Psalms 48:7
Psalms 48:7 in Multiple Translations
With a wind from the east You wrecked the ships of Tarshish.
Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east wind.
With the east wind Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish.
By you the ships of Tarshish are broken as by an east wind.
just as the strong east wind wrecks the ships from Tarshish.
As with an East winde thou breakest the shippes of Tarshish, so were they destroyed.
By an east wind Thou shiverest ships of Tarshish.
With the east wind, you break the ships of Tarshish.
Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east wind.
They that trust in their own strength, and glory in the multitude of their riches,
they shook like ships sailing from Tarshish are shaken by a strong wind.
Berean Amplified Bible — Psalms 48:7
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Psalms 48:7 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
רְ֭עָדָה
אֲחָזָ֣תַ/ם
שָׁ֑ם
חִ֝֗יל
כַּ/יּוֹלֵֽדָה
רְ֭עָדָה
raʻad
H7461
trembling
N-fs
אֲחָזָ֣תַ/ם
ʼâchaz
H270
to grasp
V-Qal-Perf-3fs | Suff
שָׁ֑ם
shâm
H8033
there
Adv
חִ֝֗יל
chîyl
H2427
agony
N-ms
כַּ/יּוֹלֵֽדָה
yâlad
H3205
to beget
Prep | V-Qal
Hebrew Word Study
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Hebrew Word Reference — Psalms 48:7
רְ֭עָדָה
raʻad
H7461
"trembling"
N-fs
This noun describes a state of trembling or quaking, often caused by fear or anxiety. It is the result of the verb to tremble and is used to describe a physical response to a situation.
Definition: trembling Another spelling of re.a.dah (רְעַדָה "trembling" H7461B)
Usage: Occurs in 6 OT verses. KJV: trembling. See also: Exodus 15:15; Psalms 48:7; Psalms 2:11.
אֲחָזָ֣תַ/ם
ʼâchaz
H270
"to grasp"
V-Qal-Perf-3fs | Suff
The Hebrew word means to grasp or take hold of something, often holding it in possession. It can also mean to be caught or settled. This verb is used in various forms throughout the Bible, including in the books of Exodus and Psalms.
Definition: 1) grasp, take hold, seize, take possession 1a) (Qal) to grasp, take hold of 1b) (Niphal) to be caught, grasped, be settled 1c) (Piel) to enclose, overlay 1d) (Hophal) fastened
Usage: Occurs in 63 OT verses. KJV: [phrase] be affrighted, bar, (catch, lay, take) hold (back), come upon, fasten, handle, portion, (get, have or take) possess(-ion). See also: Genesis 22:13; Nehemiah 7:3; Psalms 48:7.
שָׁ֑ם
shâm
H8033
"there"
Adv
The Hebrew word sham means there or then, often used to describe a location or point in time. It can also mean thither or thence, indicating movement or direction. This word is used frequently in the Bible to provide context and clarify the setting of a story.
Definition: 1) there, thither 1a) there 1b) thither (after verbs of motion) 1c) from there, thence 1d) then (as an adverb of time) Aramaic equivalent: tam.mah (תַּמָּה "there" H8536)
Usage: Occurs in 732 OT verses. KJV: in it, [phrase] thence, there (-in, [phrase] of, [phrase] out), [phrase] thither, [phrase] whither. See also: Genesis 2:8; Exodus 21:33; Deuteronomy 19:4.
חִ֝֗יל
chîyl
H2427
"agony"
N-ms
This Hebrew word means agony or intense pain, like the kind experienced in childbirth. It's used to describe strong emotions, such as sorrow or anguish. In the Bible, it appears in Isaiah 66:7-9.
Definition: 1) pain, agony, sorrow, a writhing, anguish 1a) writhing (of fear) 1b) anguish Also means: chi.lah (חִילָה "agony" H2427B)
Usage: Occurs in 7 OT verses. KJV: pain, pang, sorrow. See also: Exodus 15:14; Jeremiah 6:24; Psalms 48:7.
כַּ/יּוֹלֵֽדָה
yâlad
H3205
"to beget"
Prep | V-Qal
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means to give birth or beget a child, like when Eve gave birth to Cain in Genesis 4:1. It can also mean to help someone give birth, like a midwife. This word is used in many KJV translations, including Genesis and Isaiah.
Definition: 1) to bear, bringforth, beget, gender, travail 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to bear, bring forth 1a1a) of child birth 1a1b) of distress (simile) 1a1c) of wicked (behaviour) 1a2) to beget 1b) (Niphal) to be born 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to cause or help to bring forth 1c2) to assist or tend as a midwife 1c3) midwife (participle) 1d) (Pual) to be born 1e) (Hiphil) 1e1) to beget (a child) 1e2) to bear (fig. -of wicked bringing forth iniquity) 1f) (Hophal) day of birth, birthday (infinitive) 1g) (Hithpael) to declare one's birth (pedigree)
Usage: Occurs in 403 OT verses. KJV: bear, beget, birth(-day), born, (make to) bring forth (children, young), bring up, calve, child, come, be delivered (of a child), time of delivery, gender, hatch, labour, (do the office of a) midwife, declare pedigrees, be the son of, (woman in, woman that) travail(-eth, -ing woman). See also: Genesis 3:16; Genesis 30:19; 2 Samuel 21:22.
