Introduction: A Psalm of Sovereignty for the Future to Come
Psalm 47 is a psalm of enthroning the Holy One, blessed be He, over the entire world. In this section of the chapter, we focus on the stage where Hashem returns us to our inheritance, and from that point onward the psalmist depicts how His kingship is accepted, how both modes of providence - natural conduct and miraculous conduct - are elevated, and how ultimately the nobles of the nations gather with the nation of the God of Abraham.
"He chooses our inheritance for us" - Returning to the Land and to the Pride of Jacob
יִבְחַר־לָנוּ אֶת־נַחֲלָתֵנוּ אֶת־גְּאוֹן יַעֲקֹב אֲשֶׁר־אָהֵב סֶלָה׃ - He chooses our inheritance for us, the pride of Jacob whom He loved, Selah.
Rashi explains: "He chooses our inheritance for us" - the Holy One, blessed be He, will return us to our inheritance, and then He will be elevated through the blast and the sound of the shofar that we will sound before Him in song, over burnt-offerings and sacrifices, as it says later, "Sing praises to God, sing praises." That is, when Hashem returns us to our inheritance, we will then be able to offer praise before Him in the Beis HaMikdash.
The Radak explains: "Our inheritance" - the inheritance that was ours of old. Hashem chose that very inheritance then, and He will choose it again, as it were, and return us to it. We must understand: this refers to the Jewish people who have been in exile for two thousand years, and therefore "He chooses our inheritance" means that He will choose it anew, so to speak, and restore us to it.
And this land is "the pride of Jacob" - in the sense of splendor, the pride and glory of Jacob. Why? The Radak explains: because in this inheritance God dwells - "a land upon which the eyes of Hashem your God always rest." This place is the site of the Beis HaMikdash, where the Shechinah resides. This is the pride of Jacob and their glory, through which they glory over all the nations. And this is also "the place whom He loved" - Jerusalem. And how do we know this? As it is written, "Hashem loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob," and it is said, "the city that I have chosen." It is therefore precise to say of this place, "whom He loved, Selah" - the place that Hashem loves forever.
According to the Malbim, it appears that "whom He loved" refers to Jacob - whom did He love? Jacob. This is what emerges from the Malbim's explanation, unlike our explanation based on the Radak that "whom He loved" refers to the place, meaning that Hashem loves Jerusalem, as it is written, "Hashem loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob."
"God ascends with a blast" - Elevation in Both Modes of Providence
עָלָה אֱלֹהִים בִּתְרוּעָה ה' בְּקוֹל שׁוֹפָר׃ - God has ascended with a blast, Hashem with the sound of the shofar.
The Metzudas David explains: The name of God will be elevated and exalted with a teruah blast, for as Rashi noted, they will sound the blast when offering the sacrifices. During the offering of the sacrifices, they would blow the shofar and the Levi'im would begin to sing - "Hashem with the sound of the shofar," Hashem will be elevated with a blast and with the sound of the shofar.
The Malbim explains: The psalmist now describes how the great King receives His sovereignty as the nations crown Him, and how He is elevated from what was before to a vast and exalted kingdom - whereas previously they did not appreciate or accept His kingship, now His governance is far more exalted and elevated. Naturally, the Holy One, blessed be He, does not change Himself - "For I, Hashem, have not changed" - and any change exists solely from the perspective of the recipients. Hashem was King before any creature was created; the intent is not that He now became a King when He was not one before, but rather that the manifestation of His providence changes according to the recipients.
Divine governance in our present time operates at times through the aspect of the Name Elokim - governance according to the laws of nature (hateva, "nature," shares the numerical value of Elokim) - and at times through the Name of Havayah, when Hashem performs miracles and wonders through His supernatural power. This miraculous governance is for the sake of the Jewish people: for whom does Hashem perform miracles? Not for the nations, but for Am Yisrael. For this reason, we describe Him as "our King," "our God," "the God of Jacob," "the Holy One of Israel" - because the miracles are performed for us, we attribute His kingship directly to ourselves. And as we have seen many times in the Malbim's commentary, when scripture refers to God in the aspect of "our God," the reference is to His individual Divine providence (hashgachah pratit) over us, not merely His general supervision over the world at large.
