Psalms 48:6

6 trembling took hold of them there, pains as of a woman in labor,

Psalms 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 ) .

Psalms 48:6 In-Context

4 Then the kings assembled, they came on together.
5 As soon as they saw it, they were astounded; they were in panic, they took to flight;
6 trembling took hold of them there, pains as of a woman in labor,
7 as when an east wind shatters the ships of Tarshish.
8 As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God, which God establishes forever. (Selah)
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.