Above the voices of many waters, the mighty breakers of the sea, Yahweh on high is mighty.
Parallel Translations
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Above the voices of many waters, the mighty breakers of the sea, Yahweh on high is mighty.
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The LORD on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea.
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Above the voices of many waters, the mighty breakers of the sea, the LORD on high is mighty.
Cross-references (8)
Passages linked to Psalms 93:4 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Psalms 65:7 You still the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the turmoil of the nations.
- Psalms 89:9 You rule the pride of the sea. When its waves rise up, you calm them.
- Job 38:11 and said, ‘You may come here, but no further. Your proud waves shall be stopped here?’
- Psalms 114:3-5 The sea saw it, and fled. The Jordan was driven back. The mountains skipped like rams, the little hills like lambs. What was it, you sea, that you fled? You Jordan, that you turned back?
- Jeremiah 5:22 Don’t you fear me?’ says Yahweh ‘Won’t you tremble at my presence, who have placed the sand for the bound of the sea, by a perpetual decree, that it can’t pass it? Though its waves toss themselves, yet they can’t prevail. Though they roar, they still can’t pass over it.’
- Mark 4:37-39 A big wind storm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so much that the boat was already filled. He himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion, and they woke him up, and told him, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are dying?” He awoke, and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” The wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
- Psalms 89:6 For who in the skies can be compared to Yahweh? Who among the sons of the heavenly beings is like Yahweh,
- Psalms 92:8 But you, Yahweh, are on high forever more.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (10 sources)
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John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Psa 93:4 The LORD on high [is] mightier than…
Psa 93:4 The LORD on high [is] mightier than the noise of many waters, [yea, than] the mighty waves of the sea.
Ver. 4. The Lord on high is mightier] He defeats tyrants and persecutors, be they never so terrible for noise and number. If he but thunder they are hushed, and glad to wriggle, as worms, into their holes.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain The King of heaven is too strong for all…
The King of heaven is too strong for all earthly potentates, and will subdue them under his feet.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain The Lord on high is mightier than the noise…
The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters,.... Christ is the most High; he is God over all, higher than the highest; he is, as King, higher than the kings of the earth; he is in the highest heavens, and higher than they; he is highly exalted, as Mediator, at the right hand of God: he is the mighty God, and mighty Saviour; yea, he is Almighty, and therefore mightier than all his enemies, and the noise they make, and the force they use; he is stronger than the strong man armed; than Satan, and all his principalities and powers; than all the persecuting princes and potentates of this world; than antichrist, and all the antichristian states: yea, than "the mighty waves of the sea"; the same are intended as before (c).
(c) Vide Homer. Iliad. 21. v. 190, 91. where the same is said of Jove, almost in the same words, and repeated as here.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 4. The Lord - is mightier than the…
Verse 4. The Lord - is mightier than the noise of many waters] Greater in strength than all the peoples and nations that can rise up against him.
Mighty waves of the sea.] Even the most powerful empires can prevail nothing against him; therefore those who trust in him have nothing to fear.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain The Lord on high is mightier than the noise…
The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters - That is, he is more powerful than those waters; he is able to control them. See Psa 65:7, note; Job 38:11, note. The original here is more rapid in the course of the thought; more emphatic and forcible: “More than the voice of waters - many - mighty - the breakers of the sea - in the high place is Jehovah.” He is over all those billows and breakers; more mighty than they all. They can proceed no further than he permits; they will be stayed when and where he commands. We can conceive of few things which more illustrate the power and the majesty of God than the fact that he thus presides over, and controls, the waves of the ocean.
Yea, than the mighty waves of the sea - The original word here corresponds precisely with our word “breakers” - the mighty waves that “break” on the beach.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 4. The Lord on high is mightier—This surely celebrates…
4. The Lord on high is mightier—This surely celebrates a sudden victory by the hand of God over a most formidable combination of haughty nations, rushing upon Israel like noisy breakers or cataracts. The imagery naturally refers us to the Assyrian invasion and catastrophe, already mentioned.
Many waters—Many nations or peoples, such as always made up the armies of the eastern conquerors.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 4. The A.V. obliterates the structure of the verse.…
4. The A.V. obliterates the structure of the verse. If the received text is retained we may render,
Above the thundering of many waters,
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The mighty (waters), the breakers of the sea,
Jehovah on high is mighty.
But the grammatical construction is anomalous, and an easy emendation gives the sense,
Above the thundering of many waters,
Majestic above the breakers of the sea,
Majestic on high is Jehovah.
The repetition is in harmony with the style of the Psalm. The word for noise, lit. voices, may best be rendered thundering, for the plural is only used of thunder. ’Addîr is inadequately rendered by mighty. It suggests the idea of grandeur and magnificence as well as power. Cp. Exo_15:6; Exo_15:11 (a cognate word); Psa_8:1 (A.V. excellent); Isa_33:21.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (4) Sea.—Whether this description of a raging sea is…
(4) Sea.—Whether this description of a raging sea is to be taken literally, or as emblematic of war and its horrors, is doubtful.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain The Lord on high (comp. Psa_92:8) is mightier than…
The Lord on high (comp. Psa_92:8) is mightier than the noise of many waters; literally, than the voices of many waters (comp. ver. 3). As the waters represent angry nations, the poet speaks not only of their "noise," but of their "voices." Yea, than the mighty waves of the sea; or, "the glorious breakers of ocean". (so Kay; and comp. Exo_15:10)
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Charles H. Spurgeon 1885 · Public Domain Ver. 4. The LORD on high is mightier than…
Ver. 4. The LORD on high is mightier than the noise of many waters. The utmost of their power is to him but a sound and he can readily master it, therefore he calls it a noise by way of contempt. When men combine to overthrow the kingdom of Jesus, plot secretly, and by and by rage openly, the Lord thinks no more of it than of so much noise upon the sea beach. Jehovah, the self existent and omnipotent, cares not for the opposition of dying men, however many or mighty they may be.
"Loud the stormy billows spoke,
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Loud the billows raised their cry;
Fierce the stormy billows broke,
Sounding to the echoing sky.
Strong the breakers tossing high,
Stronger is Jehovah's might.
True thy words; and sanctity
Well becomes thy temple bright."
Yea, than the mighty waves of the sea. When the storm raises Atlantic billows, and drives them on with terrific force, the Lord is still able to restrain them, and so also when impious men are haughty and full of rage the Lord is able to subdue them and overrule their malice. Kings or mobs, emperors or savages, all are in the Lord's hands, and he can forbid their touching a hair of the heads of his saints.
Ver. 4. The LORD on high. "On high" is not to be regarded in the sense of locality, as none compete with God in that, but in reference to dominion and glory. Martin Geier.
Ver. 4. The LORD on high is mightier, etc. Therefore consider not so much thy distress, as thy Deliverer; and when men's malicious combination may affright thee, let Divine association support thee. The danger may exceed thy resistance, but not God's assistance; the enemies' power may surpass thy strength, their subtlety outwit thy prudence, but neither can excel the wisdom and might of God that is with thee. O learn therefore to try God in his strength, to trust him in difficulties; and when the merciless waves are ready to swallow thee; commit thyself to his custody. The mariner in straits looks up to heaven, do thou so; and remember that when the waters of affliction are never so high, yet "the Lord on high is mightier than they." Abraham Wright.
Ver. 4.
1. God is mighty in creation.
2. He is mightier in providence.
3. He is mightiest in redemption. G. R.
Psalms 93:5*
Charles H. Spurgeon's The Treasury of David (1869–1885) — public domain. Psalms only. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.