The Malbim continues: when Mashiach arrives and Hashem becomes King over the entire earth, both of these forms of governance will experience a profound elevation. First, "God ascends with a blast" (Alah Elokim bi-tru'ah): through the blast by which they crown Elokim as King, the governance associated with the Name Elokim will be elevated. That is to say, the natural order will remain, but it will be exalted and elevated, as in "For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth" - a natural order at a higher spiritual level. Second, "Hashem with the sound of the shofar" (Hashem be-kol shofar): the governance of the Name Havayah, the miraculous governance, will also be elevated, and there will be miracles and wonders far greater than in earlier generations. As scripture states, people will no longer recall the miracles of the Exodus from Egypt, nor will they say, "Hashem our God Who brought us up from the land of Egypt," but rather "Who brought us out of the land of the north" - for the miracles will be vastly more extraordinary. We find, then, that there is an elevation in both forms of Divine governance: "God ascends" - the natural governance will be elevated as they crown Him with a blast; and "Hashem with the sound of the shofar" - the miraculous governance will be elevated as they crown Him with the sound of the shofar, leading to wonders more miraculous than anything known before. This is the meaning of "As in the days of your coming out of the land of Egypt, I will show him marvelous things" - the wonders will be exceedingly great.
"Sing praises to God, sing praises" - Praise Corresponding to Both Forms of Governance
זַמְּרוּ אֱלֹהִים זַמֵּרוּ זַמְּרוּ לְמַלְכֵּנוּ זַמֵּרוּ׃ - Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises!
Here the Malbim explains the phrase "God ascends with a blast": give praise to the Name Elokim, for the Name Elokim has been elevated - natural governance at a higher spiritual plane. And corresponding to the miraculous governance that has been elevated, represented by the Name of Havayah, the verse says, "Sing praises to our King, sing praises." "Our King" refers to His individual Divine providence over us and the miracles Hashem performs for us, since "our King" always denotes miraculous governance. Moreover, the Malbim notes that "the sound of the shofar" alludes to the Ingathering of the Exiles - "On that day a great shofar will be blown," "Sound the great shofar for our freedom." We yearn for this redemption, for the blast of the shofar through which Hashem will be exalted and elevated: "God ascends with a blast" - the natural governance, and "Hashem with the sound of the shofar" - the miraculous governance.
"Sing an enlightened song" - What Song is Befitting Before Him
כִּי מֶלֶךְ כׇּל־הָאָרֶץ אֱלֹהִים זַמְּרוּ מַשְׂכִּיל׃ - For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises, an enlightened song!
The Malbim explains: "For God is the King of all the earth" - even though in terms of ordinary governance through the Name Elokim, Hashem is already King of all the earth and all serve Him, nevertheless "sing an enlightened song (maskil)" - for then everyone will comprehend (yaskilu) Hashem's kingship. That is to say, today we observe the natural order stemming from the Name Elokim in its ordinary form, and Hashem is King over the entire earth; but in the future, all will comprehend the kingship of Hashem in its true grandeur, and the governance of nature will be elevated to a higher spiritual level, such that "they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them." What exists today will remain in the future, but on a vastly higher level, and everyone will have the insight to know His blessed kingship.
The Radak explains "sing an enlightened song (maskil)" differently: every person of intellect and understanding, both among Israel and among the nations of the world, should sing to God. For while all nations were commanded to express praise - "All nations, clap your hands" - whether they are men of understanding or not, clapping hands and raising one's voice in joyful song is something everyone can do equally. Anyone can clap and raise their voice. But composing a song and poetic praise - for that, one must be an enlightened person of deep understanding.
This is not referring to contemporary poets who simply take a dictionary, pull out grand words, and call it a poem, where one cannot discern where it begins or where it ends, or what is meant by cryptic metaphors that leave the reader baffled. Indeed, the more bizarre the writing, the greater the impression it seems to make: "What did the poet mean?" People write nonsensical lines, and audiences assume there must be profound depths and hidden mysteries within them. Here, however, scripture speaks of genuine song, like the sacred compositions of King David, the sweet singer of Israel. Consider the poetry of Rabbi Shlomo ibn Gabirol or Rabbi Yehuda Halevi - poetry of magnificent, sublime depth, where every expression and warm devotion is an absolute joy to read. True song requires wisdom and discernment: "Sing an enlightened song (maskil)." Anyone can clap hands and raise their voice; but to compose and sing a truly befitting song to Hashem, that belongs specifically to the person of understanding.
