Psalm 47:1
Clap your hands, all you peoples; shout unto God with a voice of triumph.
For the choirmaster.

The psalm was prepared for public worship under the direction of the temple’s musical leader, showing the established place of singing and instruments in Israel’s praise of God.

Psa 4:1 For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments.…
Psa 5:1 For the choirmaster, to be accompanied by flutes.…
Psa 6:1 For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments,…

A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

The Korahites served as Levitical musicians despite their ancestor’s rebellion against Moses, demonstrating God’s mercy in preserving and using their family for temple worship.

Psa 42:1 For the choirmaster. A Maskil of the sons of Korah.…
Psa 44:1 For the choirmaster. A Maskil of the sons of Korah.…
Psa 49:1 For the choirmaster. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.…

Clap your hands, all you peoples;

All nations are summoned to join Israel in joyful recognition of the Lord’s rule.

Psa 98:8 Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing…
2Ki 11:12 Then Jehoiada brought out the king’s son,…
Isa 55:12 You will indeed go out with joy and be led forth in peace;…

shout unto God with a voice of triumph.

Loud celebration fittingly answers God’s victories and sovereign power over the earth.

Psa 66:1 For the choirmaster. A song. A Psalm. Make a joyful noise…
Psa 81:1 For the choirmaster. According to Gittith. Of Asaph.…
Exo 15:1 Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD:…

Persons / Places / Events
1. The Sons of Korah
The authors of this psalm, a group of Levitical singers and musicians, who played a significant role in temple worship.

2. All You Peoples
Refers to all nations and ethnic groups, emphasizing the universal call to worship God.

3. God
The central figure of worship in this psalm, the one who is to be praised with joy and triumph.

4. The Temple
While not directly mentioned, the context of worship and praise suggests the temple as a central place of gathering and worship.

5. The Event of Worship
The act of clapping and shouting is a communal event of worship, celebrating God's sovereignty and victory.
Teaching Points
Universal Call to Worship
This verse emphasizes that worship is not limited to a specific group but is a call to all peoples. We are reminded that God's sovereignty and goodness are reasons for everyone to celebrate.

Joyful Expression in Worship
The act of clapping and shouting signifies an exuberant and heartfelt expression of worship. Believers are encouraged to express their joy and gratitude to God openly and enthusiastically.

Victory in God
The "voice of triumph" suggests that our worship is rooted in the victory and sovereignty of God. We are reminded that God is in control, and our worship reflects our trust in His ultimate victory.

Community in Worship
The communal aspect of clapping and shouting together highlights the importance of gathering with others in worship. It encourages believers to participate in corporate worship as a vital part of their spiritual life.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the call to "clap your hands" and "shout unto God" challenge our typical expressions of worship?

2. In what ways can we incorporate more joyful expressions of worship in our personal and communal worship times?

3. How does understanding God's sovereignty and victory influence our attitude in worship?

4. What are some practical ways we can encourage others to join in the universal call to worship God?

5. How can we draw parallels between the communal worship described in Psalm 47:1 and the worship practices in the early church as seen in the New Testament?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Psalm 98:4
This verse also calls for joyful noise and celebration, emphasizing the universality of worship.

1 Chronicles 16:31-33
Highlights the earth's rejoicing in God's reign, connecting to the theme of universal praise.

Philippians 4:4
Encourages believers to rejoice in the Lord always, aligning with the call to joyful worship in Psalm 47:1.

Revelation 19:6
Describes a heavenly multitude praising God, echoing the triumphant shout to God in Psalm 47:1.
A Song for All the Peoples!C. Clemance Psalm 47:1-9
Messianic Triumph PredictedA. Maclaren, D. D.Psalm 47:1-9
The Praiseworthy and the Faultworthy in WorshipHomilistPsalm 47:1-9
The Universal KingW. Forsyth Psalm 47:1-9
The Universal Sovereignty of GodC. Short Psalm 47:1-9
People
Jacob, Korah, Psalmist
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Chief, 47, Choirmaster, Clap, Cries, Glad, Gt, Hands, Joy, Korah, Leader, Letting, Loud, Lt, Music, Musician, Music-maker, Nations, Noise, O, Oh, Overseer, Peoples, Psalm, Shout, Singing, Songs, Sons, Triumph, Voice, Voices
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Psalm 47:1

