Psalms 48:6 (KJV)

What does Psalms 48:6 mean?

Psalms 48:6 describes a moment when fear suddenly overwhelms certain people, gripping them so intensely that it is compared to the sharp pain a woman feels during childbirth. The verse uses vivid imagery to show how sudden and powerful this fear is.

In the context of the psalm, the writer is talking about enemies who come against Jerusalem but are struck with terror and panic. The city is being praised for its security and God's protection, and this verse highlights how those who threaten it are overcome by fear and distress, unable to stand against God's presence.

The Hebrew behind Psalms 48:6

• The word for "fear" is רְעָדָה (re'adah), which means trembling or quaking. This word emphasizes not just worry, but a physical reaction of shaking from terror.
• The word for "hold" is אָחַז (achaz), which means to seize or take hold of. In this verse, it shows how fear doesn't just appear—it grabs and controls those experiencing it.
• The word for "pain" is חֵיל (cheil), often used for severe pain or anguish. This is not mild discomfort but a deep, overwhelming pain.
• The comparison "as of a woman in travail" uses יָלַד (yalad), which means to give birth. The pain of childbirth is a common biblical image for sudden, unavoidable distress, making the fear described here especially intense.

Why Psalms 48:6 matters

• This verse clears up that the fear described is not ordinary anxiety but a sudden, overwhelming terror that physically takes hold, much like the unavoidable pain of childbirth.
• The verse emphasizes the powerlessness of those who oppose God's people, showing that their defeat is not just military but deeply emotional and psychological.
• Connecting to the wider psalm, this moment of fear for the enemies highlights the security and protection found in God's presence within Jerusalem, reinforcing the main theme of the psalm.