Clap Your Hands, All You Nations
Psalm 47 summary: what it means
Psalm 47 is a short, loud psalm of praise. It opens by calling all nations to clap their hands and shout to God, because the LORD Most High is a great King over all the earth. Verses 3 and 4 speak from Israel's side: he subdues peoples under our feet and chooses our inheritance, the glory of Jacob whom he loved. Then God goes up with a shout and the sound of a trumpet.
Verse 6 says sing praises four times in one line, and verse 7 asks for praise with understanding. The ending widens the circle again. The princes of the peoples gather as the people of the God of Abraham, the shields of the earth are said to belong to God, and he is greatly exalted.
Psalm 47: Clap Your Hands, All You Nations
World English Bible, public domain. allpsalms.com/psalm-47
Psalm 47 commentary: explained verse by verse
Oh clap your hands, all you nations.Shout to God with the voice of triumph!
O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph.
The psalm opens by addressing all the nations, not only Israel. They are told to clap their hands and shout to God with the voice of triumph.
Also read 2 Kings 11:12, Luke 19:37-40, Zechariah 4:7, 2 Chronicles 13:15
For the LORD Most High is awesome.He is a great King over all the earth.
For the LORD most high is terrible; he is a great King over all the earth.
This is the reason for the celebration. The LORD Most High is awesome and is called a great King over all the earth, so his rule is not limited to one people.
Also read Malachi 1:14, Psalm 65:5, Philippians 2:9-11, Deuteronomy 7:21
He subdues nations under us,and peoples under our feet.
He shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet.
The verse speaks as Israel. It says God subdues nations under us and peoples under our feet.
Also read Philippians 3:21, Joshua 21:44, Psalm 81:14, Psalm 18:47
He chooses our inheritance for us,the glory of Jacob whom he loved. Selah.
He shall choose our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob whom he loved. Selah.
God chooses the people's inheritance for them. It is called the glory of Jacob whom he loved, tying the gift to God's love for Jacob.
Also read Malachi 1:2, 1 Peter 1:4, Nahum 2:2, Ezekiel 20:6
God has gone up with a shout,the LORD with the sound of a trumpet.
God is gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet.
The verse pictures God going up to the sound of shouting and a trumpet. Verse 8 shows where he goes: to sit on his holy throne.
Also read Numbers 10:1-10, Psalm 150:3, 1 Chronicles 15:24, Luke 24:51-53
Sing praises to God! Sing praises!Sing praises to our King! Sing praises!
Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises.
Sing praises appears four times in this one verse. The repetition builds the sound of the psalm rather than adding a new idea.
Also read 1 Chronicles 16:9, Psalm 96:1-2, Exodus 15:21, Zechariah 9:9
For God is the King of all the earth.Sing praises with understanding.
For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding.
Because God is King of all the earth, the singing is to be done with understanding. The verse asks for praise that knows what it is praising.
Also read Psalm 47:8, Revelation 11:15, Zechariah 14:9, 1 Corinthians 14:14-15
God reigns over the nations.God sits on his holy throne.
God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness.
Two short statements: God reigns over the nations, and God sits on his holy throne. They complete the going up of verse 5.
Also read Psalm 96:10, Psalm 48:1, Hebrews 4:16, Revelation 19:6
The princes of the peoples are gathered together,the people of the God of Abraham.For the shields of the earth belong to God.He is greatly exalted!
The princes of the people are gathered together, even the people of the God of Abraham: for the shields of the earth belong unto God: he is greatly exalted.
The final scene gathers the princes of the peoples as the people of the God of Abraham. The shields of the earth belong to God, and the psalm ends by saying he is greatly exalted.
Also read Genesis 17:7-8, Psalm 46:10, Isaiah 49:7, Isaiah 11:10
A prayer from Psalm 47
God, you are the great King over all the earth, and I join the nations in praising you. You chose our inheritance for us, the glory of Jacob whom you loved. You have gone up with a shout, with the sound of a trumpet. So I sing praises to you, my King, and I want to sing them with understanding, not only with noise. You reign over the nations and sit on your holy throne. The princes of the peoples gather to you, and the shields of the earth belong to you. You are greatly exalted. Amen.
Psalm 47 Bible study questions
- In verse 1, who is told to clap their hands and shout, and what reason does verse 2 give?
- Verse 6 repeats sing praises four times; what does verse 7 add about how those praises should be sung?
- What do you think the difference is between praise sung with understanding, as verse 7 asks, and praise without it?
- Verse 9 gathers the princes of the peoples as the people of the God of Abraham; what does that picture of many nations together suggest to you?
- Psalm 96:1 also calls all the earth to sing to the LORD; how does its call to the earth compare with Psalm 47?
Questions about Psalm 47
What does Psalm 47 mean?
It is a call for all nations to celebrate God as King over the whole earth. It moves from clapping and shouting, to God going up to his throne, to the rulers of the peoples gathered as the people of the God of Abraham.
Who wrote Psalm 47?
The heading gives it to the sons of Korah and addresses it to the Chief Musician. No individual writer is named.
What does Psalm 47:2 mean?
It gives the reason for the praise in verse 1: the LORD Most High is awesome and is a great King over all the earth. His kingship is presented as covering every nation.
What does Psalm 47:7 mean?
It repeats that God is King of all the earth and asks people to sing praises with understanding, meaning praise that knows who it is addressed to.
What does Psalm 47:5 mean?
It says God has gone up with a shout and the LORD with the sound of a trumpet. In the psalm this leads to verse 8, where God sits on his holy throne.
