Why read Psalm 45?
Read Psalm 45 to find reassurance amid turmoil. God is described as refuge and strength even when the earth shakes, and the call to be still invites renewed trust.
You can read this psalm when its themes speak to your circumstances, or as part of your regular reading of the Psalter. This explanation draws on the text itself; the psalm is not reserved for one particular need.
Psalm 45 — “God is our refuge and our strength,...” — is the prayer through which the Psalmist places the experience of an entire hour of life before God. It belongs to the 6th Kathisma and has 11 verses, which you will find in full below.
The text of Psalm 45
1. God is our refuge and our strength, a help in the troubles that surround us.
2. Therefore we shall not fear when the earth shakes and the mountains are moved into the heart of the seas.
3. Their waters came and were troubled; the mountains shook at his might.
4. The waters of the rivers gladden the city of God; the Most High has sanctified His dwelling.
5. God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be shaken; God will help it early in the morning.
6. The nations were troubled, the kingdoms bowed; the Most High uttered His voice, the earth shook.
7. The Lord of hosts is with us, our supporter is the God of Jacob.
8. Come and see the works of God, the wonders that the Lord has set upon the earth.
9. He will put an end to wars to the ends of the earth, shatter the bow and break the weapon, and burn the shields in the fire.
10. Stop and know that I am God; I shall be exalted upon the earth.
11. The Lord of hosts is with us, our supporter is the God of Jacob.
When Psalm 45 is read
- in troubles and wars — “God is our refuge”.
- At the end of each psalm, tradition adds: «Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.».
Adjacent psalms
The numbering follows the Orthodox Psalter (Septuagint). The same psalm may have a different number in other Bible editions.
