Psa 47:1-4 | KingComments | STEP | This psalm connects to the previous one in which the remnant was calmed by the thought of Messiah’s presence in the city of God. It has been suggested that in it the supremacy of God is sung because of His intervention in the siege of Jerusalem by Sennacherib, in which He killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in one night ( ). The victories of King Jehoshaphat have also been suggested. In any case, this event foreshadows the defeating of the enemies of God’s people by the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, in the end time. The expelled and oppressed remnant sees in faith the things that await their fulfillment and completion as if the moment had already arrived. The result, as described in this psalm, is that the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, is exalted and magnified as “a great King over all the earth” ( ), Who will be worshiped by all nations ( ; cf. ; ). Psalm 46 and Psalm 48 speak of Zion, the city of God, the city of the great King ( ; ), in Psalm 47 we find the great King Himself ( ). Great King means that there is no king who can be compared to Him, not even Sennacherib, though he lets himself to be called so ( ). He is the King of kings. Psalm 46 and Psalm 48 are songs of praise about the city of the great King, Psalm 47 is a song of praise about the great King Himself. Psalm 46 is about the coming of the King to judge, Psalm 47 is about the acknowledgment by the whole world that He is the great King, the King of kings. The psalm can be divided by selah after into two stanzas that complement each other. The first stanza is about God’s love for His people to whom He subdued nations ( ). The second stanza is about God’s holiness: He sits as King on His holy throne and reigns over all nations ( ). We can also divide the psalm into two stanzas, each beginning with a call to praise God ( and ) followed by the reason. Both stanzas consist of ten lines ( and ). For “for the choir director” ( ) see at Psalm 4:1. For “of the sons of Korah” see at Psalm 42:1. The psalm begins with a call for “all peoples” to clap their hands ( ). Clapping hands here is an expression of delight and homage ( ; ). Before the eyes of the spectators a scene has taken place about which they are so delighted that they cannot help but clap their hands. The voice is also used to express the delight. Shouts of joy “to God with voices of joy” are heard. The fact that the subdued peoples praise Him Who has subdued them with songs of joy means that this can only be fulfilled in the millennial realm of peace. Then it will be so. These expressions of joy take place because “the LORD Most High is to be feared” ( ). God is here called “LORD”, Yahweh, the God of the covenant with His people. He has acted for His people as the “Most High”, which is His Name in connection with the realm of peace ( ). In the realm of peace, He is to all and sundry “a great King over all the earth” (cf. ). He governs all and has authority over all. That omnipotent and omnipresent King is the King of His people. His people are then no longer a smitten and trampled people. They are no longer the tail, but the head of the nations ( ). They do not owe this to themselves, but to God. This is how they confess it: “He subdues peoples under us, and nations under our feet” ( ). And what is the reason? Not something in them, but in Himself, namely His love for them ( ). He has chosen for them their inheritance, which is the land to which He has led them. He did that in the past, after He delivered them from Egypt. He will do so in the future – and He is already busy in doing so now! – when He will bring them back to their land from the scattering that He had to bring upon them because of their unfaithfulness to Him ( ). God has chosen that land for them to give it to them as their “inheritance” ( ). This means that it is their inalienable property. The hostile nations dispute their right to it, but God has established their right to it. Therefore, any disputing it is rebellion against Him, leading to His judgment. He also calls it “the glory of Jacob”, for it is also “the glory of all the lands” ( ), a land that brings glory and splendor to them. They owe all this to God.

‏ Psalms 47:1-4

Introduction

This psalm connects to the previous one in which the remnant was calmed by the thought of Messiah’s presence in the city of God. It has been suggested that in it the supremacy of God is sung because of His intervention in the siege of Jerusalem by Sennacherib, in which He killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in one night (Isa 37:36-37). The victories of King Jehoshaphat have also been suggested.

In any case, this event foreshadows the defeating of the enemies of God’s people by the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, in the end time. The expelled and oppressed remnant sees in faith the things that await their fulfillment and completion as if the moment had already arrived. The result, as described in this psalm, is that the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, is exalted and magnified as “a great King over all the earth” (Psa 47:2), Who will be worshiped by all nations (Psa 47:9; cf. Isa 52:13; Rev 15:4).

Psalm 46 and Psalm 48 speak of Zion, the city of God, the city of the great King (Psa 46:4 ; Psa 48:1b; Mt 5:35), in Psalm 47 we find the great King Himself (Mal 1:14). Great King means that there is no king who can be compared to Him, not even Sennacherib, though he lets himself to be called so (2Kgs 18:19). He is the King of kings. Psalm 46 and Psalm 48 are songs of praise about the city of the great King, Psalm 47 is a song of praise about the great King Himself. Psalm 46 is about the coming of the King to judge, Psalm 47 is about the acknowledgment by the whole world that He is the great King, the King of kings.

The psalm can be divided by selah after Psa 47:4 into two stanzas that complement each other. The first stanza is about God’s love for His people to whom He subdued nations (Psa 47:4). The second stanza is about God’s holiness: He sits as King on His holy throne and reigns over all nations (Psa 47:8).

We can also divide the psalm into two stanzas, each beginning with a call to praise God (Psa 47:1b and Psa 47:6) followed by the reason. Both stanzas consist of ten lines (Psa 47:1b-5 and Psa 47:6-9).

God Is King

For “for the choir director” (Psa 47:1a) see at Psalm 4:1.

For “of the sons of Korah” see at Psalm 42:1.

The psalm begins with a call for “all peoples” to clap their hands (Psa 47:1b). Clapping hands here is an expression of delight and homage (2Kgs 11:12; Isa 55:12). Before the eyes of the spectators a scene has taken place about which they are so delighted that they cannot help but clap their hands.

The voice is also used to express the delight. Shouts of joy “to God with voices of joy” are heard. The fact that the subdued peoples praise Him Who has subdued them with songs of joy means that this can only be fulfilled in the millennial realm of peace. Then it will be so.

These expressions of joy take place because “the LORD Most High is to be feared” (Psa 47:2). God is here called “LORD”, Yahweh, the God of the covenant with His people. He has acted for His people as the “Most High”, which is His Name in connection with the realm of peace (Psa 9:2). In the realm of peace, He is to all and sundry “a great King over all the earth” (cf. Mal 1:14b). He governs all and has authority over all.

That omnipotent and omnipresent King is the King of His people. His people are then no longer a smitten and trampled people. They are no longer the tail, but the head of the nations (Deu 28:13 ; 44). They do not owe this to themselves, but to God. This is how they confess it: “He subdues peoples under us, and nations under our feet” (Psa 47:3).

And what is the reason? Not something in them, but in Himself, namely His love for them (Psa 47:4). He has chosen for them their inheritance, which is the land to which He has led them. He did that in the past, after He delivered them from Egypt. He will do so in the future – and He is already busy in doing so now! – when He will bring them back to their land from the scattering that He had to bring upon them because of their unfaithfulness to Him (Eze 36:22-28).

God has chosen that land for them to give it to them as their “inheritance” (Eze 20:6a). This means that it is their inalienable property. The hostile nations dispute their right to it, but God has established their right to it. Therefore, any disputing it is rebellion against Him, leading to His judgment. He also calls it “the glory of Jacob”, for it is also “the glory of all the lands” (Eze 20:6b), a land that brings glory and splendor to them. They owe all this to God.