Psalm 47 KJV: the King James Version
O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph.1
For the LORD most high is terrible; he is a great King over all the earth.2
He shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet.3
He shall choose our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob whom he loved. Selah.4
God is gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet.5
Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises.6
For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding.7
God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness.8
The princes of the people are gathered together, even the people of the God of Abraham: for the shields of the earth belong unto God: he is greatly exalted.9
Psalm 47 in Hebrew
The Hebrew text from the Westminster Leningrad Codex, public domain. Verse numbers follow the Hebrew Bible, which counts a psalm's heading as verse 1, so they can run one ahead of English Bibles.
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1 לַמְנַצֵּ֬חַ ׀ לִבְנֵי־קֹ֬רַח מִזְמֽוֹר׃
2 כָּֽל־הָ֭עַמִּים תִּקְעוּ־כָ֑ף הָרִ֥יעוּ לֵ֝אלֹהִ֗ים בְּק֣וֹל רִנָּֽה׃
3 כִּֽי־יְהוָ֣ה עֶלְי֣וֹן נוֹרָ֑א מֶ֥לֶךְ גָּ֝דוֹל עַל־כָּל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
4 יַדְבֵּ֣ר עַמִּ֣ים תַּחְתֵּ֑ינוּ וּ֝לְאֻמִּ֗ים תַּ֣חַת רַגְלֵֽינוּ׃
5 יִבְחַר־לָ֥נוּ אֶת־נַחֲלָתֵ֑נוּ אֶ֥ת גְּא֨וֹן יַעֲקֹ֖ב אֲשֶׁר־אָהֵ֣ב סֶֽלָה׃
6 עָלָ֣ה אֱ֭לֹהִים בִּתְרוּעָ֑ה יְ֝הֹוָ֗ה בְּק֣וֹל שׁוֹפָֽר׃
7 זַמְּר֣וּ אֱלֹהִ֣ים זַמֵּ֑רוּ זַמְּר֖וּ לְמַלְכֵּ֣נוּ זַמֵּֽרוּ׃
8 כִּ֤י מֶ֖לֶךְ כָּל־הָאָ֥רֶץ אֱלֹהִ֗ים זַמְּר֥וּ מַשְׂכִּֽיל׃
9 מָלַ֣ךְ אֱ֭לֹהִים עַל־גּוֹיִ֑ם אֱ֝לֹהִ֗ים יָשַׁ֤ב ׀ עַל־כִּסֵּ֬א קָדְשֽׁוֹ׃
10 נְדִ֘יבֵ֤י עַמִּ֨ים ׀ נֶאֱסָ֗פוּ עַם֮ אֱלֹהֵ֪י אַבְרָ֫הָ֥ם כִּ֣י לֵֽ֭אלֹהִים מָֽגִנֵּי־אֶ֗רֶץ מְאֹ֣ד נַעֲלָֽה׃
Psalm 47 in the Catholic Douay-Rheims Bible
The Douay-Rheims Bible, 1899 edition, public domain. It follows the Greek and Latin numbering, so this psalm is Psalm 46 there.
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1 Unto the end, for the sons of Core.
2 O clap your hands, all ye nations: shout unto God with the voice of Joy,
3 For the Lord is high, terrible: a great king over all the earth.
4 He hath subdued the people under us; and the nations under our feet.
5 He hath chosen for us his inheritance the beauty of Jacob which he hath loved.
6 God is ascended with jubilee, and the Lord with the sound of trumpet.
7 Sing praises to our God, sing ye: sing praises to our king, sing ye.
8 For God is the king of all the earth: sing ye wisely.
9 God shall reign over the nations: God sitteth on his holy throne.
10 The princes of the people are gathered together, with the God of Abraham: for the strong gods of the earth are exceedingly exalted.
Psalm 47 in Latin
The Clementine Vulgate, public domain, where this psalm is Psalm 46.
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1 In finem, pro filiis Core. Psalmus.
2 Omnes gentes, plaudite manibus; jubilate Deo in voce exsultationis:
3 quoniam Dominus excelsus, terribilis, rex magnus super omnem terram.
4 Subjecit populos nobis, et gentes sub pedibus nostris.
5 Elegit nobis hæreditatem suam; speciem Jacob quam dilexit.
6 Ascendit Deus in jubilo, et Dominus in voce tubæ.
7 Psallite Deo nostro, psallite; psallite regi nostro, psallite:
8 quoniam rex omnis terræ Deus, psallite sapienter.
9 Regnabit Deus super gentes; Deus sedet super sedem sanctam suam.
10 Principes populorum congregati sunt cum Deo Abraham, quoniam dii fortes terræ vehementer elevati sunt.
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Psalm 47 at a glance
| Verses | 9 |
| Heading in the text | For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by the sons of Korah. |
| Attributed to | The heading gives it to the sons of Korah and addresses it to the Chief Musician. |
| Type | Praise |
| Number in Greek and Latin Bibles | Psalm 46 |
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Psalm 47 in other translations
This page prints the World English Bible and the King James Version because both are public domain. The NIV, ESV, NKJV, NLT and NASB are under copyright, so they cannot be printed in full here. You can read Psalm 47 in those translations at Bible Gateway.
Where Psalm 47 belongs
Psalms of the sons of KorahBook 2 of the Psalms
How this page was made
The psalm text comes from public domain translations and is not edited. The summary, the verse notes and the answers are written for this page from the text of the psalm itself. Where a claim goes beyond the text, it is sourced below.
Sources
- Text: World English Bible and King James Version, both public domain, from ebible.org source
- Hebrew text: Westminster Leningrad Codex, public domain, from ebible.org source
- Douay-Rheims: Douay-Rheims Bible, 1899 edition, public domain, from ebible.org source
- Latin text: Clementine Vulgate, public domain, from ebible.org source
- Numbering: Greek and Latin psalm numbering, Wikipedia, Psalms source