Psalms 48:6
Fear took hold upon them there, and pain, as of a woman in travail.
Original Language Analysis
Historical Context
The imagery of labor pains for sudden judgment appears throughout prophetic literature (Isaiah 13:8; Jeremiah 6:24). It describes overwhelming, inescapable distress that transforms the powerful into the helpless.
Questions for Reflection
- Why is the imagery of labor pains particularly apt for describing enemies' terror?
- How does this reversal--warriors experiencing helpless pain--demonstrate divine power?
Analysis & Commentary
Fear gripped the kings: 'trembling took hold upon them there, and pain, as of a woman in travail.' The comparison to labor pains emphasizes both the intensity and the involuntary nature of their terror. They cannot control their fear--it seizes them as irresistibly as childbirth seizes a mother.