Psalms 47

The LORD Most High, King Over All the Earth

Psalm 47 moves from a worldwide summons to joyful praise, to covenant remembrance of God's rule for Jacob, to enthronement celebration of God's ascent, to repeated commands for intelligent praise, and finally to the nations' princes gathered under the God of Abraham.

World English Bible, Public Domain

All peoples are commanded to clap and shout because the LORD Most High is awesome and King over the whole earth.

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

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

God's universal rule does not cancel His covenant love; He subdues nations and chooses an inheritance for Jacob.

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

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

The ascent language presents God as the enthroned victor whose reign is celebrated with shout and trumpet.

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

The repeated commands to sing praise are joined to the call for wise, theologically grounded worship.

6 Sing praises to God! Sing praises! Sing praises to our King! Sing praises!

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

God reigns over the nations, gathers rulers and peoples, owns the shields of the earth, and is highly exalted.

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

9 The 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!

Key Terms

תָּקַע taqa H8628
כַּף kaph H3709
כָּל־הָעַמִּים kol-ha'amim H3605/H5971
רוּעַ rua H7321
רִנָּה rinnah H7440
יְהוָה YHWH H3068
עֶלְיוֹן Elyon H5945
יָרֵא yare H3372
גָּדוֹל gadol H1419
מֶלֶךְ melek H4428
כָּל־הָאָרֶץ kol-ha'arets H3605/H776
דָּבַר dabar H1696

World English Bible (WEB): Public Domain Scripture text · License details