Psalms
Psalm 47
KJV
O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph.
For the Lord most high is terrible; he is a great King over all the earth.
He shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet.
He shall choose our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob whom he loved. Selah.
God is gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.
Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises.
For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding.
God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness.
The 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.
Overview
Psalm 47, a psalm of the sons of Korah, summons all peoples to joyful praise because God is king over all the earth. It moves from royal victory language to God’s ascent and repeated praise, ending with the nations gathered under God’s exalted rule.
Setting and context
Psalm 47, a psalm of the sons of Korah, summons all peoples to joyful praise because God is king over all the earth. It moves from royal victory language to God’s ascent and repeated praise, ending with the nations gathered under God’s exalted rule.
Themes
Universal praise and the kingship of God · God as king over all peoples · Praise, nations, and divine sovereignty
Reflection
Psalm 47, a psalm of the sons of Korah, summons all peoples to joyful praise because God is king over all the earth. It moves from royal victory language to God’s ascent and repeated praise, ending with the nations gathered under God’s exalted rule.
Reading notes
The psalm speaks of peoples being subdued under Israel in ancient royal language; it must not be used to authorize conquest, ethnic supremacy, or coercion today. God reigns over the nations and sits on his holy throne; no nation, ruler, or political order can claim divine status for itself.
Key passages
Psalm 47:1: All peoples are summoned to clap and shout to God with joy; the invitation is universal worship, not celebration of one ethnicity over another. All peoples are summoned to clap and shout to God with joy; the invitation is universal worship, not celebration of one ethnicity over another. Psalm 47:2: The LORD Most High is awesome and king over all the earth; divine kingship relativizes every human claim to absolute power. The LORD Most High is awesome and king over all the earth; divine kingship relativizes every human claim to absolute power. Psalm 47:5: God ascends amid shouts and trumpet sound; the verse portrays a royal liturgical procession and celebrates God’s enthronement. God ascends amid shouts and trumpet sound; the verse portrays a royal liturgical procession and celebrates God’s enthronement. Psalm 47:7: Because God is king of all the earth, praise should be thoughtful as well as joyful; worship joins understanding with song. Because God is king of all the earth, praise should be thoughtful as well as joyful; worship joins understanding with song. Psalm 47:9: The nobles of the peoples gather with the people of the God of Abraham, and earth’s shields belong to God; the ending widens belonging and authority under God’s exaltation. The nobles of the peoples gather with the people of the God of Abraham, and earth’s shields belong to God; the ending widens belonging and authority under God’s exaltation.
Questions readers ask
Psalm 47:7 — God king of all the earth? Because God is king of all the earth, praise should be thoughtful as well as joyful; worship joins understanding with song. Psalm 47 and the nations? The nobles of the peoples gather with the people of the God of Abraham, and earth’s shields belong to God; the ending widens belonging and authority under God’s exaltation. Does Psalm 47 authorize conquest? Psalm 47’s ancient kingship and subduing language does not authorize conquest, nationalism, ethnic supremacy, coercive religion, or political rulers claiming divine status. God’s universal reign places every people and human authority under the same divine sovereignty.