TRV
Translation
King James Version
¶ 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.
Complete Jewish Bible
For the leader. A psalm of the descendants of Korach: Clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with cries of joy!
American Standard Version
Oh clap your hands, all ye peoples; Shout unto God with the voice of triumph.
World English Bible Messianic
Oh clap your hands, all you nations. Shout to God with the voice of triumph!
Geneva Bible (1599)
To him that excelleth. A Psalme committed to the sonnes of Korah. All people clap your hands: sing loude vnto God with a ioyfull voyce.
Young's Literal Translation
To the Overseer. --By sons of Korah. A Psalm. All ye peoples, clap the hand, Shout to God with a voice of singing,
In the KJVVerse 14,627 of 31,102
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Commentary on Psalms 47 verses 1–4
1 ¶ 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.
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.
The psalmist, having his own heart filled with great and good thoughts of God, endeavours to engage all about him in the blessed work of praise, as one convinced that God is worthy of all blessing and praise, and as one grieved at his own and others' backwardness to and barrenness in this work. Observe, in these verses,
I. Who are called upon to praise God: "All you people, all you people of Israel;" those were his own subjects, and under his charge, and therefore he will engage them to praise God, for on them he has an influence. Whatever others do, he and his house, he and his people, shall praise the Lord. Or, "All you people and nations of the earth;" and so it may be taken as a prophecy of the conversion of the Gentiles and the bringing of them into the church; see Rom 15:11.
II. What they are called upon to do: "O clap your hands, in token of your own joy and satisfaction in what God has done for you, of your approbation, nay, your admiration, of what God has done in general, and of your indignation against all the enemies of God's glory, Job 27:23. Clap your hands, as men transported with pleasure, that cannot contain themselves; shout unto God, not to make him hear (his ear is not heavy), but to make all about you hear, and take notice how much you are affected and filled with the works of God. Shout with the voice of triumph in him, and in his power and goodness, that others may join with you in the triumph." Note, Such expressions of pious and devout affections as to some may seem indecent and imprudent ought not to be hastily censured and condemned, much less ridiculed, because, if they come from an upright heart, God will accept the strength of the affection and excuse the weakness of the expressions of it.
III. What is suggested to us as matter for our praise. 1. That the God with whom we have to do is a God of awful majesty (Psa 47:2): The Lord most high is terrible. He is infinitely above the noblest creatures, higher than the highest; there are those perfections in him that are to be reverenced by all, and particularly that power, holiness, and justice, that are to be dreaded by all those that contend with him. 2. That he is a God of sovereign and universal dominion. He is a King that reigns alone, and with an absolute power, a King over all the earth; all the creatures, being made by him, are subject to him, and therefore he is a great King, the King of kings. 3. That he takes a particular care of his people and their concerns, has done so and ever will; (1.) In giving them victory and success (Psa 47:3), subduing the people and nations under them, both those that stood in their way (Psa 44:2) and those that made attempts upon them. This God had done for them, witness the planting of them in Canaan, and their continuance there unto this day. This they doubted not but he would still do for them by his servant David, who prospered which way soever he turned his victorious arms. But this looks forward to the kingdom of the Messiah, which was to be set over all the earth, and not confined to the Jewish nation. Jesus Christ shall subdue the Gentiles; he shall bring them in as sheep into the fold (so the word signifies), not for slaughter, but for preservation. He shall subdue their affections, and make them a willing people in the day of his power, shall bring their thoughts into obedience to him, and reduce those who had gone astray, under the guidance of the great shepherd and bishop of souls, Pe1 2:25. (2.) In giving them rest and settlement (Psa 47:4): He shall choose our inheritance for us. He had chosen the land of Canaan to be an inheritance for Israel; it was the land which the Lord their God spied out for them; see Deu 32:8. This justified their possession of that land, an d gave them a good title; and this sweetened their enjoyment of it, and made it comfortable; they had reason to think it a happy lot, and to be satisfied in it, when it was that which Infinite Wisdom chose for them. And the setting up of God's sanctuary in it made it the excellency, the honour, of Jacob (Amo 6:8); and he chose so good an inheritance for Jacob because he loved him, Deu 7:8. Apply this spiritually, and it bespeaks, [1.] The happiness of the saints, that God himself has chosen their inheritance for them, and it is a goodly heritage: he has chosen it who knows the soul, and what will serve to make it happy; and he has chosen so well that he himself has undertaken to be the inheritance of his people (Psa 16:5), and he has laid up for them in the other world an inheritance incorruptible, Pe1 1:4. This will be indeed the excellency of Jacob, for whom, because he loved them, he prepared such a happiness as eye has not seen. [2.] The faith and submission of the saints to God. This is the language of every gracious soul, "God shall choose my inheritance for me; let him appoint me my lot, and I will acquiesce in the appointment. He knows what is good for me better than I do for myself, and therefore I will have no will of my own but what is resolved into his."
