The psalm is believed to have been written in the time of King Jehoshaphat. During his reign, Judah was attacked by the combined forces of the kings of the Ammonites, Moabites and Edomites (2 Chron. 20:1-24). There was a strife between these peoples, which grew into an internecine battle. When the Jewish army set out to fight the enemies, only a large number of corpses were found on the site of their camp.

The author of the psalm expresses confidence in God's help, no matter what extreme circumstances befall him. "God is our refuge and strength, a quick helper in troubles, therefore let us not be afraid, even though the earth shakes and the mountains move into the heart of the seas. Let their waters roar and heave, the mountains tremble because of their agitation. The streams of the river rejoice the city of God, the holy dwelling place of the Most High. God is in its midst; he will not waver: God will help him early in the morning" (vv. 2-6).

"God does not hinder sorrows from overtaking us; but when they are, He helps us, giving us benefit and experience. One must carefully observe the circumstances of the time and pray so as not to fall into temptation, and when it has befallen us, then not to be faint-hearted, but to stand courageously, calling on God for help and trusting in Him" (Chrysostom, Vol. 5).

Verses 5-10 "River streams" - the actions of the Holy Spirit. These verses speak of the onset of the Christian era, of the coming of the Messiah, when "the nations roared, kingdoms moved" under the influence of the Gospel preaching.

Psalm 48.

Inscription: "To the head of the choir. The sons of Korah. Psalm." In the Greek Bible, the inscription indicates the authorship of David. It is assumed that the psalm was written on the occasion of the rebellion of Absalom.

In verses 2-5, all nations are invited to listen to the sayings of wisdom. "Hear me, all nations; "Hearken unto all ye that dwell in the universe, both the simple and the noble, the rich as the poor." My mouth shall speak wisdom, and the meditations of my heart shall speak knowledge..."

Verses 6-11 tell us not to be persecuted by the wicked, because all people will die, and there is no one who can escape death. The wicked man calls the earth by his name (v. 12). However, he will not escape death and imprisonment in hell. (Perhaps this is an allusion to Absalom, who erected a monument to himself). But the soul of the righteous will be delivered from this. The author urges not to be afraid at the sight of the increase in the power and glory of the wicked. "He will go to the generation of his fathers, who will never see the light" (v. 20).

There are messianic passages in the psalm. "A man will not redeem his brother in any way, nor give God a ransom for him: the price of the redemption of their souls is precious" (vv. 8-9). St. Basil the Great, interpreting this passage, says: "Therefore, do not seek a brother for deliverance, but Him Who is above Your nature, and not a mere man, but the God-Man – Jesus Christ, Who can give God a propitiatory substitute for all of us, for God offered Him as a propitiatory sacrifice through faith in His blood" (V.V. – 386).

Art. 16: "But God will deliver my soul from the power of hell when he receives me." "Here is a prophecy about the incarnation of God and about the liberation of the souls of the righteous, who were imprisoned in hell at that time. God, he says, will deliver my soul from hell when through the incarnation He makes a human being His dwelling."

Psalm 59.