Psalms 47 · The Lantern

O clap your hands together, all ye people: O sing unto God with the voice of melody.

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.

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."

In the preceding Psalms the Psalmist expounded the glory of the King and of the kingdom; here he exhorts the foreign nations to be converted to God. And first he exhorts them to the praise of God. Second, to hope in God. Third, he teaches them the worship of God.

For the Lord is high, and to be feared: he is the great King upon all the earth.

He became manifest in the events themselves, by which he routed those harassing the godly and proved superior to their scheme, fearsome to the enemy and, in short, king like no other on earth, since he is also Lord of all.

"For the Lord Most High is terrible" [Psalm 47:2]. The Most High in descending made like one ludicrous, by ascending into Heaven is made terrible. "A great King over all the earth." Not only over the Jews; for over them also He is King.

"Because the Lord." Here the cause of praise is set forth, and the goods that flow from the greatness of God. And first the greatness of God is set forth. Second, the sign of His greatness. The greatness of God is commended in two ways. First, through the loftiness of His power. Second, through the majesty of His dominion.

He shall subdue the people under us: and the nations under our feet.

What a marvel! He convinced those who crucified him to bow down in worship; those who mocked and blasphemed, those addicted to idol worship he taught to let their souls yield to his will. This transformation, you see, was not of the apostles' doing but done by him who led the way before them and moved their spirit.

When did he subject people under our feet? When he chose his inheritance for us from the person of Mary, whom the Holy Spirit chose. Then, he ascended with a shout and voice of trumpet.… Glory to God on high, angels tell the shepherds. Behold, the Lord rules over every nation. The Lord sits on his holy seat.

The sign of the greatness of this King is taken from the things He has done among us, and these are the benefits of God. First, in the subjection of others. Second, in the bestowal of goods. He says therefore, "He has subjected peoples to us." These are the words of the Church, to whom even temporally her enemies are made subject.

He shall choose out an heritage for us: even the worship of Jacob, whom he loved.

But what does it profit me, if the seed of Abraham, "which is Christ," should possess "the cities of his enemies for an inheritance" and should not possess my city? If in my city, that is, in my soul, which is "the city of the great king," neither his laws nor his ordinances should be observed?

"He has chosen an inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob, whom He loved" [Psalm 47:4]. A certain beauty of Jacob He has chosen for our inheritance.

"He has chosen for us his inheritance." Here another benefit of the bestowal of goods is set forth. Where it should be noted that election implies the acceptance of one thing over another. Now the election of God can be understood from a twofold perspective. First, on the part of the goods that are bestowed.

God is gone up with a merry noise: and the Lord with the sound of the trump.

"God is gone up with jubilation." Even He our God, the Lord Christ, is gone up with jubilation; "the Lord with the sound of a trumpet." "Is gone up:" whither, save where we know? Whither the Jews followed Him not, even with their eyes. For exalted on the Cross they mocked Him, ascending into Heaven they did not see Him.

He ascended with a shout of jubilation, since he sought heaven as the disciples rejoiced in the glory of his being lifted up. He ascended with the sound of the trumpet, since he went up to the throne of his heavenly kingdom as the angels heralded his return to judge the living and the dead.

"God ascended with jubilation." Here he explains the cause and the order. He says that He is most high and a great king; and on account of this He is to be praised. But is He truly so high? Yes. And first he shows His excellence. Second, he shows the extent of His kingdom, at "sing praises." Concerning the first he does two things. First he sets forth His excellence.

O sing praises, sing praises unto our God: O sing praises, sing praises unto our King.

"Sing praises to our God, sing praises." Whom as Man mocked they, who from God were alienated. "Sing praises to our God." For He is not Man only, but God. Man of the seed of David, God the Lord of David, of the Jews having flesh. "Whose" (saith the Apostle) "are the fathers, of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came." Of the Jews then is Christ, but according to the flesh.

If therefore He is most high, "sing praises to our God," with the mouth; "sing praises to our King," with the heart. 1 Cor. 14: "I will sing with the spirit, I will sing also with the mind." "Because He is King." Next he shows that He is a great King, and he shows this in reverse order. For first he induces them to sing praises to the King. Second, he assigns the cause.

For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding.

Since he had said "king," he went on to say, not only ours but of "all the earth": the one responsible for some people conquering and others being conquered, as he wishes, no matter from what quarter they mount their charge, how could he not be confessed as king of all?

"For God is the King of all the earth" [Psalm 47:7]. What? And before was He not God of all the earth? Is He not God of both heaven and earth, since by Him surely were all things made? Who can say that He is not his God? But not all men acknowledged Him their God; and where He was acknowledged, there only, so to say, He was God.

And he shows that praise is fitting, because He is "God, king of all the earth." And therefore you inhabitants of the earth should sing praises to Him. And he says "of all the earth" -- not of Judea only, or of Greece, but of the whole world. "But sing praises wisely," that is, with discernment.

God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth upon his holy seat.

The throne of God is Christ. The throne of Christ is the reasonable nature.

"God shall reign over all nations" [Psalm 47:8]. Who reigned over one nation, "shall reign" (says He) "over all nations." When this was said, God reigned over one nation. It was a prophecy, the thing was not yet shown. Thanks be to God, we now see fulfilled what before was prophesied. A written promise God sent unto us before the time, the time fulfilled He has repaid us.

Then he makes manifest how He is king of all the earth. And first he foretells the reign of Christ over all nations. Second, over all the princes of the nations. As if to say: I say that He is king of all the earth, because although He now reigns in Judea only, He shall nevertheless reign over all nations, because all nations shall be converted to God. Ps.

The princes of the people are joined unto the people of the God of Abraham: for God, which is very high exalted, doth defend the earth, as it were with a shield.

Here he shows the extent of the gospel's influence, reaching not only simple people but even the very wearers of the crown and those seated on a royal throne.

The promises to the patriarch Abraham, he is saying, took effect. Now the Lord of all promised to bless all the nations in his progeny. Accordingly, both these nations and their rulers abandoned their ancestral gods and are assembled with the God of Abraham, and they call this God theirs.

And not only are the nations subject to Him, but also their princes; hence he says, "the princes of the peoples," namely of all [peoples], "are gathered together," through faith and love, "with the God of Abraham." And he says "Abraham," because he was the beginning of belief in both Father and Son. Mt. 3: "God is able to raise up children of Abraham from these stones." Ps.

Psalms47