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–4. Public domain.
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John ChrysostomAD 407
COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS 47:1-2
With hands that were previously defiled, accursed, daily stained with blood in the impure sacrifices in which you took the lives of your children, performed shameful rites and went beyond the limits of nature itself, with these hands now clap. “Shout to God in a voice of happiness.” With that tongue by which you tasted accursed things, by which you uttered blasphemous words, with that tongue shout a victory ode.… You have mounted above heavens and the heavens of heavens and have taken your place at the royal throne itself. Accordingly, “Shout to God,” that is, offer thanksgiving to him, the victory to him, the trophy to him. The conflict is not human or the battle physical, nor is the contest over any earthly concern but over the heavens and those in the heavens. He personally conducted this war and gave us a share in the victory.
Augustine of HippoAD 430
Exposition on Psalm 47
"O clap your hands, all you nations" [Psalm 47:1]. Were the people of the Jews all the nations? No, but blindness in part is happened to Israel, that senseless children might cry, "Calve," "Calve;" and so the Lord might be crucified in the place of Calvary, that by His Blood shed He might redeem the Gentiles, and that might be fulfilled which says the Apostle, "Blindness in part is happened unto Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in." [Romans 11:25] Let them insult, then, the vain, and foolish, and senseless, and say, "Calve," "Calve;" but you redeemed by His Blood which was shed in the place of Calvary, say, "O clap your hands, all you nations;" because to you has come down the Grace of God. "O clap your hands." What is "O clap"? Rejoice. But wherefore with the hands? Because with good works. Do not rejoice with the mouth while idle with the hands. If you rejoice, "clap your hands." The hands of the nations let Him see, who joys has deigned to give them. What is, the hands of the nations? The acts of them doing good works. "O clap your hands, all you nations: shout unto God with the voice of triumph." Both with voice and with hands. If with the voice only it is not well, because the hands are slow; if only with the hands it is not well, because the tongue is mute. Agree together must the hands and tongue. Let this confess, these work. "Shout unto God with the voice of triumph."
Arnobius the YoungerAD 460
COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS 47
Just as there is wailing by all the nations in the coming of the devil as we have heard the voice calling from heaven, “woe to land and sea, for the devil has been cast on you,” so in the coming of our Jesus, there is joy: “all nations, clap your hands.”
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Psalms 47:1 serves as an exhilarating and universal summons to worship, inviting all peoples to participate in a boisterous and uninhibited acclamation of God's sovereign reign. This opening verse, set within an "Enthronement Psalm," establishes a tone of triumphant celebration, calling for physical expressions of joy—clapping hands and shouting—as a fitting and emphatic response to the Lord's ultimate authority and victorious dominion over all the earth. It powerfully anticipates the grand themes of divine kingship, global recognition, and ultimate triumph that unfold throughout the remainder of the psalm.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Psalm 47:1 employs several powerful literary devices to convey its message of universal, triumphant worship, creating a vivid and compelling call to praise. The most prominent is Apostrophe, a direct address to an absent or imaginary person or, as here, to a broad collective—"all ye people." This direct address immediately engages the audience, inviting a global and inclusive response to God's reign. This call to action is reinforced by the pervasive use of Imperative verbs ("clap," "shout"), which issue direct commands, urging active and immediate participation rather than passive observation. The verse also skillfully utilizes Parallelism, specifically synonymous parallelism, where the two main commands, "O clap your hands" and "shout unto God with the voice of triumph," express similar ideas of enthusiastic praise through different but complementary physical and vocal actions. This repetition amplifies the call to worship and underscores the intensity and multifaceted nature of the desired response. Furthermore, the phrase "voice of triumph" is a potent example of Metonymy, where "triumph" (the abstract concept of victory or success) stands for the victorious outcome or the celebration of victory itself. This effectively transforms the shout into a declaration of divine conquest and a resounding affirmation of God's sovereign rule. The cumulative effect of these devices is one of vibrant urgency and all-encompassing celebration, designed to evoke a visceral, joyful, and communal response from all who hear or read the psalm.