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PSALM 46

To him that presides; a song for the sons of Korah, upon Alamoth.

1. god is our refuge and strength; he is found to be a powerful help in trouble.
2. Therefore we will not fear though the earth be moved, and the mountains be cast into the heart of the seas.
3. Though the waters thereof roar and foam; though the mountains shake with the swellings thereof. Selah.
4. There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of god, the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High.
5. god is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; god shall help her at the return of the morning.
6. The nations rage, the kingdoms are moved; he utters his voice, and the earth melts away.
7. jehovah of Hosts is with us, the god of Jacob is our defence. Selah.
8. Come you, behold the works of jehovah, who makes desolations in the earth.
9. He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow, and cuts the spear to pieces, he burns the chariot with fire.
10. Be still, and know that I am god; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.
11. jehovah of Hosts is with us; the god of Jacob is our defence. Selah.

Verses 2, 3, 4. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be moved, and the mountains be cast into the heart of the seas; though the waters thereof roar and foam; though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof: [There is] a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of god, the holy [place] of the tabernacles of the most high, god is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved. These Words in the spiritual sense involve, that although the church, with all things belonging to it, perishes, still the Word and the Divine Truth contained in it will not perish, for by the earth is signified the church, by the mountains its goods of love, by the waters truths, and by the waters thereof roaring and foaming, their states when they perish, and falses and evils enter in their place; consequently the state of the church, when it is vastated as to goods, and desolated as to truths; but see above, AE 304, 405, where those things are more fully explained. That the Word, or Divine Truth for the church, will not perish, is signified by a river, whose streams shall make glad the city of God, not being moved; river here signifies the same as fountain, namely the Word, because mention is made of its streams, by which are signified truths; the city of god signifies the church as to doctrine; to make glad, signifies influx and reception from joy of heart, and not to be moved signifies not to perish as to any thing. AE 518.

By the mountains which shall be cast into the heart of the seas, are signified the evils of the love of self, and of the world. AE 405.

By waters are signified the truths of the church, which are said to roar or be disturbed when they are falsified; by nations are signified the goods of the church, and in the opposite sense its evils; and by kingdoms the truths of the church, and in the opposite sense its falses, likewise those who are principled in the latter and the former. AE 304.

Jerusalem was called the holy city, because it signified the church as to the doctrine of Truth, and the Divine Truth proceeding from the lord is what is called holy. That the city, without such representation and consequent signification, would on no account have been called holy, but rather profane, may be manifest from this consideration, that they rejected the lord and crucified him there, wherefore also it is called Sodom and Egypt, Rev 11:8, but since it signified the church as to the doctrine of truth, it was called not only the holy city, but also the city of God and the city of the great king. AE 223.

Verse 5. God shall help her at the, return of the morning. Inasmuch as morning signifies the lord, his coming, also his kingdom and church, and likewise the good of love which is from him, it may hence be manifest what is meant by morning in the following passages, "Make me to hear your mercy in the morning," Psalm 142:8: again, "I will sing of your mercy in the morning," 59:17; again, "god shall help her at the return of the morning." AE 179.

Verse 9. He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth, he breaks the bow, and cuts the spear to pieces, he burns the chariot with fire. In this passage by jehovah making wars to cease to the end of the earth, is signified that he makes combats to cease, understood in a spiritual sense, which are of falses against the truths and goods of the church. See above, AE 357. AE 734.

Inasmuch as by wars are signified spiritual combats, which are of what is false against the truth and good of the church, it is hence evident what is signified by jehovah making wars to cease to the end of the earth, namely: that he makes to cease all combat and all disagreement from the first principles to the last of the truth of the church; the end [extremity] of the earth signifies its last principles; that there shall be no combat of doctrine against doctrine, is signified by his breaking the bow; that there will be no combat from any false principles of evil, is signified by cutting the spear to pieces; and that he will entirely destroy the doctrine of what is false, by his burning the chariots with fire. AE 357.