Psalm 46:10 (Be Still and Know)
Psalms · The meditative release of mental striving to perceive divine presence
- First attested
- 5th century BCEDead Sea Scrolls Psalms fragments; Masoretic Text.
“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Direct knowledge of the divine arises when frantic mental striving ceases.
Psalm 46:1–11 (Tanakh / Book of Psalms); Masoretic Text.
The contemplative injunction to cease frantic striving and recognize transcendent presence.
Psalm 46 is a song of confidence composed by the Sons of Korah, celebrating God as a refuge and strength even when the earth shakes and mountains fall into the heart of the sea. In verse 10, the divine voice directly commands: Harpu u-de’u ki anokhi Elohim ("Be still [cease striving, let go] and know that I am God"). Across contemplative traditions, this verse serves as the supreme scriptural mandate for silent meditation and the cessation of egoic anxiety.
Light
Contemplative stillness, releasing anxiety, rooted trust, and unshakeable inner peace.
Shadow
Apathetic withdrawal from necessary practical duties under the guise of meditation.
