The big picture
Psalms 47 opens in verse 1 with “O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph.”, reaches its middle movement near verse 5 with “God is gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet.”, and closes in verse 9 with “The princes of the people are gathered together, even the people of the God of Abraham…” Repeated or prominent terms include praises, sing, people, earth, King. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Psalms · King James Version · 9Psalms 47:1-5
1–5: O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of…
Psalms 47:1–5 opens with “O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph.” and reaches “God is gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet.” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Psalms 47 develops its own movement around praises, sing, people, earth, King, with particular weight carried by LORD, people, shout.
Psalms 47:1-5
King James Version1O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph.
2For the LORD most high is terrible; he is a great King over all the earth.
3He shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet.
4He shall choose our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob whom he loved. Selah.
5God is gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet.
Psalms 47:6-9
6–9: Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing…
Psalms 47:6–9 opens with “Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises.” and reaches “The princes of the people are gathered together, even the people of the God of Abraham: for the…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Psalms 47 develops its own movement around praises, sing, people, earth, King, with particular weight carried by praises, sing, earth.
Psalms 47:6-9
King James Version6Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises.
7For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding.
8God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness.
9The 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.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Psalms 47:1 begins with “O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph.”
Where the chapter turns
Psalms 47:5 forms a natural hinge: “God is gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet.”
The final note
Psalms 47:9 leaves the reader with “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…”
A word trail through the chapter
The words praises, sing, people, earth, King, LORD help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
How does Jacob describe his life to Pharaoh?
As a pilgrimage, with years he calls few and difficult compared with his ancestors.
What tension does the famine policy create?
People survive, while land and economic dependence increasingly belong to Pharaoh.
KJV words made clear
- unto
- to
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.