Prepared for Psalms Group, November 22, 2020
A new favorite, fun fact! It’s obvious that “clapping the hands” in Psalm 47:1 is an act of joyous response, but the circumstance is more complex because the idiom employed normally means to “strike the hands” with another person as confirmation of a contract or agreement—like shaking hands or, better yet, like a “High Five.” (Gerald Wilson, the NIV Application Commentary: Psalms, Vol. 1, p. 726, but the “high five” is my idea.)
The Wedding of a Davidic King
Your Throne, O God, Is Forever
This is a royal psalm.
These are psalms in which the Davidic king is the central figure. The king’s authority comes from God, and his task is to rule as God’s representative in the kingdom on earth. Since he is God’s representative on earth, the enemies of God oppose him. These psalms find their ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ when “He will come again to judge the living and the dead.” (The Apostles’ Creed, BCP, p. 96)
Examples: Psalms 2, 18, 20, 21, 45, 72, 101, 110, 144
Matt. 6:33; Rev. 21
To the choirmaster: according to Lilies. A Maskil of the Sons of Korah; a love song.