On the other hand, the Radak cites an explanation in the name of his father - and whenever an explanation is cited in the name of the Radak's father, one should listen with rapt attention, for he offers truly marvelous insights. "Sing an enlightened song (maskil)" means a psalm that enlightens whoever hears it to comprehend Hashem, recognizing that kingship belongs to Him alone. That is, when a person reads this psalm, he gains the insight to understand that kingship is Hashem's. According to this, the word maskil is especially fitting here, as it is in the causative form (hif'il): sing a song that enlightens others. A person who sings this song will come to recognize through it the greatness of the Creator, His existence, and His divinity - sing a song that enlightens others with knowledge of the blessed Creator.
The Metsudat David explains that "sing an enlightened song (maskil)" means singing a song composed with wisdom and discretion - not like contemporary frivolous songs, but song rendered with reverence and careful thought. Sometimes a person sings and stumbles with his words: King David said, "Your statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage," and our Sages teach that he was called to account for this. One must ensure that the song is crafted with wisdom and care, containing no inappropriate expressions. We similarly find with Chana that in her prayer she used an inexact expression, saying that the child would dwell there "forever" (ad olam); and what is "forever"? The "forever" of the Levites, which is fifty years. We see, therefore, that even when a person prays, he must take care to choose his words fittingly, lest he stumble in his speech.
This is like the story in the Midrash and the Zohar about a man who prayed that Hashem provide him with a donkey. He was walking in the desert, grew exhausted, could barely take another step, and pleaded that Hashem send him a donkey. A nobleman passed by, whose female donkey had just given birth to a foal. The nobleman saw the Jew and called out to him, "Come here!" The man was terrified, knowing the nobleman could easily chop off his head. The nobleman said to him, "My donkey has just given birth to a foal here and it cannot walk. Lift it onto your shoulders and carry it to the city!" You asked for a donkey, so a donkey was provided; but do not make requests like a donkey - make sensible requests! "Master of the Universe, give me a donkey to ride upon, not a donkey that rides upon you." A person must articulate his prayer clearly and express himself in refined, lucid language. This is the meaning of zamru maskil - song crafted with wisdom and intellect, not a song containing expressions of disrespect or words lacking logical foundation.
"God Reigns Over Nations" - A Complete Throne
מָלַךְ אֱלֹהִים עַל־גּוֹיִם אֱלֹהִים יָשַׁב עַל־כִּסֵּא קׇדְשׁוֹ׃ - God reigns over the nations; God sits upon His holy throne.
Rashi explains: This is what everyone will say. When they sing praise to Hashem - zamru maskil - they will declare in their song and melody, "God reigns over the nations." "He sits upon His holy throne" - for at that time the Throne will be whole and His greatness will be manifest. This is in contrast to our present era, when neither the Throne is whole nor the Name is whole, as it is written: "For the hand is upon the throne [kes] of the Lord [Y-ah]" - the letter alef is missing from the word kisei (throne), and the letters vav and heh are missing from the four-letter Name of Hashem. Regarding this we say, "For Hashem has chosen Zion; He desired it [ivah] for His dwelling." What is missing for us? The alef of the Throne, and the vav and heh of the Name of Hashem - alef, vav, heh, spelling ivah. The moment "He desired it for His dwelling" is fulfilled, the vav and heh will return, and the alef will return, and through this the world will be restored. This is "He sits upon His holy throne" - the Throne is now complete.
Ibn Ezra explains: "God reigns over the nations" - Hashem will display His sovereignty by executing justice and vengeance upon the nations. This is the meaning of "He sits upon His holy throne": He will judge the nations for their deeds, and that judgment will constitute the reign He exercises over them.
Radak explains: Until now, as it were, the Holy One, blessed be He, reigned over Israel alone. As for the rest of the nations, Hashem certainly reigns over them as well, yet they do not sense it or live with that awareness, and from their perspective they adhere to other beliefs and religions. But now, everyone will recognize that "God reigns over the nations," as it is written, "And Hashem shall be King over all the earth" - the entire world will accept His kingship and acknowledge it. Then "He sits upon His holy throne" - like a king seated upon his throne, with everyone subject to his authority.
