Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 46:5
God [is] in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, [and that] right early.
5. God is in the midst of her ] Cp. Isa 12:6; and Mic 3:11, where we learn how this watchword was abused by those who saw in the Presence of God a pledge of protection but no call to holiness.
she shall not be moved ] More stable than the solid mountains ( Psa 46:2): more secure than the kingdoms of the earth ( Psa 46:6).
and that right early ] Better, when the morn appeareth, when the dawn of deliverance succeeds the night of distress (Psa 46:3; Psa 30:5): but not without a special reference to the morning when they rose to find Sennacherib’s army destroyed (Isa 37:36), and a reminiscence of the Exodus, where the same phrase is used (Exo 14:27).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
God is in the midst of her – God is in the midst of the city referred to above – the city of God. That is,
(a) he dwelt there by the visible symbol of his presence, the Shekinah;
(b) he was there actually as a help and a protector.
It was his chosen abode, and as long as such a Being dwelt in the city, they had nothing to fear.
God shall help her – That is, in her danger, he will interpose to save her. This is language such as would be used in reference to a place that was besieged, and would well apply to the state of things when Jerusalem was besieged by the armies of Assyria under Sennacherib. The language expresses the confidence of the people in the time of the impending danger.
And that right early – Margin, when the morning appeareth. Literally, in the faces of the morning, as the word is commonly used; or, more literally, in the turning of the morning – for the verb from which the word is derived means properly to turn, and then to turn to or from any one. The noun is applied to the face or countenance, because the person is turned to us when we see his countenance. The poetic idea here seems to refer to the day as having turned away from us at night, and then as turning about toward us in the morning, after having gone, as it were, to the greatest distance from us. Possibly there may be an allusion here to what occurred in the camp of the Assyrians, when the discovery that the angel of the Lord had smitten them was made early in the morning, or when men arose in the morning: The angel of the Lord went forth, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred and fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose in the morning (that is, when men arose in the morning), behold, they were all dead corpses, Isa 37:36.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 5. God is in the midst of her] God will not abandon them that trust in him; he will maintain his own cause; and, if his Church should at any time be attacked, he will help her, and that right early – with the utmost speed. As soon as the onset is made, God is there to resist. As by the day-break the shadows and darkness are dissipated; so by the bright rising of Jehovah, the darkness of adversity shall be scattered.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Heb. as soon as the morning appeareth, i.e. speedily, after a short night of affliction; compare Psa 30:5; and seasonably, when the danger is greatest, and the enemies prepare to make the assault; which is commonly done in the morning.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
5. right earlyliterally, “atthe turn of morning,” or change from night to day, a criticaltime (Ps 30:5; compare Isa37:36).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
God [is] in the midst of her,…. The church and people of God; not merely by his essence, power, and providence, as he is in the midst of the world; but by his gracious presence, and which always continues, though not always perceived; and is a sufficient antidote against all fear of men and devils;
she shall not be moved; though the earth may; and when it is,
Ps 46:2, neither from the heart of God, on which his people are set as a seal; nor from the hands of Christ, from whence they can never be plucked; nor from the covenant of grace, which is immovable; nor off of the rock Christ, on which they are built; nor from the state of grace, of justification, adoption, and sanctification, in which they stand; nor out of the world, by all the cunning and power of antichrist;
God shall help her, [and that] right early: or “when the morning looks out” x. When it is night with the church, it is the hour and power of darkness with the enemies of it; and this is the time of the reign of antichrist, whose kingdom is a kingdom of darkness: but the “morning cometh, and also the night”; the former being about to break forth, and the latter to be at an end; yea, at eventide it shall be light: and the Lord will be a suitable, seasonable, and timely help to his people; for though weeping endures the night, joy comes in the morning.
x “respiciente mane”, Pagninus; “ad prospectum aurorae”, Musculus; “at the looking forth of the morning”, Ainsworth; that is, “speedily and quickly”, as Suidas interprets it in voce .
