Psalms 46:6 (ASV)

Passage

The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved: He uttered his voice, the earth melted.

Nearby Context

Psalms 46:4 There is a river, the streams whereof make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High.

Psalms 46:5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God will help her, and that right early.

Psalms 46:6 The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved: He uttered his voice, the earth melted.

Psalms 46:7 Jehovah of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

Psalms 46:8 Come, behold the works of Jehovah, What desolations he hath made in the earth.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "nations", "raged", "kingdoms", "moved", "uttered", "voice", "earth", and "melted". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "nations" and "raged", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 5's "God is in the midst of her..." into verse 7's "Jehovah of hosts is with us The...", so "nations" and "raged" belong inside that flow. In Psalms context, the local focus is worship, trust, the LORD's kingship, and covenant mercy.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "nations" and "raged" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.