Psalm 48:6

6 Trembling took hold on them: there were the pangs as of a woman in travail.

Psalm 48:6 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 48:6

Fear took hold upon them there
That is, either when they came up to the city, and passed by it, and saw what they did; or, as Kimchi observes, in the place where they thought to have made a great slaughter; that is, in Armageddon, ( Revelation 16:16 ) ; so upon the slaughter of the seven thousand names of men, or men of name and renown, such as the kings here assembled, the remnant will be frightened, ( Revelation 11:13 ) ;

[and] pain, as of a woman in travail;
this figure is made use of elsewhere, when the destruction of Babylon and the coming of Christ are spoken of; see ( Isaiah 13:8 ) ( 1 Thessalonians 5:2 1 Thessalonians 5:3 ) .

Psalm 48:6 In-Context

4 For, behold the kings of the earth were assembled, they came together.

5 They saw, and so they wondered: they were troubled, they were moved.

6 Trembling took hold on them: there were the pangs as of a woman in travail.

7 Thou wilt break the ships of Tharsis with a vehement wind.

8 As we have heard, so have we also seen, in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God: God has founded it for ever. Pause.