     5142   clapping
     5156   hand
     5196   voice
     5528   shouting
     8288   joy, of Israel

Library
A Wise Desire
I remember once going to a chapel where this happened to be the text, and the good man who occupied the pulpit was more than a little of an Arminian. Therefore, when he commenced, he said, "This passage refers entirely to our temporal inheritance. It has nothing whatever to do with our everlasting destiny: for," said he, "We do not want Christ to choose for us in the matter of heaven or hell. It is so plain and easy that every man who has a grain of common sense will choose heaven; and any person
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 1: 1855

Tenth Sunday after Trinity. As the Hart Panteth after the Water Brooks, Even So Panteth My Soul after Thee, O God.
As the hart panteth after the water brooks, even so panteth my soul after Thee, O God. Nach dir, o Gott verlanget mich [107]Anton Ulrich, Duke of Brunswick. 1667. trans. by Catherine Winkworth, 1855 O God, I long Thy Light to see, My God, I hourly think on Thee; Oh draw me up, nor hide Thy face, But help me from Thy holy place. As toward her sun the sunflower turns, Towards Thee, my Sun my spirit yearns; Oh would that free from sin I might Thus follow evermore Thy Light! But sin hath so within
Catherine Winkworth—Lyra Germanica: The Christian Year

The Work of Christ.
The great work which the Lord Jesus Christ, God's well beloved Son, came to do was to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. This finished work of the cross is the basis of His present work and His future work. What mind can estimate the value and preciousness of that work in which the Holy One offered Himself through the eternal Spirit without spot unto God! He procured redemption by His death on the cross. In His present work and much more in the future work, He works out this great redemption
A. C. Gaebelein—The Work Of Christ

His Future Work
The Lord Jesus Christ, who finished the work on earth the Father gave Him to do, who is now bodily present in the highest heaven, occupying the Father's throne and exercising His priesthood in behalf of His people, is also King. To Him belongeth a Kingdom and a kingly Glory. He has therefore a kingly work to do. While His past work was foretold by the Spirit of God and His priestly work foreshadowed in the Old Testament, His work as King and His glorious Kingdom to come are likewise the subjects
A. C. Gaebelein—The Work Of Christ

Question of the Comparison Between the Active and the Contemplative Life
I. Is the Active Life preferable to the Contemplative? Cardinal Cajetan, On Preparation for the Contemplative Life S. Augustine, Confessions, X., xliii. 70 " On Psalm xxvi. II. Is the Active Life more Meritorious than the Contemplative? III. Is the Active Life a Hindrance to the Contemplative Life? Cardinal Cajetan, On the True Interior Life S. Augustine, Sermon, CCLVI., v. 6 IV. Does the Active Life precede the Contemplative? I Is the Active Life preferable to the Contemplative? The Lord
St. Thomas Aquinas—On Prayer and The Contemplative Life

The Joy of the Lord.
IT is written "the joy of the Lord is your strength." Every child of God knows in some measure what it is to rejoice in the Lord. The Lord Jesus Christ must ever be the sole object of the believer's joy, and as eyes and heart look upon Him, we, too, like "the strangers scattered abroad" to whom Peter wrote shall "rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory" (1 Pet. i:8). But it is upon our heart to meditate with our beloved readers on the joy of our adorable Lord, as his own personal joy. The
Arno Gaebelein—The Lord of Glory

Letter xix (A. D. 1127) to Suger, Abbot of S. Denis
To Suger, Abbot of S. Denis He praises Suger, who had unexpectedly renounced the pride and luxury of the world to give himself to the modest habits of the religious life. He blames severely the clerk who devotes himself rather to the service of princes than that of God. 1. A piece of good news has reached our district; it cannot fail to do great good to whomsoever it shall have come. For who that fear God, hearing what great things He has done for your soul, do not rejoice and wonder at the great
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux

Psalms
The piety of the Old Testament Church is reflected with more clearness and variety in the Psalter than in any other book of the Old Testament. It constitutes the response of the Church to the divine demands of prophecy, and, in a less degree, of law; or, rather, it expresses those emotions and aspirations of the universal heart which lie deeper than any formal demand. It is the speech of the soul face to face with God. Its words are as simple and unaffected as human words can be, for it is the genius
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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