Psalms 47:4 · Bible study
Psalms 47:4 Commentary: He Chooses Our Inheritance
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
God's sovereign choice of Israel's inheritance as the land of Canaan, rooted in His love for Jacob; a call to praise the King who secures our portion.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God sovereignly chooses the inheritance (the land of Canaan) for Israel out of His love for Jacob.
- Key words: “Inheritance” (the Promised Land); “excellency/pride” (the land or privileges of the chosen people); “loved” (covenantal, unmerited affection).
- Main debate: Whether the verb tenses refer to past conquest or ongoing/eschatological choice; also whether “excellency of Jacob” is the land itself or the people as God’s treasure.
- Theological theme: Divine election rooted in love; the concrete, historical nature of God’s promises; the universal call to praise arising from particular grace.
- Best use: Comfort and confidence for believers facing uncertainty; a basis for worship that celebrates God’s wisdom and love in appointing our portion.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
He chooses our inheritance for us, the pride of Jacob, whom He loves. Selah
WEB World English Bible 2000
He chooses our inheritance for us, the glory of Jacob whom he loved. Selah.
KJV King James Version 1769
He shall choose our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob whom he loved. Selah.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
He chooseth our inheritance for us, The glory of Jacob whom he loved. [Selah
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
He doth choose for us our inheritance, The excellency of Jacob that He loves. Selah.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
He hath chosen our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob whom he loved. Selah.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
In her houses shall God be known, when he shall protect her.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
El nos elegirá nuestras heredades; la hermosura de Jacob, al cual amó. ( Selah.)
Ele escolhe para nós nossa herança, a glória de Jacó, a quem ele amou. (Selá)
Il nous assujettit des peuples,
Er erwählt uns unser Erbteil, die Herrlichkeit Jakobs, den er liebt. ( Sela.)
Hij brengt de volken onder ons, en de natien onder onze voeten.
Egli scelse per noi la nostra eredità, gloria di Giacobbe ch’egli ama. Sela.
Podbija ludzi pod moc naszę, a narody pod nogi nasze.
Бог в жилищах его ведом, как заступник:
他為我們 選擇 產業，就是 他所 愛 之雅各 的榮耀。（細拉）
He will give us our heritage, the glory of Jacob who is dear to him. (Selah.)
Verse in Context
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this verse celebrates God's sovereign choice of Israel's inheritance, the land of Canaan, as a gift rooted in His love for Jacob (Israel). Barnes identifies the inheritance as the land God selected for His people “of all the countries which compose the world,” a choice that made Canaan the pride of Jacob. The Cambridge Bible reads the verbs as referring to the settlement of Israel in Canaan (Driver: “He subdued … He chose”), making the conquest a demonstration of God’s universal kingship. Calvin and Gill both connect the inheritance to God’s covenant love: Calvin calls it “the favour which God had graciously vouchsafed to the offspring of Abraham,” while Gill notes that God “knows what is best for his people” and chooses accordingly. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown broaden the inheritance to include “the heathen to be possessed by His Church” (citing Psalm 2:8), interpreting the verse as a prophecy of the nations coming under Christ’s rule. Despite this Christological extension, all sources present the land itself, or the privileges attached to it, as the “excellency of Jacob,” a phrase for that in which God’s people glory. The unanimous thread: God’s love, not Israel’s merit, is the sole ground of the choice.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Historical reading: God chose the land of Canaan as Israel’s inheritance in the past (conquest/settlement); the verbs are past tense (Cambridge, Barnes). The “excellency of Jacob” is the land itself.
- Messianic/eschatological reading: The inheritance includes the nations given to the Messiah (Psalm 2:8); Calvin and Jamieson-Fausset-Brown see a prophecy of Christ’s kingdom. The verbs can be understood as future or timeless.
- Spiritualized reading: The inheritance refers to God Himself, the presence and worship of God (Wesley, Matthew Henry). The land becomes a symbol of the communion with God that is the believer’s true portion.