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
5. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved. The Psalmist now shows that the great security of the Church consists in this, that God dwells in the midst of her; for the verb which we translate, shall be moved, is of the feminine gender, nor can it be referred to God, as if it were designed to teach that God is immovable. The sentence must be explained in this way, The holy city shall not be moved or shaken, because God dwells there, and is always ready to help her. The expression, the dawn of the morning (177) denotes daily, as soon as the sun rises upon the earth. The sum of the whole is, If we desire to be protected by the hand of God, we must be concerned above all things that he may dwell amongst us; for all hope of safety depends upon his presence alone. And he dwells amongst us for no other purpose than to preserve us uninjured. Moreover, although God does not always hasten immediately to our aid, according to the importunity of our desires, yet he will always come to us seasonably, so as to make apparent the truth of what is elsewhere said,
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Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep,” (Psa 121:4.)
(177) “ At the looking forth of the morning; that is, as the Greek explaineth it, ‘very early;’ when the morning peereth or showeth the face.” — Ainsworth. “ As soon as the morning appears [or shows ] its face; i. e. , God will come very early to her succor, before any enemy is awakened to annoy her.” — Mudge. “ Before the dawn of the morning; i. e. , with the utmost readiness and alacrity. The expression is borrowed from the conduct of a person who, in his anxiety to accomplish a favorite object, engages in it earlier than men ordinarily would. Jer 7:13.” — French and Skinner.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(5) Right early.Literally, at the turning of the morning. Evidently metaphorical of the dawn of a brighter day.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
5. God is in the midst of her Not the natural strength of the city, nor its improved fortifications, commissary supplies, extensive water works, military discipline, and arsenal stores, on which Hezekiah had bestowed such timely attention not these were the strength of the city, but God, who was in the midst of her.
Right early Literally, at the uncovering of dawn; the earliest day streak, before the dawn proper; that is, immediately, in the opportune moment.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Psa 46:5. And that right early At the appearing of the morning. Houbigant, &c. As soon as the morning shews its face, i.e. “God will come very early to her succour, before any enemy is awakened to annoy her.”
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Psa 46:5 God [is] in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, [and that] right early.
Ver. 5. God is in the midst of her ] Hence the Church is called Jehovah Shammah, the Lord is there, Eze 48:35 , there he hath set him up a mercy seat, a throne of grace, and paved his people a new and living way thereunto with the blood of his Son, so that they may come boldly, obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need, Heb 4:14 .
She shall not be moved
God shall help her, and that right early
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
in the midst = in the middle, not the same as Psa 46:2.
moved. Same word as “carried”, in Psa 46:2.
and that right early. Hebrew at the turning of the morning: i.e. when the morning dawns. See 2Ki 19:31-35. Isa 37:35, Isa 37:36. Compare Exo 14:27.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
God is: Psa 68:18, Deu 23:14, Isa 12:6, Eze 43:7, Eze 43:9, Hos 11:9, Joe 2:27, Zep 3:15, Zec 2:5, Zec 2:10, Zec 2:11, Zec 8:3, Mat 18:20, Rev 2:1
she: Psa 62:2, Psa 62:6, Psa 112:6, Psa 125:1
and that: etc. Heb. when the mourning appeareth, Psa 30:5, Psa 143:8, Exo 14:24, Exo 14:27, Luk 18:8
Reciprocal: Deu 7:21 – the Lord 2Ki 7:1 – To morrow 2Ki 19:34 – I will defend Psa 14:5 – God Psa 48:8 – God Psa 145:18 – nigh unto Isa 17:13 – but Isa 27:3 – do keep Isa 29:5 – at an Isa 31:5 – birds Isa 33:2 – our salvation Isa 33:20 – thine eyes Isa 33:21 – a place Isa 44:2 – formed Isa 46:13 – shall not tarry Jer 14:9 – art Eze 48:35 – The Lord
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
46:5 God [is] in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, [and that] {f} right early.
(f) Always when need requires.