Psalm 47
- 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.
Psalm 47 resounds with exuberant praise and adoration for God’s sovereign rule over all the earth. The psalmist begins by calling upon all people to celebrate and express their joy with clapping and shouting to God.
The psalmist acknowledges God as the supreme and awe-inspiring King, whose authority extends over all nations. It is God who subdues nations under His people and selects their inheritance, reflecting His love for Jacob and his descendants.
The imagery of God ascending with a shout and the sound of a trumpet evokes the triumphant procession of a conquering king. The psalmist urges continuous praise to God, recognizing Him as the King of all the earth and exhorting worshippers to sing with understanding and reverence.
The psalm concludes by affirming God’s reign over the nations and the gathering of peoples under the God of Abraham. All earthly powers ultimately belong to God, who is exalted above all.
Psalm 47 serves as a powerful reminder of God’s sovereignty and the universal call to worship and praise Him. It inspires believers to rejoice in God’s kingship and to proclaim His greatness to all nations with understanding and reverence.