Logos Bible Study

Psalm 47:1–9

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47:1All you nations, clap your hands!

Shout out to God in celebration!1

47:2For the sovereign Lord2 is awe-inspiring;3

he is the great king who rules the whole earth!4

47:3He subdued nations beneath us5

and countries6 under our feet.

47:4He picked out for us a special land7

to be a source of pride for8 Jacob,9 whom he loves.10

(Selah)

47:5God has ascended his throne11 amid loud shouts;12

the Lord has ascended his throne amid the blaring of ram’s horns.13

47:6Sing to God! Sing!

Sing to our king! Sing!

47:7For God is king of the whole earth!

Sing a well-written song!14

47:8God reigns15 over the nations!

God sits on his holy throne!

47:9The nobles of the nations assemble,

along with the people of the God of Abraham,16

for God has authority over the rulers17 of the earth.

He is highly exalted!18

Read in Logos
Psalm 47:1: Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy!

Footnotes

  1. 1 Heb “Shout to God with [the] sound of a ringing cry!”
  2. 2 Heb “the Lord Most High.” The divine title “Most High” (עֶלְיוֹן, ’elyon) pictures the Lord as the exalted ruler of the universe who vindicates the innocent and judges the wicked.
  3. 3 Or “awesome.” The Niphal participle נוֹרָא (nora’), when used of God in the psalms, focuses on the effect that his royal splendor and powerful deeds have on those witnessing his acts (Pss 66:3, 5; 68:35; 76:7, 12; 89:7; 96:4; 99:3; 111:9). Here it refers to his capacity to fill his defeated foes with terror and his people with fearful respect.
  4. 4 Heb “a great king over all the earth.”
  5. 5 On the meaning of the verb דָּבַר (davar, “subdue”), a homonym of דָּבַר (“speak”), see I דבר. See also Ps 18:47 and 2 Chr 22:10. The preterite form of the verb suggests this is an historical reference and the next verse, which mentions the gift of the land, indicates that the conquest under Joshua is in view.
  6. 6 Or “peoples” (see Pss 2:1; 7:7; 9:8; 44:2).
  7. 7 Heb “he chose for us our inheritance.” The prefixed verbal form is understood as a preterite (see “subdued” in v. 3).
  8. 8 Heb “the pride of.” The phrase is appositional to “our inheritance,” indicating that the land is here described as a source of pride to God’s people.
  9. 9 That is, Israel.
  10. 10 Jacob whom he loves. The Lord’s covenantal devotion to his people is in view.
  11. 11 God ascended his throne. In the context of vv. 3–4, which refer to the conquest of the land under Joshua, v. 5 is best understood as referring to an historical event. When the Lord conquered the land and placed his people in it, he assumed a position of kingship, as predicted by Moses (see Exod 15:17–18, as well as Ps 114:1–2). That event is here described metaphorically in terms of a typical coronation ceremony for an earthly king (see 2 Sam 15:10; 2 Kgs 9:13). Verses 1–2, 8–9 focus on God’s continuing kingship, which extends over all nations.
  12. 12 Heb “God ascended amid a shout.” The words “his throne” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The Lord’s coronation as king is described here (see v. 8). Here the perfect probably has a present perfect function, indicating a completed action with continuing effects.
  13. 13 Heb “the Lord amid the sound of the ram horn.” The verb “ascended” is understood by ellipsis; see the preceding line.
  14. 14 The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. The word is derived from a verb meaning “to be prudent; to be wise.” Various options are: “a contemplative song,” “a song imparting moral wisdom,” or “a skillful [i.e., well-written] song.” The term also occurs in the superscriptions of Pss 32, 42, 44, 45, 52–55, 74, 78, 88, 89, and 142. Here, in a context of celebration, the meaning “skillful, well-written” would fit particularly well.
  15. 15 When a new king was enthroned, his followers would acclaim him king using this enthronement formula (Qal perfect 3ms מָלַךְ, malakh, “to reign,” followed by the name of the king). See 2 Sam 15:10; 1 Kgs 1:11, 13, 18; 2 Kgs 9:13, as well as Isa 52:7. In this context the perfect verbal form is generalizing, but the declaration logically follows the historical reference in v. 5 to the Lord’s having ascended his throne.
  16. 16 The words “along with” do not appear in the . However, the has “with,” suggesting that the original text may have read עִם עַם (’im ’am, “along with the people”). In this case the is haplographic (the consonantal sequence ayin-mem [עם] being written once instead of twice). Another option is that the is simply and correctly interpreting “people” as an adverbial accusative and supplying the appropriate preposition.
  17. 17 Heb “for to God [belong] the shields of the earth.” Perhaps the rulers are called “shields” because they are responsible for protecting their people. See Ps 84:9, where the Davidic king is called “our shield,” and perhaps also Hos 4:18.
  18. 18 The verb עָלָה (’alah, “ascend”) appears once more (see v. 5), though now in the Niphal stem.

