Psalm 47:5 - Printer Friendly

ESV: God has gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet.

NIV: God has ascended amid shouts of joy, the LORD amid the sounding of trumpets.

NASB: God has ascended with a shout, The Lord, with the sound of a trumpet.

CSB: God ascends among shouts of joy, the Lord, with the sound of a ram's horn.

NLT: God has ascended with a mighty shout. The Lord has ascended with trumpets blaring.

KJV: God is gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet.

NKJV: God has gone up with a shout, The Lord with the sound of a trumpet.

This psalm celebrates God in the context of some victory. Scholars differ as to whether the song applies to a specific event or as a general praise. There are close parallels between the structure of this psalm and the incident recorded in 2 Chronicles chapter 20. There, Jehoshaphat praised God as sovereign over the entire earth and as the One who chose Israel. He praised God for defeating many nations, and his praises included the use of instruments (2 Chronicles 20:6–7, 21, 24–30).

Other commentators see a connection to the defeat of Sennacherib (2 Kings 19:35–37) and the Assyrian forces that surrounded Jerusalem. The Assyrian messenger, the Rabshakeh, tried to intimidate the people of Jerusalem. He warned the people of Jerusalem to surrender rather than trust God (2 Kings 18:28–35). But the Assyrian king was mistaken; the angel of the Lord went out at night and decimated the vast army of Assyrian soldiers (2 Kings 19:35). Sennacherib returned home in utter defeat (2 Kings 19:36). The shout and sound of a trumpet mentioned in Psalm 47:5 are the sounds of triumph as the Lord victoriously ascended to His throne.

The portrayal in this psalm is also prophetic. The concept of praising God for victory is an appropriate description of Jesus' ascension to the throne at the Father's right hand. This glorious end is assured after Christ defeated the Devil at Calvary and gained salvation for sinners (Ephesians 1:19–23; 4:8–10).

Psalm 47:5–9 expands on God's absolute rule over the entire earth. The psalmist depicts the Lord on His heavenly throne. This psalm may have been written in response to a real-world event where God demonstrated His power over all people (2 Kings 19; 2 Chronicles 20). Someday, the Lord's appointed heir, Jesus Christ, will establish His kingdom on earth, and Gentiles will join the Jews in praising Him.

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.