1 [[To the chief Musician, H5329 A Psalm H4210 for the sons H1121 of Korah.]] H7141 O clap H8628 your hands, H3709 all ye people; H5971 shout H7321 unto God H430 with the voice H6963 of triumph. H7440
2 For the LORD H3068 most high H5945 is terrible; H3372 he is a great H1419 King H4428 over all the earth. H776
3 He shall subdue H1696 the people H5971 under us, and the nations H3816 under our feet. H7272
4 He shall choose H977 our inheritance H5159 for us, the excellency H1347 of Jacob H3290 whom he loved. H157 Selah. H5542
5 God H430 is gone up H5927 with a shout, H8643 the LORD H3068 with the sound H6963 of a trumpet. H7782
6 Sing praises H2167 to God, H430 sing praises: H2167 sing praises H2167 unto our King, H4428 sing praises. H2167
7 For God H430 is the King H4428 of all the earth: H776 sing ye praises H2167 with understanding. H7919
8 God H430 reigneth H4427 over the heathen: H1471 God H430 sitteth H3427 upon the throne H3678 of his holiness. H6944
9 The princes H5081 of the people H5971 are gathered together, H622 even the people H5971 of the God H430 of Abraham: H85 for the shields H4043 of the earth H776 belong unto God: H430 he is greatly H3966 exalted. H5927
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Psalms 47
Commentary on Psalms 47 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
PSALM 47
Ps 47:1-9. Praise is given to God for victory, perhaps that recorded (2Ch 20:20-30); and His dominions over all people, Jews and Gentiles, is asserted.
1. clap … hands … people—literally, "peoples," or "nations" (compare De 32:43; Ps 18:49; 98:9).
2, 3. His universal sovereignty now exists, and will be made known.
3. under us—that is, His saints; Israel's temporal victories were types of the spiritual conquests of the true Church.
4. He shall … inheritance—the heathen to be possessed by His Church (Ps 2:8), as Canaan by the Jews.
excellency of Jacob—literally, "pride," or, that in which he glories (not necessarily, though often, in a bad sense), the privileges of the chosen people—
whom he loved—His love being the sole cause of granting them.
5-7. God, victorious over His enemies, reascends to heaven, amid the triumphant praises of His people, who celebrate His sovereign dominion. This sovereignty is what the Psalm teaches; hence he adds,
sing … praises with understanding—literally, "sing and play an instructive (Psalm)." The whole typifies Christ's ascension (compare Ps 68:18).
8, 9. The instruction continued.
throne of … holiness—or, "holy throne" (see on Ps 2:6; Ps 23:4).
9. princes—who represent peoples. For—
even—supply, "as," or, "to"—that is, they all become united under covenant with Abraham's God.
shields—as in Ho 4:18, "rulers" [Margin].