Malbim explains: Until now, the psalm described the initial inauguration of the kingdom, when He ascends, as it were, to reign and the nations begin to accept His sovereignty. Now, it describes the permanence and continuation of the reign. "God reigns over the nations; God sits upon His holy throne" - meaning He no longer sits upon the throne He occupied until now. What was that earlier throne? The heavens and the natural celestial order. Even when the Holy One, blessed be He, channeled bounty, it was through the stars and constellations - which are called mazalot because bounty flows (nozel) and descends through them to influence the world below. Hashem bestowed abundance through this celestial system, though Israel is above the mazal, possessing the power to transcend the dictates of the stars and constellations through prayer and the like. Yet that was the framework of Providence until now. Now, however, "He sits upon His holy throne" - the throne of inner, miraculous governance, rooted in holiness and elevated far above nature. Hashem no longer sits upon the throne of the natural order and the celestial sphere to channel influence through it; rather, all influence stems directly from Hashem, blessed be He, as it is written, "Hashem has established His throne in the heavens."
According to the Malbim, it becomes clear why the verse speaks here in the past tense: earlier we spoke of the inception of His kingship, whereas now we speak of the period after that kingship is already established and ongoing. Therefore it says, "God has reigned over the nations; God has sat upon His holy throne" - as though we are already beyond that stage, after everything is already conducted in the proper manner under the sovereignty of Hashem.
Why the Name Elokim Is Used Specifically for the Nations
The author of Da'as Tov on Parashas Beshalach notes: The verse says, "God [Elokim] reigns over the nations," rather than "Hashem reigns over the nations," because the Holy One, blessed be He, does not associate His distinct, essential Name directly with the nations. He associates that special Name only with us: "Hear, O Israel, Hashem our God, Hashem is One." In contrast, in relation to the nations, the wording is "Elokim reigns over the nations."
This pattern is also evident in the Exodus from Egypt. "And it came to pass [vayehi] when Pharaoh sent the people [ha'am]" - our Sages explain that "the people" refers to the mixed multitude (erev rav) that joined the people of Israel. For this reason, Scripture uses the word vayehi, an expression of woe and sorrow, because the mixed multitude had come among us and joined our ranks. There the text states: "And God [Elokim] did not lead them through the way of the land of the Philistines," "For God [Elokim] said, 'Lest the people regret,'" and "So God [Elokim] led the people about" - all these expressions use the Name Elokim, because they refer to the mixed multitude. The holy Ohr HaChaim likewise explains there that the concern "lest they see war and return to Egypt" applied specifically to them, not to the people of Israel. After all, why would the Children of Israel want to return to Egypt - to whom, to Pharaoh? Rather, it was the mixed multitude who were liable to return to Egypt, for the verse speaks of "the people," and "the people," as noted, refers to the mixed multitude. Only when they departed from Sukkot, where Israel separated and became distinct from the mixed multitude, does the verse state, "And Hashem went before them." Over the nations and the mixed multitude, Hashem rules through the Name Elokim.
This aligns closely with what the Malbim explained, that the Name Elokim represents the governance of nature. Hashem guides the nations through natural means, through the celestial systems, while individual divine providence (hashgachah peratit) is directed specifically toward the Jewish people. Therefore, the four-letter Name of Hashem, which expresses intimate, direct providence, is used in relation to Israel - "And Hashem went before them" - whereas regarding the nations, it is "Elokim reigns."
Furthermore, one can say that Elokim denotes strict judgment, while Havayah denotes lovingkindness: Hashem governs the nations with judgment, whereas lovingkindness is reserved for the Jewish people. There is a verse in Tehillim: "He will judge among the nations, he filled them with corpses; He shattered the head over a wide land" - when Hashem judges the nations and brings disaster upon them, it is "full of corpses": a small tsunami, and four hundred thousand dead. In contrast, among the Jewish people, by Hashem's kindness, "He shattered the head over a wide land" - a single individual is taken. Judgment concerning the Jewish people is always tempered with mercy and lovingkindness, for "You are children to Hashem your God," whereas with the nations, the Holy One, blessed be He, exacts punishment with great wrath. Therefore, "God reigns over the nations" reflects the aspect of strict judgment, while "And Hashem went before them" is an expression of the attribute of lovingkindness toward the Jewish people.
