A royal Psalm to God (Psalm 47)
In later Judaism, this Psalm
was sung on the Jewish New Year's Day and the great thought expressed in it is
the Kingship of God who is Lord of the whole world. Some scholars suggest that
there may have been a festival in the Temple to celebrate an annual symbolic
enthronement of God, as King of the nations, but there is no direct evidence in
the Old Testament that such a festival did take place. It is an interesting but
speculative suggestion, upholding the idea of the Kingship of God. The
Christian interpretation of Psalm 47 is that it refers to the establishment of
the Kingdom of God on earth, being taken as a prophecy. It is not possible to
suggest when the Psalm was composed. It is a very joyful, exuberant Psalm for
public worship.
Psalm 47: 1. All the peoples
(of the world) are called to praise God with clapping of hands and loud
singing.
Psalm 47: 2-4. The Covenant
People of Israel proudly proclaim that the great King, ruling over all the
world, the Lord, the most high, is their God who gave them the land where they
live, their proud possession. The expression of these verses Is unashamedly
nationalistic. The congregation singing the Psalm rejoices in their nation's
relationship them victory over the other nations.
Psalm 47: 5-9. God is
portrayed as being enthroned like an earthly king and then ruling over all the
nations. As at the coronation of Judah's king, there are shouts of joy and loud
trumpets. The promise made to Abraham, that he will be the cause of blessing to
all mankind, is referred to in verse 9. All the nations will come to
acknowledge the God of Abraham and Israel as their God and king.