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Psalms 47:1 lays a foundational theological truth that transcends the boundaries of Israel: God is not merely the God of a single nation, but the sovereign King over "all ye people." This universal call to worship underscores His supreme authority and the global scope of His kingdom, revealing a God whose dominion extends over every facet of creation and every human heart. The enthusiastic, triumphant nature of the commanded worship reveals that acknowledging God's kingship is not a somber obligation but a joyous celebration of His victory, majesty, and unassailable power. This verse profoundly connects to the broader biblical narrative of God's redemptive plan, which ultimately encompasses all nations, inviting them to recognize, submit to, and rejoice in His benevolent reign. It anticipates the eschatological vision where every tongue will confess Jesus as Lord, and all creation will worship the King of kings in a chorus of ultimate triumph.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Psalms 47:1 is a vibrant and compelling invitation to engage in worship that is both expressive and deeply rooted in the recognition of God's supreme and universal authority. It challenges us to move beyond a mere intellectual assent to God's kingship and to embrace a form of worship that is physically and vocally demonstrative of our profound joy and awe. In a world often characterized by chaos, division, and uncertainty, this verse serves as a powerful reminder that God remains immutably enthroned, sovereign over all circumstances, all nations, and all peoples. Our clapping and shouting become not just acts of praise, but declarations of unwavering faith in His ultimate victory and an affirmation of His unwavering control. This psalm encourages us to cultivate a heart of triumph, knowing that our God reigns, and to allow that liberating truth to infuse every aspect of our worship, transforming it into an uninhibited and joyful acclamation of His unfailing power, love, and majesty. It calls us to participate actively in the cosmic chorus that acknowledges Him as King.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why does the psalm command "all ye people" to clap and shout, rather than just Israel?
Answer: The command to "all ye people" (Hebrew: כָּל־הָעַמִּים, kol-ha'ammim) signifies God's universal sovereignty, a core theme not only in Psalm 47 but throughout the broader biblical narrative. While God had a special covenant relationship with Israel, His dominion extends over all nations and creation. This psalm, often associated with God's enthronement or a celebration of His cosmic victory, therefore invites a global, cosmic response. It anticipates a future reality where all peoples will acknowledge God's ultimate authority and participate in His worship, as prophesied in passages like Isaiah 2:2-4 and Zechariah 14:9. It is a prophetic vision of the universal recognition of God's kingship, extending beyond the chosen nation to encompass all humanity.
What is the significance of the "Sons of Korah" in the superscription of this psalm?
Answer: The "Sons of Korah" were a prominent family of Levites, descendants of Korah, who served in the Jerusalem Temple as highly esteemed musicians, singers, and gatekeepers (see 1 Chronicles 6:31-33). Despite their ancestor Korah's infamous rebellion against Moses and Aaron (recorded in Numbers 16), his descendants remained faithful and were granted significant and honorable roles in temple worship. Their association with Psalm 47:1, as indicated in the superscription, means this psalm was part of the official liturgical repertoire of the Jerusalem Temple. It suggests it was likely composed by or for this guild of professional worship leaders, lending authority and context to the psalm's use in communal worship and indicating it was a well-known and regularly performed piece for celebrating God's kingship within Israel's corporate praise.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Psalms 47:1 finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. The "voice of triumph" anticipated in this verse echoes the resounding victory achieved by the Lamb of God through His sacrificial death, glorious resurrection, and triumphant ascension. While the psalm celebrates God's enthronement, the New Testament reveals that this divine kingship is now supremely exercised through Christ, who has been given "all authority in heaven and on earth". The call for "all ye people" to clap and shout becomes a powerful prophetic foreshadowing of the universal worship of Christ, as every knee will one day bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. His ascension, vividly described in Acts 1:9-11, is the ultimate "shout unto God with the voice of triumph," signifying His enthronement at the right hand of the Father, having decisively conquered sin, death, and the grave (see Colossians 2:15). Thus, the exuberant call to worship in Psalm 47:1 transforms into a joyful and compelled response to the accomplished triumph of our King, Jesus, who reigns now and will reign forevermore.