Psalm 47, Nations, Clap Your Hands!

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

A praise song from the Sons of Korah:

Psalm 47: 1-4, Clap your hands!

 Clap your hands, all you nations; 

shout to God with cries of joy.

How awesome is the LORD Most High, 

the great King over all the earth!

 He subdued nations under us, 

peoples under our feet.

 He chose our inheritance for us, 

the pride of Jacob, whom he loved.

Selah.

This psalm celebrates the enthronement of a king, even the King of all the earth.

Psalm 47: 5, Shouts of Joy

 God has ascended amid shouts of joy, 

the LORD amid the sounding of trumpets.

We praise YHWH with joy. Israel can especially rejoice that the nations are subject to them and that He has chosen Israel as His people.

As Kidner points out, this verse echoes 2 Samuel 6: 14-15, when David rejoices as the ark is brought into Jerusalem.

Psalm 47: 6-7, Sing praises

 Sing praises to God, 

sing praises; 

sing praises to our King, 

sing praises.

A praise chorus to the King and God of all peoples.

In verse 7, the word translated "psalm of praise" is literally "maskil of praise." This is one of the few places where the Hebrew word maskil appears in context.

Psalm 47: 8-9, King of all the earth

For God is the King of all the earth; 

sing to him a psalm of praise.

 God reigns over the nations; 

God is seated on his holy throne.

 The nobles of the nations assemble 

as the people of the God of Abraham, 

for the kings of the earth belong to God;

he is greatly exalted.

All nations (even the Gentiles!) assemble under the control and property of the Creator God.