Study Notes — Psalms 48:7
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Psalms 48:7 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Psalms 48:7
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 48:7
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Psalms 48:7
- Trapp's Commentary on Psalms 48:7
- Ellicott's Commentary on Psalms 48:7
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Psalms 48:7
- Cambridge Bible on Psalms 48:7
- Barnes' Notes on Psalms 48:7
- Whedon's Commentary on Psalms 48:7
- Sermons on Psalms 48:7
Context — Broken Bondage
5They saw and were astounded; they fled in terror.
6Trembling seized them there, anguish like a woman in labor.
7With a wind from the east You wrecked the ships of Tarshish.
8As we have heard, so we have seen in the city of the LORD of Hosts, in the city of our God: God will establish her forever. Selah 9Within Your temple, O God, we contemplate Your loving devotion.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jeremiah 18:17 | I will scatter them before the enemy like the east wind. I will show them My back and not My face in the day of their calamity.” |
| 2 | Ezekiel 27:25–26 | The ships of Tarshish carried your merchandise. And you were filled with heavy cargo in the heart of the sea. Your oarsmen have brought you onto the high seas, but the east wind will shatter you in the heart of the sea. |
| 3 | 1 Kings 22:48 | Jehoshaphat built ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold, but they never set sail, because they were wrecked at Ezion-geber. |
| 4 | 1 Kings 10:22 | For the king had the ships of Tarshish at sea with Hiram’s fleet, and once every three years the ships of Tarshish would arrive bearing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks. |
| 5 | Isaiah 2:16 | against every ship of Tarshish, and against every stately vessel. |
Psalms 48:7 Summary
This verse, Psalms 48:7, reminds us that God is all-powerful and in control of everything, even the strongest and most powerful things in the world, like the ships of Tarshish. Just like the wind can wreck ships, God's power can bring down anything that opposes Him, as seen in Job 38:1, where God speaks to Job out of a storm. This verse encourages us to trust in God's power and provision, rather than relying on our own strength and resources. By surrendering to God, we can experience His peace and guidance, even in the midst of challenging circumstances, as promised in Isaiah 26:3.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the 'wind from the east' represent in Psalms 48:7?
The 'wind from the east' in Psalms 48:7 likely symbolizes God's powerful judgment, as seen in other passages like Isaiah 27:8, where God's wrath is compared to a strong east wind.
Who are the ships of Tarshish referring to in this verse?
The ships of Tarshish were likely merchant vessels that sailed to and from the port city of Tarshish, which was known for its wealth and trade, as mentioned in 1 Kings 10:22 and 2 Chronicles 9:21.
What is the significance of God wrecking the ships of Tarshish?
God wrecking the ships of Tarshish demonstrates His power and control over all things, including the economic and military might of nations, as seen in Psalms 107:23-27, where God's power over the seas is highlighted.
How does this verse relate to the surrounding context of Psalms 48?
This verse is part of a larger passage that describes God's power and majesty, as well as the terror and awe that He inspires in those who witness His works, as seen in Psalms 48:5-6, where the enemies of God are described as fleeing in terror.
Reflection Questions
- What are some ways that God has demonstrated His power and control in my life, and how can I respond to those experiences with greater faith and trust?
- How does the image of the 'wind from the east' speak to me about God's ability to bring change and transformation into my life?
- In what ways do I try to rely on my own strength and resources, rather than trusting in God's power and provision, and how can I surrender those areas to Him?
- What are some 'ships of Tarshish' in my life that I need to surrender to God, and how can I trust Him to guide and direct me in those areas?
Gill's Exposition on Psalms 48:7
Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with east wind. This is either another simile, expressing the greatness of the dread and fear that shall now seize the kings of the earth; which will be, as Kimchi
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 48:7
Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east wind. Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east wind - implying God's omnipotence; just as with thy blast thou breakest the largest vessels
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Psalms 48:7
This is not reported as a matter of fact, for we read of no ships in those expeditions to which this Psalm relates, nor did any ships come near Jerusalem, because that was at a great distance from the sea, and from any navigable river running into the sea; but only added by way of illustration or allusion. The sense is, Thou didst no less violently and suddenly destroy these proud and raging enemies of Jerusalem, than sometimes thou destroyest the ships at sea with a fierce and vehement wind, such as the eastern winds were in those parts, . The words are and may be rendered thus, Thou didst break them as (such ellipses of the pronoun, and of the note of similitude, being very frequent; as I have again and again showed) the ships of the sea (for Tarshish, though properly the name of a maritime place in Cilicia, , is usually put for the sea, as ) are broken with an east wind. Albeit the enemies of Jerusalem, which are compared to the raging waters of the sea in ,3, may as fitly be compared to ships upon the sea.
