Psalm 47:3 - Printer Friendly

ESV: He subdued peoples under us, and nations under our feet.

NIV: He subdued nations under us, peoples under our feet.

NASB: He subdues peoples under us And nations under our feet.

CSB: He subdues peoples under us and nations under our feet.

NLT: He subdues the nations before us, putting our enemies beneath our feet.

KJV: He shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet.

NKJV: He will subdue the peoples under us, And the nations under our feet.

This continues to praise God for His immense power (Psalm 47:1–2). Scholars differ when interpreting this reference to victory. The Hebrew phrasing is unclear and can be rendered in more than one way. One possibility suggests a look back to the Lord's might during the conquest of Canaan (Psalm 44:1–3). Another is defeat of a powerful foe, such as Sennacherib (2 Kings 19:35–37) or the armies who massed against Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 20:22–26). Still others look into the future, end-times rule of Christ on earth.

Israel entered Canaan, the Promised Land, as pilgrims, not warriors (Deuteronomy 7:6–8). Clearly, it was the Lord's power which subdued peoples under the Israelites. Before capturing the well-fortified city of Jericho, Joshua sent two spies there. Rahab, a harlot and resident of Jericho hid them from pursuers. She said, "I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you. For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites…And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the LORD your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath" (Joshua 2:9–11).

Psalm 47:1–4 calls on everyone to worship the Lord joyfully. They are urged to do so by clapping their hands and singing loudly. The Lord is proclaimed as ruling the entire earth. He defeated Israel's enemy, and He loves His chosen people, Israel. These verses form an appropriate beginning to this psalm of praise.

Psalms 45, 46, and 47 seem to share common themes. This song begins with an appeal for praise. God is depicted as the sovereign Ruler of the entire earth, not merely the nation of Israel. This psalm may refer to literal historical events (2 Kings 19; 2 Chronicles 20) or it might be purely prophetic. In either case, it depicts the eventual state of the world in the end times: ruled under the God of Abraham.

If this is inspired by real-world events, two possibilities stand out. One is the defeat of Sennacherib during the reign of Hezekiah (2 Kings 19). The other is the miraculous defeat of a multi-nation attack on Israel during Jehoshaphat's rule (2 Chronicles 20). Phrasing in this psalm closely resembles the account of Jehoshaphat's rescue. The descriptions given in this passage are also seen as prophecies of the Messiah's eventual rule over the entire earth.

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.