Psalms — Chapter 47

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1For the choirmaster. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. Clap your hands, all you peoples; shout unto God with a voice of triumph.

2How awesome is the LORD Most High, the great King over all the earth!

3He subdues nations beneath us, and peoples under our feet.

4He chooses our inheritance for us, the pride of Jacob, whom He loves. Selah

5God has ascended amid shouts of joy, the LORD with the sound of the horn.

6Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises!

7For God is King of all the earth; sing to Him a psalm of praise.

8God reigns over the nations; God is seated on His holy throne.

9The nobles of the nations have assembled as the people of the God of Abraham; for the shields of the earth belong to God; He is highly exalted.

1O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph.

2For the LORD most high is terrible; he is a great King over all the earth.

3He shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet.

4He shall choose our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob whom he loved. Selah.

5God is gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet.

6Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises.

7For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding.

8God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness.

9The princes of the people are gathered together, even the people of the God of Abraham: for the shields of the earth belong unto God: he is greatly exalted.

1Oh clap your hands, all ye peoples; Shout unto God with the voice of triumph.

2For Jehovah Most High is terrible; He is a great King over all the earth.

3He subdueth peoples under us, And nations under our feet.

4He chooseth our inheritance for us, The glory of Jacob whom he loved. Selah

5God is gone up with a shout, Jehovah with the sound of a trumpet.

6Sing praise to God, sing praises: Sing praises unto our King, sing praises.

7For God is the King of all the earth: Sing ye praises with understanding.

8God reigneth over the nations: God sitteth upon his holy throne.

9The princes of the peoples are gathered together [To be] the people of the God of Abraham: For the shields of the earth belong unto God; He is greatly exalted. Psalm 48 A Song; a Psalm of the sons of Korah.

1For the music director, by the Korahites; a psalm. All you nations, clap your hands. Shout out to God in celebration.

2For the Lord Most High is awe-inspiring; he is the great king who rules the whole earth!

3He subdued nations beneath us and countries under our feet.

4He picked out for us a special land to be a source of pride for Jacob, whom he loves. (Selah)

5God has ascended his throne amid loud shouts; the Lord has ascended amid the blaring of ram’s horns.

6Sing to God! Sing! Sing to our king! Sing!

7For God is king of the whole earth. Sing a well-written song.

8God reigns over the nations. God sits on his holy throne.

9The nobles of the nations assemble, along with the people of the God of Abraham, for God has authority over the rulers of the earth. He is highly exalted.

1Oh clap your hands, all you nations. Shout to God with the voice of triumph!

2For Yahweh Most High is awesome. He is a great King over all the earth.

3He subdues nations under us, and peoples under our feet.

4He chooses our inheritance for us, the glory of Jacob whom he loved. Selah.

5God has gone up with a shout, Yahweh with the sound of a trumpet.

6Sing praises to God, sing praises. Sing praises to our King, sing praises.

7For God is the King of all the earth. Sing praises with understanding.

8God reigns over the nations. God sits on his holy throne.

9The princes of the peoples are gathered together, the people of the God of Abraham. For the shields of the earth belong to God. He is greatly exalted!

Summary
Authorship & Background
Commentary
Videos
Articles
Reflection

Summary

An enthronement hymn calling all peoples to celebrate God's kingship. It opens summoning the nations to clap their hands and shout to God with cries of joy, since the LORD Most High is to be feared as great king over all the earth (vv. 1-2). He is praised for subduing nations under Israel and choosing their inheritance (vv. 3-4). The psalm describes God ascending amid shouts of joy and the sound of trumpets, and calls repeatedly for singing praise to him as king over all the earth and all nations (vv. 5-7). The psalm closes picturing God seated on his holy throne while the nobles of the peoples gather with the people of the God of Abraham, since the rulers of the earth belong to him and he is highly exalted (vv. 8-9).

Authorship & Background

Author: Multiple authors — primarily David (73 psalms attributed), plus Asaph (12), Sons of Korah (11), Solomon (2), Moses (1), Heman (1), Ethan (1), and anonymous. The Psalter was compiled over approximately 1000 years and served as Israel's hymnal and prayer book. The book is divided into five 'books' (1-41, 42-72, 73-89, 90-106, 107-150), paralleling the five books of Moses.
Classification: Hymn of Praise / Enthronement Psalm
Attributed Author: Sons of Korah (To the chief Musician, A Psalm for the sons of Korah)
Key Themes: Universal kingship of God, exuberant praise, God's ascension, nations gathered to God, joyful worship
Historical Context: Psalm 47 is one of the "Enthronement Psalms" (alongside Psalms 93, 95-99) celebrating God's kingship over all the earth. It continues the triumphant tone of Psalm 46 and forms part of a cluster of praise psalms by the Sons of Korah (46-48). While some scholars connect it to the Ark's processional entry into Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6) or to a New Year's celebration of God's sovereignty, its language transcends any single historical occasion.
Clap Your Hands, All Ye People (vv.1-4): O clap your hands, all ye people, shout unto God with the voice of triumph. The address is to the nations rather than to Israel, which is the psalm's characteristic move, and the reason given is scale, for the LORD most high is terrible, he is a great King over all the earth. Then the land is described as a gift chosen rather than won, he shall choose our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob whom he loved.
God Is Gone Up with a Shout (vv.5-7): God is gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet. The verse is most likely liturgical, describing the ark being carried up into the sanctuary, and Christian tradition has read it of the ascension. Then four imperatives to sing in a single verse, and the instruction that follows them is about manner, sing ye praises with understanding, which asks for attention rather than volume.
God Reigneth over the Heathen (vv.8-9): God reigneth over the heathen, God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness. And the last verse is the widest in the psalm, the princes of the people are gathered together, the people of the God of Abraham. Foreign rulers are described as belonging to Abraham's God, which is the promise of Genesis 12:3 read as already happening, and the closing clause makes the ownership explicit, for the shields of the earth belong unto God.

Commentary

  • Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Verse-by-verse commentary on this chapter, written for the everyday reader and freely available online.
  • Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
  • Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.

Videos

Psalm 47 | God is King Over All | Bible Study
Spoken Gospel

Psalm 47 - Praising the King of All the Earth
David Guzik

Articles

  • GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of Psalms -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.

Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.

Reflection

  • A Call to Exuberant Praise (v.1) — The psalm opens with a command to clap hands and shout for joy, not to worship quietly and reservedly. Does your worship of God ever get to be genuinely joyful and expressive, or does it stay carefully controlled?
  • Ascended in Triumph (v.5) — God is pictured going up with a shout and trumpet blast, language the early church connected to Christ's ascension to the Father's throne. Do you picture Jesus as currently reigning in triumph, or mostly think of Him in the past tense?
  • Singing With Understanding (v.7) — The psalm specifically calls worshipers to sing with understanding, not just emotion. Do you know what you actually believe about who you're singing to, or does worship stay mostly a feeling for you?
  • Every Nation Gathered to God (v.9) — The psalm envisions people from every nation gathered as God's own, fulfilling the promise made to Abraham. Does your own vision for God's kingdom stretch beyond people who look and live like you?