Trapp's Commentary on Psalms 48:7
Psalms 48:7 Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east wind.Ver. 7. Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish] i.e. Of the ocean, or of the Mediterranean Sea, Isaiah 2:16; Isaiah 23:1; Isaiah 23:6; Isaiah 23:10; Isaiah 23:14. The meaning is, Like as thou, O God, with thine east wind, that Euroclydon especially, which Pliny calleth Navigantium pestem (the mariner’ s mischief), art wont to dash and drown the tallest ships at thy pleasure; so thou both canst and wilt deal by thy Church’ s enemies. To whom, therefore, this text should be as those knuckles of a man’ s hand were to Belshazzar, to write them their destiny; or as Daniel was to him, to read it unto them.
Ellicott's Commentary on Psalms 48:7
(7) Breakest.—It is natural at first sight to connect this verse immediately with the disaster which happened to the fleet of Jehoshaphat (1 Kings 22:48-49; 2 Chronicles 20:36). And that event may indeed have supplied the figure, but a figure for the dispersal of a land army. We may render: With a blast from the east Thou breakest (them as) Tarshish ships. Or, With a blast from the east (Which) breaketh Tarshish ships (thou breakest them), according as we take the verb, second person masculine, or third person feminine. Shakespeare, in King John, compares the rout of an army to the dispersion of a fleet— “So, by a roaring tempest on the flood, A whole Armada of convicted sail Is scattered and disjoined from fellowship.” This is preferable to the suggestion that the seaboard tribes were in the alliance, whose break-up the psalm seems to commemorate, and that the sudden dispersion of their Armada ruined the enterprise. Tarshish ships, a common term for large merchantmen (comp. East Indiamen), from their use in the Tarshish trade, are here symbols of a powerful empire. Isaiah, in Isaiah 33, compares Assyria to a gallant ship. For the “east wind,” proverbially destructive and injurious, and so a ready weapon of chastisement in the Divine hand, see Job 27:21; Isaiah 27:8; and Ezekiel 27:26, where its harm to shipping is especially mentioned.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Psalms 48:7
Verse 7. Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish] Calmet thinks this may refer to the discomfiture of Cambyses, who came to destroy the land of Judea. "This is apparently," says he, "the same tempest which struck dismay into the land-forces of Cambyses, and wrecked his fleet which was on the coasts of the Mediterranean sea, opposite to his army near the port of Acco, or the Ptolemais; for Cambyses had his quarters at Ecbatana, at the foot of Mount Carmel; and his army was encamped in the valley of Jezreel." Ships of Tarshish he conjectures to have been large stout vessels, capable of making the voyage of Tarsus, in Cilicia.
Cambridge Bible on Psalms 48:7
7. With an east wind Thou shatterest ships of Tarshish. As he gazes upon the wreck of the Assyrian enterprise, the poet apostrophises God with mingled awe and thankfulness. The language is plainly metaphorical. God’s might is irresistible. He shatters the stately ships of Tarshish with a sudden storm: with equal ease He annihilates the vast Assyrian army. Cp. Isaiah 14:24-27, noting the phrase, “I will break the Assyrian in my land.” For the metaphor comp. Ezekiel 27:26, where the fall of Tyre is described as a wreck; and Isaiah 33:23, where Jerusalem in her extremity (or, according to some commentators, the Assyrian power) is represented as a disabled ship. The east wind, notorious for its destructiveness, is often employed as a symbol of judgement (Job 27:21; Isaiah 27:8; Jeremiah 18:17); and ships of Tarshish,—the largest vessels, such as were employed for the voyage to Tartessus in the S.W. of Spain (cp. ‘East Indiamen’)—were emblems of all that was strong and stately (Isaiah 2:16).
The alternative rendering of R.V. marg., ‘As with the east wind that breaketh the ships of Tarshish,’ is grammatically possible, but less suitable.
Barnes' Notes on Psalms 48:7
Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish - On the ships of Tarshish, see the notes on Isaiah 2:16. The allusion to these ships here may have been to illustrate the power of God; the ease with which he destroys that which man has made.
Whedon's Commentary on Psalms 48:7
4-8. In this division is noted the destruction of the people’s enemies. The kings were assembled—Pointing to a confederate army and a war council of the chiefs.
Sermons on Psalms 48:7
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
|
God's Chosen People Have Forgotten Him by Bob Jones III | In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of remembering and acknowledging God in our lives. He warns against becoming complacent and forgetting the source of our bless |
|
Better Late Than Never by Jim Cymbala | In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the power of decisions and the consequences that come with them. He shares a story of a Christian brother who made a series of bad decisions |
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The Peacock by Harriet N. Cook | Harriet N. Cook reflects on the story of Solomon in the Bible, emphasizing his wisdom and wealth granted by God. Despite his riches and treasures, Solomon acknowledges the emptines |