A familiar Bible saying, checked in context
Be still, and know that I am God
Real verse, wider context
Psalm 46:10 has these KJV words, within a psalm about God as refuge amid turmoil and war.
By @The..Mustard..Seed · Updated
Read the relevant KJV passage
Psalms 46:10Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
Compare the evidence
The preceding verse speaks of God making wars cease. The stillness in verse 10 follows a vision of upheaval and divine action.
Psalms 46:9He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire.
The psalm closes by repeating that the LORD of hosts is with his people. This refrain frames the command more clearly than a standalone calmness poster.
Psalms 46:11The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
What the context adds
“Be still, and know that I am God” is an exact portion of Psalm 46:10. The rest of the same verse says God will be exalted among the heathen and in the earth. Earlier, the psalm imagines the earth moving, waters roaring, and nations raging. Its answer is not simply a technique for quieting one’s thoughts. The speakers invite readers to behold what God has done and to hear a claim about his rule. Personal quiet can be a way to read the line, but the public, troubled world in the psalm deserves a place in the reading too.
A question to carry forward
Who is being asked to be still in the psalm, and what has the poem just said God will do?
Keep reading
Read all of Psalm 46 and identify what is happening around the invitation to be still.
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