice out of the heaven, saying, `Lo, the tabernacle of God `is' with men, and He will tabernacle with them, and they shall be His peoples, and God Himself shall be with them -- their God,
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Psalms 46
Commentary on Psalms 46 Matthew Henry Commentary
Psalm 46
This psalm encourages us to hope and trust in God, and his power, and providence, and gracious presence with his church in the worst of times, and directs us to give him the glory of what he has done for us and what he will do: probably it was penned upon occasion of David's victories over the neighbouring nations (2 Sa. 8), and the rest which God gave him from all his enemies round about. We are here taught,
We may, in singing it, apply it either to our spiritual enemies, and be more than conquerors over them, or to the public enemies of Christ's kingdom in the world and their threatening insults, endeavouring to preserve a holy security and serenity of mind when they seem most formidable. It is said of Luther that, when he heard any discouraging news, he would say, Come let us sing the forty-sixth psalm.
To the chief musician for the sons of Korah. A song upon Alamoth.
Psa 46:1-5
The psalmist here teaches us by his own example.
Observe here,
Psa 46:6-11
These verses give glory to God both as King of nations and as King of saints.