Psalm 46 is based upon the chorale melody from "A Mighty Fortress is our God," the best known Martin Luther hymn which was composed sometime between 1527 and 1529. The hymn's words paraphrase Psalm 46. Zdechlik's setting is divided into four major sections with a wide variety of styles and meters that draw to a powerful heroic conclusion. The work, originally published in 1971, is dedicated to Mr. Leon Titus and the Concordia College Band, St. Paul, Minnesota.