Psalm 47
New Catholic Bible
Psalm 47[a]
The Lord, King of All Nations
1 For the director.[b] A psalm of the sons of Korah.
2 All you peoples, clap your hands,[c]
shout to God with cries of gladness.
3 For the Lord, the Most High, is awesome;
he is the great King over all the earth.
4 He subdued nations under us
and brought peoples under our feet.
5 He chose our inheritance for us,
the pride of Jacob,[d] whom he loved. Selah
6 [e]God has ascended amid shouts of joy;
the Lord, amid the sound of trumpets.
7 Sing praises to God, sing praises;
sing praises to our King, sing praises.
8 For God is the King of the entire earth;
sing hymns of praise to him.
9 God reigns over all the nations;
God is seated on his holy throne.
10 The princes of the nations assemble
with the people of the God of Abraham;
for the rulers[f] of the earth belong to God,
and he is exalted on high.
Footnotes
- Psalm 47:1 This psalm is concerned with the Feast of the New Year. The Ark is transported: “God has ascended . . .” and, during the procession, this chant of the kingdom (see note on Ps 93) goes forth. Israel proclaims the kingship of God (see Ex 15:18; Isa 52:7; Zep 3:15), who has handed over to his people the land of Canaan and the city of Jerusalem while also defeating the nearby peoples. The ancient chant remains, but it appears as a prelude to the Lord’s reign over the whole universe (see Jer 10:7). The pagans will be converted and join God’s people in acclaiming the only true King (see Ezr 6:21; Isa 19:23-25; 25:6; 60:11).
The Roman and Byzantine liturgies see in this text a psalm for the Ascension of Christ: Christ “has ascended amid shouts of joy” and “is seated on his holy throne” as Lord at the right hand of the Father; from there salvation is offered to all peoples (see Acts 2:34; Phil 2:9-11; Rev 5:7-9, 12f). - Psalm 47:1 For the director: these words are thought to be a musical or liturgical notation. Sons of Korah: see note on Ps 42:1.
- Psalm 47:2 Clap your hands: a gesture used at occasions of great joy, e.g., at enthronements (see Ps 98:8; 2 Ki 11:12; Isa 55:12).
- Psalm 47:5 Our inheritance . . . the pride of Jacob: the Promised Land (see Gen 12:7; 17:8; Ex 3:8; Deut 1:8; Jer 3:18), which God gave Israel by a sovereign act.
- Psalm 47:6 God ascends liturgically to the temple in the Ark of the Covenant.
- Psalm 47:10 In Messianic times, the reconciled peoples will form only one people with God’s chosen ones. The covenant with Abraham (see Ps 105:6; Ex 3:6; Est C:2-5 [13:9-13]) will be extended to all humankind (see Ps 72:11; Gen 9:9; Isa 2:2; 45:20f; 56:6; Zec 8:20; 14:16). Princes . . . rulers: some suggest that these terms refer to the angelic spirits who watch over the nations (see Deut 32:8f; Dan 10:13).
Psalm 47
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Psalm 47[a]
The Ruler of All the Nations
1 For the leader. A psalm of the Korahites.
I
2 All you peoples, clap your hands;
shout to God with joyful cries.(A)
3 For the Lord, the Most High, is to be feared,
the great king over all the earth,(B)
4 Who made people subject to us,
nations under our feet,(C)
5 [b]Who chose our heritage for us,
the glory of Jacob, whom he loves.(D)
Selah
II
6 [c]God has gone up with a shout;
the Lord, amid trumpet blasts.(E)
7 Sing praise to God, sing praise;
sing praise to our king, sing praise.
III
8 For God is king over all the earth;(F)
sing hymns of praise.
9 God rules over the nations;
God sits upon his holy throne.
10 The princes of the peoples assemble
with the people of the God of Abraham.
For the shields of the earth belong to God,
highly exalted.(G)
Footnotes
- Psalm 47 A hymn calling on the nations to acknowledge the universal rule of Israel’s God (Ps 47:2–5) who is enthroned as king over Israel and the nations (Ps 47:6–9).
- 47:5 Our heritage…the glory: the land of Israel (cf. Is 58:14), which God has given Israel in an act of sovereignty.
- 47:6 God has gone up: Christian liturgical tradition has applied the verse to the Ascension of Christ.
Psalm 47
King James Version
47 O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph.
2 For the Lord most high is terrible; he is a great King over all the earth.
3 He shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet.
4 He shall choose our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob whom he loved. Selah.
5 God is gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.
6 Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises.
7 For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding.
8 God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness.
9 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.
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.