Psalm 47:1 - Printer Friendly

ESV: To the choirmaster. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy!

NIV: For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm. Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.

NASB: Clap your hands, all you peoples; Shout to God with a voice of joy.

CSB: Clap your hands, all you peoples; shout to God with a jubilant cry.

NLT: Come, everyone! Clap your hands! Shout to God with joyful praise!

KJV: {To the chief Musician, A Psalm for the sons of Korah.} O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph.

NKJV: {To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.} Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph!

The psalmist's joy overflows as he requests applause and songs to worship God. During the era of the Old Testament, God's primary interactions came through the nation of Israel (Deuteronomy 14:2; Exodus 19:6; Hebrews 1:1–2). References to "the nations" usually indicate Gentiles (Leviticus 26:33; 1 Samuel 8:5; Psalm 2:1; 79:6; Isaiah 52:10). Here, the phrase "all peoples" could mean the entire world, or simply all the various tribes and persons of Israel. Some scholars connect this psalm to the defeat of Sennacherib during the reign of Hezekiah (2 Kings 19:35–37). Others think it might apply to the failed attack on Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 20:22–26). Another layer of meaning is prophetic, as a description of the Messiah's ultimate victory and rule over earth (Isaiah 55:12).

Similar celebration occurred when Samuel identified Saul as Israel's king. The people shouted, "Long live the king!" (1 Samuel 10:24). When Jehoiada, the priest, presented the boy king Joash to the people, placed the crown on his head, proclaimed him king, and anointed him, the people "clapped their hands and said, 'Long live the king'" (2 Kings 11:12). Because Psalm 47 identifies the Lord as "king over all the earth," it was appropriate for the people to acknowledge God as their Master with applause and loud songs of joy. Someday, Jesus will return to earth as King of kings and Lord of lords, and crowds of believers will welcome Him with rejoicing (Revelation 5:11–14; 19:6–8).

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.