The LORD on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea.

PSALMS 93:4KJV
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Psalms 93:4 (KJV)

What does Psalms 93:4 mean?

Psalms 93:4 says that the LORD, who reigns from above, is more powerful than the loudest and most overwhelming forces in nature, even greater than the roaring waters and the strongest waves of the sea. This verse highlights God's unmatched strength and authority over all creation.

The psalmist is speaking to the people of Israel, using the imagery of mighty waters and waves to describe chaos or forces that seem uncontrollable. By comparing these to the LORD's power, the verse reassures listeners that nothing in the world, no matter how wild or threatening, is beyond God's control.

The Hebrew behind Psalms 93:4

  • The word for "LORD" is יְהוָה (YHWH, transliterated as "Yahweh"), the personal name for God in the Hebrew Bible, emphasizing God's unique identity and covenant relationship with Israel.
  • "Mightier" comes from אַדִּיר (addir), which means powerful, majestic, or strong. The use of this word stresses not just strength but a kind of royal or awe-inspiring power.
  • "Noise" is קוֹל (qol), which often means voice or sound, but here refers to the overwhelming roar of many waters, suggesting chaos or forces that are hard to withstand.
  • "Waves" is מִשְׁבָּר (mishbar), meaning breakers or surging waves, which in ancient poetry often symbolized turmoil or danger.

Why Psalms 93:4 matters

  • This verse clears up any idea that natural forces—often feared in the ancient world—are outside of God's rule; it insists that even the most uncontrollable things are subject to Him.
  • The verse emphasizes the LORD's supremacy not just in a spiritual sense but in the real, physical world, connecting God's power to everyday experiences of awe and fear.
  • In the context of Psalm 93, which celebrates God's kingship, this verse strengthens the message that God's reign is secure and unshakable, no matter how turbulent life may seem.

Where else these words appear

“waves” Hebrew H4867 · used in 5 verses

  • 2 Samuel 22:5 When the waves of death compassed me, the floods of ungodly men made me afraid;
  • Psalms 42:7 Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.
  • Psalms 88:7 Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Selah.

“mightier” Hebrew H117 · used in 25 verses

  • Exodus 15:10 Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them: they sank as lead in the mighty waters.
  • Psalms 8:9 O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!
  • Jeremiah 25:35 And the shepherds shall have no way to flee, nor the principal of the flock to escape.

“high” Hebrew H4791 · used in 52 verses

  • Judges 5:18 Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field.
  • Psalms 92:8 But thou, LORD, art most high for evermore.
  • Isaiah 37:24 By thy servants hast thou reproached the Lord, and hast said, By the multitude of my chariots am I come up to the height of the mountains, to the sides of Lebanon; and I will cut down the tall cedars thereof, and the choice fir trees thereof: and I will enter into the height of his border, and the forest of his Carmel.