Charles Ellicott Commentary Psalms 46:4

"There is a river, the streams whereof make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High." — Psalms 46:4 (ASV)

A river ... —Hebrew, nâhar, that is, a perennial stream, as distinguished from nâchal, a torrent bed dry except in the rainy season. Plainly, then, the “Cedron” is not here alluded to. But many commentators think “Siloam” is intended. (See Stanley, Sinai and Palestine, page 180, and compare to Isaiah 12:3; Ezekiel 47:1–5; John 7:37.)

There may not, however, be any such local allusion. The river, flowing calmly and smoothly along, may be only a symbol of the peace and blessing of the Divine presence, as the tumult and tempest of the sea in the last verse are of the world’s noisy troubles. Indeed, the Septuagint (compare to Prayer Book version) seems to connect the river of this verse with the waters of the preceding.

Streams. —See Note on Psalms 1:3, where the same word occurs.