What does Psalm 46:5 mean?

Encouraging statements in the Psalms are prone to being taken out of context. This verse is a common example of this. The phrase "God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved" is often applied to encourage women in difficult circumstances. And yet, the "her" mentioned here is the city of Jerusalem (Psalm 46:4). It is appropriate to be encouraged while reading this verse, knowing that God's strength protects those who honor Him (Exodus 20:6). Yet it is not a literal reference to women in general or any woman in particular. Rather, this statement is part of Israel's praise for God's deliverance (Psalm 46:1–3).

The statement made in this verse declares that God's presence would guarantee Jerusalem's stability. A possible inspiration for this psalm is the miraculous deliverance of Jerusalem from the invasion of Assyria (Isaiah 37:36). When the Assyrians besieged Jerusalem, the leader of the Assyrian forces taunted the people to abandon hope. He pointed out that the gods of the lands the Assyrians conquered failed to deliver those countries. He insisted it would be no different with Jerusalem's God (2 Kings 18:28–35). Later, when Hezekiah received a demanding letter from the Assyrian king, he entered the temple and spread the letter before the Lord and prayed for deliverance (2 Kings 19:14–19).

When morning dawned, there was clear evidence that the Lord had answered Hezekiah's prayer. Strewn throughout the Assyrians' camp were 185,000 dead bodies. During the night, the angel of the Lord had struck the Assyrians (2 Kings 19:35).