What is clear: God’s sovereign choice of an inheritance for His people is grounded in His free love, not in any merit of the chosen.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The identity of 'inheritance' | All sources identify the inheritance as the land of Canaan, promised to Abraham and given to Israel. | Some (Barnes, Cambridge) restrict it to the physical land; others (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown, Gill) extend it to include the nations that the Church will inherit under Christ (Psalm 2:8). Calvin and Lange see both a historical gift and a typological foreshadowing of the Messiah's kingdom. |
| The tense of the verbs | The verbs refer to God's action of choosing, which is certain and grounded in His will. | The Cambridge Bible favors a past tense (referring to the settlement in Canaan); the R.V. margin and some others prefer a present or future sense (expressing a general truth or a yet-future act). The Hebrew allows both readings, and the surrounding context does not settle the question decisively. |
| The meaning of 'excellency of Jacob' | The phrase refers to something that Jacob (Israel) would boast in, a source of pride and glory that comes from God's favor. | Barnes and Cambridge see it as the land itself; Gill sees it as the people (the saints, the church); Wesley and Matthew Henry interpret it as the presence and worship of God in the sanctuary. The Hebrew word <em>ga'on</em> can carry either a positive (what brings glory) or negative (arrogance) sense, but here all commentators agree it is positive. |
| The basis of God's choice | God's love is the sole ground of His choice, not any merit in Israel (Deuteronomy 7:7-8). | No debate on this point; Wesley, Cambridge, Barnes, and Calvin all affirm that love precedes the choice. The debated question is whether this love extends only to national Israel or also typologically to all believers in Christ. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Psalm 47 is a royal psalm of universal acclaim, summoning all nations to clap and shout because Yahweh is “a great King over all the earth.” The sons of Korah composed this song for liturgical use, likely at a festival of victory. Many interpreters connect it to a specific deliverance, the triumph of Jehoshaphat over the Moabites and Ammonites (2 Chronicles 20), or the installation of the ark in Jerusalem. The “inheritance” here is unmistakably the land of Canaan, promised to Abraham and settled by Joshua. In Old Testament thought, Canaan was no ordinary territory; God Himself “searched out” that land (Ezekiel 20:6) and kept His eyes on it throughout the year (Deuteronomy 11:12). The verb tenses are debated. The Cambridge Bible argues for a past-tense rendering (“He subdued … He chose”), seeing the settlement in Canaan as the concrete proof of God’s universal sovereignty. Others (R.V. margin) prefer the present or future, expressing an ongoing truth. The key cultural assumption is that the land itself was the glory of Jacob, not merely because it was fertile, but because it was the place where God dwelt among His people, the stage of His saving acts. The “pride of Jacob” (Hebrew ga’on) carries this loaded sense: the land that made Israel boast, not arrogantly but in wonder at God’s favour. The verse thus anchors praise in history: God’s choice of a particular people and a particular place reveals His love, and that love is the foundation of all worship.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Psalm 47:4. The Masoretic Text reads uniformly, and the ancient versions (Septuagint, Vulgate) agree in their renderings. The disagreement among modern translations (e.g., “the excellency of Jacob” vs. “the pride of Jacob”) reflects lexical choices rather than manuscript differences.
Reception History
Psalm 47 has been used in Jewish liturgy for the festival of Rosh Hashanah (the New Year), where God’s kingship is proclaimed. In Christian tradition, the verse was read typologically: the land of Canaan prefigured the inheritance of the Church, and God’s choice of Israel foreshadowed His election of believers in Christ. John Calvin drew on this psalm to emphasise God’s sovereign grace, while Gill used it to encourage believers to trust God’s choice of their portion. The phrase “the glory of Jacob” appears in some English hymns of the 18th and 19th centuries, especially those celebrating God’s covenant faithfulness. More recently, the verse has been a comfort in seasons of transition, reminding readers that God appoints both their place and their future.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God chooses our inheritance. He knows what is best for His people and appoints it, whether land, calling, or eternal reward. Our task is not to demand but to receive with praise.
- The inheritance is a reflection of God’s love. The land of Canaan was “the excellency of Jacob” because God set His affection on Jacob (Deuteronomy 7:7-8). Love precedes the gift.
- The call to praise is universal. Because God is King over all the earth, the nations are invited to join Israel in celebrating His sovereign choice (Psalm 47:7-8).
