Big Idea: God’s covenant of grace with Abraham, far from being exclusive, is an implicit call to the people of the whole world to become members of this covenant.

Understanding the Text

Psalm 47 is a good example of what Gunkel calls a hymn, and he includes it in a subcategory of Zion songs. Mowinckel has followed Gunkel’s study by proposing a new classification, the enthronement psalms,1postulating that ancient Israel celebrated a fall festival at which they reelevated Yahweh to his throne, or at least celebrated his enthronement.2Belonging as it does to the Elohistic collection of psalms, the royal acclamation here is “God reigns” (47:8a), rather than “Yahweh reigns,” as the acclamation appears in Psalms 93:1; 96:10; 97:1; and 99:1. It is not a declaration that Elohim has begun his r…