The NET Bible First Edition, Copyright 1996-2005 by Biblical Studies Press

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Clap your hands, all peoples!

Shout to God with loud songs of joy!

For the Lord, the Most High, is to be feared,

a great king over all the earth.

He subdued peoples under us,

and nations under our feet.

He chose our heritage for us,

the pride of Jacob whom he loves. Selah

God has gone up with a shout,

the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.

Sing praises to God, sing praises!

Sing praises to our King, sing praises!

For God is the King of all the earth;

sing praises with a psalm!

God reigns over the nations;

God sits on his holy throne.

The princes of the peoples gather

as the people of the God of Abraham.

For the shields of the earth belong to God;

he is highly exalted!

Copyright 2001 Crossway Bibles

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Clap your hands, all you nations;

shout to God with cries of joy.

For the Lord Most High is awesome,

the great King over all the earth.

He subdued nations under us,

peoples under our feet.

He chose our inheritance for us,

the pride of Jacob, whom he loved.

God has ascended amid shouts of joy,

the Lord amid the sounding of trumpets.

Sing praises to God, sing praises;

sing praises to our King, sing praises.

For God is the King of all the earth;

sing to him a psalm of praise.

God reigns over the nations;

God is seated on his holy throne.

The nobles of the nations assemble

as the people of the God of Abraham,

for the kings of the earth belong to God;

he is greatly exalted.

Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica, Inc.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Clap your hands, all you peoples;

shout to God with a jubilant cry.

For the Lord, the Most High, is awe-inspiring,

a great King over the whole earth.

He subdues peoples under us

and nations under our feet.

He chooses for us our inheritance—

the pride of Jacob, whom he loves.

Selah

God ascends among shouts of joy,

the Lord, with the sound of a trumpet.

Sing praise to God, sing praise;

sing praise to our King, sing praise!

Sing a song of wisdom,

for God is King of the whole earth.

God reigns over the nations;

God is seated on his holy throne.

The nobles of the peoples have assembled

with the people of the God of Abraham.

For the leaders of the earth belong to God;

he is greatly exalted.

Copyright 2017 Holman Bible Publishers

NLTNew Living Translation

Come, everyone! Clap your hands!

Shout to God with joyful praise!

For the Lord Most High is awesome.

He is the great King of all the earth.

He subdues the nations before us,

putting our enemies beneath our feet.

He chose the Promised Land as our inheritance,

the proud possession of Jacob’s descendants, whom he loves.

Interlude

God has ascended with a mighty shout.

The Lord has ascended with trumpets blaring.

Sing praises to God, sing praises;

sing praises to our King, sing praises!

For God is the King over all the earth.

Praise him with a psalm.

God reigns above the nations,

sitting on his holy throne.

The rulers of the world have gathered together

with the people of the God of Abraham.

For all the kings of the earth belong to God.

He is highly honored everywhere.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

All you peoples, clap your hands.

Shout to God with a voice of rejoicing.

For Yahweh Most High is awesome,

a great king over all the earth.

He subdues peoples under us

and nations under our feet.

He chooses for us our inheritance,

the pride of Jacob whom he loves. Selah

God has gone up with a shout,

Yahweh with the sound of a trumpet.

Sing praises to God, sing praises.

Sing praises to our king, sing praises.

For God is king of all the earth.

Sing praises with understanding.

God reigns over nations;

God sits on his holy throne.

The princes of the peoples are gathered together

with the people of Abraham’s God.

For the shields of the earth belong to God.

He is very exalted.

Copyright 2012 Lexham Press

KJV 1900King James Version

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.

Public Domain