Bible Commentaries
Psalms 47

Verses 1-9

Psalms 47:0

Psalms 47:1 (To the chief Musician, A Psalm for the sons of Korah.) O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph.

Psalms 47:1 “A Psalm for the sons of Korah” Comments - Origen tells us the psalms that include the title “sons of Korah” in its opening verse (42 through 49, 84, 85, 87, 88) were written by the sons of Korah, who worked together in the unity of the Spirit to produce it. He justifies this statement by quoting Psalms 44:1, which says, “O God, we have heard with our ears.”

“But if it be necessary also from the ancient Scriptures to bring forward the three who made a symphony on earth, so that the Word was in the midst of them making them one, attend to the superscription of the Psalms, as for example to that of the forty-first, which is as follows: ‘Unto the end, unto understanding, for the sons of Korah.’ For though there were three sons of Korah whose names we find in the Book of Exodus, Aser, which is, by interpretation, ‘instruction,’ and the second Elkana, which is translated, ‘possession of God,’ and the third Abiasaph, which in the Greek tongue might be rendered, ‘congregation of the father,’ yet the prophecies were not divided but were both spoken and written by one spirit, and one voice, and one soul, which wrought with true harmony, and the three speak as one, ‘As the heart panteth after the springs of the water, so panteth my soul alter thee, O God.’ But also they say in the plural in the forty-fourth Psalm, ‘O God, we have heard with our ears.’” ( Origen’s Commentary on Matthew 14:1) [68]

[68] Origen, Origen’s Commentary on Matthew, trans. Allan Menzies, in The Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 9, ed. Allan Menzies (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, c1896, 1906), 495.

Psalms 47:1 “O clap your hands, all ye people” Comments - Kenneth Hagin says that Jesus refers to this verse in one of his divine visitations. He says that the clapping of the hands in this context was an attitude of victory and not a form of worship. Note:

“In the visitation, Jesus discussed clapping with me from the Scriptures. He said, ‘There is not one Scripture in the New Testament about clapping. The Bible says in Psalms 47:1, “O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph.” Clapping in this verse denoted an attitude of victory; it was not a form of praise. That is the only time clapping before the Lord is mentioned, and that is in the Old Testament. There are also some occurrences in the Old Testament where people clapped their hands for other reasons, but it had no connection with the worship of God. Then there are also Scriptures about the waves and the floods clapping their hands, but you understand, that is figurative language. There is not one single Scripture in the New Covenant about anyone clapping their hands.’” [69]

[69] Kenneth Hagin, Plans Purposes and Pursuits (Tulsa, Oklahoma: Faith Library Publications, c1988, 1993), 101.