Author: Administrador

So here is the hard truth. The one that the psalmist doesn’t really want to admit. Money can make you happier. Sort of.  In a 2010 study by Daniel Kahneman and Angus Deaton at Princeton’s Center for Health and Well-being, research showed that income had a positive effect on both people’s emotional well-being and their … Continue reading “Psalm 49:1-12 Commentary by Adam Hearlson”

Since ancient times Psalm 47 has been used for worship. It is plain to see why Christians have used it on Ascension Day. “God has gone up with a shout” (47:5) brings to mind Jesus’ ascent into heaven. “The early church used the psalm to celebrate the ascension of Jesus, a practice that is commonly … Continue reading “Psalm 47 Commentary by Nancy Koester”

Psalm 47 is a hymn that celebrates God’s reign as king over the earth. The psalm also portrays a procession for the purpose of celebrating God’s kingship. This is most evident in the declaration that God has “gone up” with shouts and trumpet sound (verse 5) and now sits enthroned over the nations (verse 8). … Continue reading “Psalm 47 Commentary by Jerome Creach”

Psalm 47 is a hymn celebrating Yahweh’s dominion over the entire world. It was probably a part of a yearly ritual of divine enthronement in which the community affirmed the kingship of Yahweh. Historical and ritual background Psalm 47 is one of several so-called enthronement psalms (Psalms 93, 94-99). Establishing the details of the ritual … Continue reading “Psalm 47 Commentary by Joel LeMon”

Affirmations of faith are varied across cultures and traditions. How one articulates what is central or core to their belief system varies depending on a countless range of factors — age, gender, knowledge, experience, and so on. Here the Psalmist breathes in and breathes out what is foundational to the tradition. It is an air … Continue reading “Psalm 47 Commentary by Paul O. Myhre”

“Ein feste burg ist unser Gott…” is the original, German phrase that opens Martin Luther’s famous hymn. In English we sing “A mighty fortress is our God” but that is not quite the meaning of “feste burg.” In German, the word “fest” means “fast”-not “fast” as in “quick” or “speedy” but “fast” as in “unmoving,” … Continue reading “Psalm 46 Commentary by Hans Wiersma”

Psalm 46 is a song of trust in Yahweh. Its three major sections (verses 1-3, 4-7, 8-11) describe Yahweh’s defense of the people against cosmic and geopolitical threats. In the face of these dangers, the community reiterates its fundamental claim: Yahweh is with us (verses 1, 7, 11). “Though the Earth Should Change” The first … Continue reading “Psalm 46 Commentary by Joel LeMon”

“A Mighty Fortress is Our God” — the hymn, which according to Ulrich Leupold, “more than any other epitomizes Luther’s thought and personal experience” — is a rather free paraphrase of Psalm 46. For that reason, the psalm is assigned for Reformation Sunday. But as Leupold notes, Luther “did not write [the hymn] to express … Continue reading “Psalm 46 Commentary by Rolf Jacobson”

The good news of Psalm 46 is essentially the same as that of last week’s psalm (see Psalm 91:9-16, Twenty first Sunday after Pentecost) — that is, God is “with us.” This message is reinforced by the refrain of Psalm 46 (verses 7, 11), and it is the central promise in the divine address that … Continue reading “Psalm 46 Commentary by J. Clinton McCann”

As always, preaching for a festival of the church brings competing goods: Do we preach the text or preach the day? I will always want to err on the side of preaching the text, though I recognize that people suffer not only from biblical illiteracy but also from historical and doctrinal illiteracy, so there will … Continue reading “Psalm 46 Commentary by Fred Gaiser”