"The nobles of the peoples gathered" - Gathering to the God of Abraham
נְדִיבֵי עַמִּים נֶאֱסָפוּ עַם אֱלֹהֵי אַבְרָהָם כִּי לֵאלֹהִים מָגִנֵּי־אֶרֶץ מְאֹד נַעֲלָה׃ - The nobles of the peoples have gathered, the people of the God of Abraham; for the shields of the earth belong to God; He is greatly exalted.
Rashi explains: "The nobles of the peoples" refers to those who volunteered to be slaughtered and killed for the sanctification of His Name, meaning the Jewish people. And from where did they derive this willingness to volunteer, to face slaughter among the nations and give their lives for the sanctification of His Blessed Name? From "the people of the God of Abraham" - Abraham was the first noble-hearted individual, the foremost of converts. And now it becomes known "that the shields of the earth belong to God" - that the Holy One, blessed be He, is the shield for all who take refuge in Him; just as He protected Abraham from the fiery furnace, so He shields all who trust in Him.
Radak explains differently from Rashi: "The nobles of the peoples" in its literal sense refers to the Gentiles; the leaders of every nation, their princes and dignitaries, will gather to become "the people of the God of Abraham." And why specifically Abraham? Because he was the first to make His Name known - "and the souls they had made in Haran," "and there Abram called upon the Name of Hashem"; he would convert the men and Sarah would convert the women. Just as in Abraham's day nations joined through him, as he was the bridge to the nations, so too now the nobles of the nations, the leaders of each people, will come and join to become the people of the God of Abraham. "For the shields of the earth belong to God" - who are the shields of the earth? The great leaders and kings, as it says, "Ascribe to Hashem, you sons of the mighty," and its shields refer to their princes and nobles. Then, on that day, "He is greatly exalted" - Hashem will be exalted and praised, everyone will acknowledge that the kingship belongs to Hashem, and Hashem will be King over all the earth.
The Malbim explains along the same lines as the Radak: "The nobles of the peoples" are those who willingly volunteer to convert, becoming "the people of the God of Abraham," who was the first among converts. The Malbim adds that the word "gathered" applies to the continuation of the verse as well: "The nobles of the peoples gathered with the people of the God of Abraham, for to God gathered the shields of the earth" - all the righteous and pious individuals, who are the shields of the earth, gathered to God to cleave to Him. Then, at that time, "He is greatly exalted" - Hashem's leadership will be exalted, as we explained, through new miracles and wonders that never existed before, through which everyone will recognize that Hashem is King over all the earth and that there is none beside Him.
The Malbim brings an additional explanation: "He is greatly exalted" refers to those nobles of the peoples and shields of the earth who gathered with the people of the God of Abraham - that they themselves will be greatly exalted and elevated. Those who come to convert will be deeply appreciated and honored, and anyone who joins the Jewish people will hold an esteemed title. According to the first explanation, "He is greatly exalted" means that Hashem's Name will be exalted through this; according to the second explanation, the converts themselves will be greatly exalted and honored by the people. May Hashem grant us to witness this with our own eyes speedily, Amen and Amen.
In summary:
In this part of the psalm, the psalmist describes the return of Israel to their heritage - to the pride of Jacob, the site of the Temple that Hashem loves forever. From that point on, the Malbim depicts the acceptance of His kingship: "God ascends with a teruah" - the elevation of natural providence associated with the Name Elokim; "Hashem with the sound of a shofar" - the elevation of miraculous providence associated with the Name Havayah, culminating in miracles that will overshadow the miracles of Egypt. Corresponding to this is "Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King," and "Sing praises, a maskil" - a song sung with intellect and understanding, which enlightens its listeners to recognize the sovereignty of Hashem. "God reigns over the nations" - when the Throne is whole and the Name is complete, and divine bounty is no longer channeled through the celestial order and constellations, but directly from Him, blessed be He; and the Name Elokim is stated regarding the nations because they are governed through nature and strict judgment, whereas Israel is governed through individual divine providence and lovingkindness. Finally, "The nobles of the peoples gathered" - the leaders of the nations join the people of the God of Abraham; then Heaven's Name is exalted, and even those who join are themselves elevated and honored.