Psalm 47:

G-d created us to worship Him. Worship should be the foundation/priority of your lives. We cannot be pleasing to G-d if we are not committed to worshiping Him. Worship (of G-d) brings a righteous and G-dly change into our lives. It leads us to have victory over our enemies. 

v1: Clap – Giving G-d applause, making a noise before Him, is an appropriate act of worship. Clapping hands can be done in thanksgiving or acknowledgement. Everyone is supposed to

acknowledge G-d – we acknowledge Him in our lives through worship. 

• Peoples – written in the plural, therefore a very broad and inclusive term. 
• Voice of triumph – a word of great emotion (some say it is a word related to expectant victory – knowing that G-d, the source of victory, is going to move on our behalf). 

v2: Most High – He is supreme. He is over us and we need to submit/surrender/yield to Him in every aspect of our lives (We acknowledge that He has the right of way in all things). 

• ‘Awesome’ comes from the Hebrew word for ‘fear’. We are called to fear G-d – this means that we are called to give Him priority over all things in our lives. 
• Great King – we need to invite G-d to have L-rdship in our lives. This means that we invite Him to have influence, authority etc over every aspect of our lives. 

v3: How does G-d subdue? With His Word. When He speaks it brings things/peoples into submission. The more that we encounter G-d’s Word (His counsel) the more He will speak to us and the more we will delight to submit to Him. When we are worshipping G-d and submitting to Him He is going to give us authority and rule (leadership and responsibility) over others. 

• Nations under our feet –G-d put all things under Yeshua’s feet. Here the same thing is said about those of us who belong to His Kingdom (Rev 20:4-6). G-d’s promise is that worship positions us in a very different location than the rest of the world. 

 v4: It is G-d who chooses our inheritance for us. If we are not worshiping Him or not interested in serving Him, if we are not interested in His influence in our lives, then our inheritance is going to reflect that. But if the opposite is true then our inheritance will be very different from those mentioned above. 

• Excellence – a word that relates to majesty, something that is wonderful and highly significant (in modern Hebrew it is a word that means ‘genius’ or someone who is highly intelligent).

v5: Gone up – out of reach. It is only through worship that we are going to have access to G-d’s provision etc in our lives. 

• A shout – usually a word associated with the sound/blast that a shofar/ram’s horn makes. The first reference to the shofar in the Bible is set within the context of provision of victory.  
• Trumpet – shofar.

v6: Sing praise – we praise G-d through song. Singing emphasised in this verse.

v7: Sing praises with understanding – a word of success or accomplishment. With intelligence, understanding and wisdom.

v8: G-d reigns – G-d’s rule is over all things – in its entirety. Forever (past, present and future. I.e. there was never, and will never be, a time when He hasn’t reigned). 

• G-d sits – nothing hinders Him, nothing stops Him. Nothing is in His way and nothing challenges His rule. He is supreme. 

v9: Princes – in the Hebrew this word means ‘generous ones’. These are those who use their resources to be a blessing to others. 

• The G-d of Abraham – this is a very rare phrase in the Scripture (G-d is called the G-d of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, or He is called the G-d of Jacob, but very seldom by this name). When Abraham’s mentioned in the texts it is always in regard to him being a man of faith. Faith led him to pursue the promises of G-d. When we look at the rules of Hebrew parallelism we find that those who are generous are generous because they are seeking the promises of G-d. Like Abraham, their faith makes them generous – a giving people. 
• The shields …belong to G-d: G-d provides for us. We need to be good stewards and manage this provision – in faith distributing what G-d has given us to others. When we walk in faith and in generosity the shields that belong to G-d (protection) are going to set up around us (the interpretation may not seem too clear here if reading through in English but makes more sense if taken back to original – biblehub.com). There is no safer place to be than with the shields of G-d around us. 
• He (G-d) is greatly/exceedingly exalted: Do we truly believe that G-d’s will for our lives is good? Do we believe (a walk of faith) that when we walk with Him we will experience His promises? It is wise for us to submit to and move under G-d’s authority. He is exceedingly exalted – meaning He’s greater than anything or anyone else!