Trembling took hold of them there, anguish as of a woman in labor.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse doesn't just describe fear, but an overwhelming, physical anguish like a woman in labor. This isn't just emotional distress; it's a visceral, inescapable agony that signals a complete breakdown and defeat, highlighting the profound helplessness of those who oppose God's plans.
Trembling took hold of them there, anguish as of a woman in labor.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This psalm celebrates God's mighty deliverance of Zion from invading kings. After describing the city's unshakeable glory, the focus shifts to the terror and sudden, agonizing defeat of the enemy forces. As soon as they saw Jerusalem and its defenses, these powerful kings were overwhelmed with panic and forced to flee in utter disarray, experiencing pain as intense as a woman in labor.
Imagine marching with an army, confident of victory, only to be struck by an unshakeable dread. This verse paints a picture of that sudden collapse.
The enemies who gathered against Zion didn't just face a military defeat; they were overcome by a profound, inexplicable terror. The verse uses the phrase 'trembling took hold of them,' suggesting a fear that wasn't reasoned but visceral. It implies that their confidence shattered, not because of a direct attack they could fight, but because of a paralyzing dread that seized them from within.
This wasn't just a moment of hesitation; it was a complete breakdown. The intensity is heightened by the comparison that follows. Their fear was so acute, so disorienting, that it crippled their will to fight and led to immediate flight.
What does the intense, unavoidable pain of childbirth have to do with the downfall of an army?
The psalm compares the enemies' anguish to 'a woman in labor.' This isn't just any pain; it's a specific kind of suffering – intense, unavoidable, and leading to a dramatic, transformative event. For the invading kings, this 'labor' was the agonizing process of their plans being violently disrupted and their defeat being brought forth.
This imagery highlights the unavoidable nature of their downfall. Just as a woman cannot stop labor, these kings could not halt the collapse of their ambitions. The pain signifies the distress and confusion of their desperate, futile attempts to resist the power that was overwhelming them, ultimately resulting in the 'birth' of their own destruction.
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chîlâh · Hebrew Noun
A state of intense physical or mental distress, often used in Scripture to describe the sudden, overwhelming pain of childbirth or the terror experienced by God's enemies when confronted with His judgment.
The incredible, sudden, and inexplicable destruction of a massive invading army, as described in this psalm, would have filled the hearts of the people of Jerusalem with both terror and profound awe. This experience of divine deliverance, where enemies were struck down with sudden, overwhelming 'pain as of a woman in labor,' cemented their faith in God as the ultimate protector of their city.
c. 701 BC— this verse
Assyrian Invasion of Judah
King Sennacherib of Assyria invades Judah, capturing many fortified cities and besieging Jerusalem. The Assyrian army, led by the king himself, poses a grave threat to the city.
c. 701 BC
Divine Intervention and Assyrian Defeat
An unknown divine force strikes the Assyrian camp, resulting in the miraculous death of 185,000 soldiers overnight. Sennacherib is forced to withdraw his army and return to Nineveh.
c. 701 BC
Assyrian Withdrawal and Jerusalem's Survival
Sennacherib's army is decimated, leading to his hasty retreat from Judah. Jerusalem, which was on the brink of falling, is miraculously spared.
This passage uses the same imagery of a woman in labor to describe the intense anguish and distress accompanying judgment and defeat, directly paralleling the experience of the enemies in Psalm 48.
Isaiah 13:8Here, the prophet describes the coming judgment on Babylon with the same striking simile of labor pains, highlighting the overwhelming and involuntary nature of the suffering inflicted by God's judgment.
Exodus 15:14-15After God's deliverance of Israel at the Red Sea, the surrounding nations are described as being seized with fear and trembling, echoing the terror experienced by the enemies of Zion in Psalm 48.
2 Kings 19:35-36This historical account describes the sudden and miraculous destruction of the Assyrian army surrounding Jerusalem, an event that likely inspired Psalm 48 and exemplifies the 'trembling' and 'anguish' of defeated enemies.
Revelation 11:13In the context of end-times judgments, a great earthquake causes a tenth of the city to fall and strikes terror into the survivors, providing a New Testament parallel to the sudden, overwhelming fear and destruction faced by God's enemies.
poolePsalms 48:6: "Fear took hold upon them there, and pain, as of a woman in travail."
Partly at the tidings of Tirhakah’s coming against them, 2 Kings 19:9 , and partly for that terrible slaughter of their army there, 2 Kings 19:35 .
expositorsPsalms 48:1-14: "A Song and Psalm for the sons of Korah. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness."
Psalm 48:1-14 THE situation seems the same as in Psalm 46:1-11 , with which this psalm has many points of contact. In both we have the same triumph, the same proud affection for the holy city and sanctuary, the same confidence in God’s dwelling there, the same vivid picturing of the mustering of enemies and their rapid dispersion, the sa…
The verse doesn't just describe fear, but an overwhelming, physical anguish like a woman in labor. This isn't just emotional distress; it's a visceral, inescapable agony that signals a complete breakdown and defeat, highlighting the profound helplessness of those who oppose God's plans.
This psalm celebrates God's mighty deliverance of Zion from invading kings. After describing the city's unshakeable glory, the focus shifts to the terror and sudden, agonizing defeat of the enemy forces. As soon as they saw Jerusalem and its defenses, these powerful kings were overwhelmed with panic and forced to flee in utter disarray, experiencing pain as intense as a woman in labor.
This psalm celebrates God's mighty deliverance of Zion from invading kings. After describing the city's unshakeable glory, the focus shifts to the terror and sudden, agonizing defeat of the enemy forces. As soon as they saw Jerusalem and its defenses, these powerful kings were overwhelmed with panic and forced to flee in utter disarray, experiencing pain as intense as a woman in labor.
"Trembling took hold of them there, anguish as of a woman in labor." — The verse doesn't just describe fear, but an overwhelming, physical anguish like a woman in labor. This isn't just emotional distress; it's a visceral, inescapable agony that signals a complete break…
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Last reviewed October 2026