Five-point outline
- God as Sovereign Chooser: God chooses both the inheritance (the land) and the heirs (Jacob’s descendants). His choice is free and gracious.
- Inheritance as Place and Promise: Canaan was a specific land, but it also prefigured the “better country” (Hebrews 11:16) that awaits God’s people.
- The “Excellency of Jacob”: This phrase points to the land itself (Barnes) or the covenant privileges Israel enjoyed (JFB). It is the source of holy boasting, not in ourselves, but in what God has given.
- Love as the Ground of Election: As Wesley notes, God chose “not for any peculiar worth in them, but for his free love.” The inheritance is a gift, not a wage.
- Praise as the Appropriate Response: The surrounding verses (1-3, 5-7) erupt into shouts and song. The truth of God’s choice should lead to generous worship.
Illustration hooks
- A child receiving an unexpected gift: A parent selects a present that perfectly fits the child’s needs and desires. The child does not earn it, the parent simply knows them and loves them. So God chooses our inheritance out of intimate love.
- Owning a home that others overlooked: A family moves into a house that had been passed over by other buyers. They discover it is far better than it first appeared. God’s inheritance often looks unremarkable to the world, yet it becomes a place of security and blessing.
- An adopted child’s new name and future: The adoption decree gives the child not only a family but also an inheritance, a share in everything the parents own. God’s choice establishes our identity and our portion.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How do I know God has chosen a good inheritance for me, especially when my life feels difficult or unfair?
- Does “inheritance” mean only heaven, or does it include blessings now? What does it look like to receive our portion today?
- If God chose Israel out of love, does that mean He chooses some people and rejects others? How does this verse fit with God’s love for the whole world?
Leading a Discussion
Psalm 47:4 appears in a psalm that calls the whole world to praise God for His kingship. This verse grounds that universal praise in a particular act: God’s choice of Israel’s inheritance, driven by His love. As you discuss, consider how God’s sovereign choice, whether of a land, a people, or your own life, becomes a reason for confidence and celebration.
Discussion questions
- Observation: What words or phrases in verse 4 stand out to you? What do you notice about how the verse connects to the surrounding calls to praise?
- Interpretation: The commentators disagree on whether the verbs are past (“He chose”) or future (“He will choose”). How does the timing affect the meaning? What difference does it make if this is something God has already done or something He continues to do?
- Interpretation: What does “the excellency of Jacob” mean? How does Barnes’s reading (the land itself) compare with Gill’s (the people who are God’s treasure)? Which view seems most faithful to the context?
- Interpretation: How do the cross-references (Deuteronomy 7:6-8, Ezekiel 20:6) deepen your understanding of why God chose this inheritance? What do they say about the role of love?
- Application: If God chooses our inheritance, what does that mean for how we make decisions about our future, our resources, our sense of security? How does this truth free us from anxiety?
- Application: The psalm calls even the nations to praise. How can our church community help those outside the faith see God’s goodness in the “inheritance” He has given us?
- Application: In what area of your life do you most need to trust that God’s choice is better than your own? How might this verse become a prayer for you this week?
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Deuteronomy 7:6 | For you are a holy people to Yahweh your God. Yahweh your God has chosen you to be a people for his own possession, above all peoples who are on the face of the earth. |
| Deuteronomy 7:8 | but because Yahweh loves you, and because he desires to keep the oath which he swore to your fathers, Yahweh has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. |
| Deuteronomy 11:12 | a land which Yahweh your God cares for. Yahweh your God’s eyes are always on it, from the beginning of the year even to the end of the year. |
| Deuteronomy 33:3 | Yes, he loves the people. All his saints are in your hand. They sat down at your feet. Each receives your words. |
| Psalms 16:3 | As for the saints who are in the earth, they are the excellent ones in whom is all my delight. |
| Isaiah 60:15 | “Whereas you have been forsaken and hated, so that no one passed through you, I will make you an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations. |
| Jeremiah 3:19 | “But I said, ‘How I desire to put you among the children, and give you a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the armies of the nations!’ and I said, ‘You shall call me “My Father”, and shall not turn away from following me.’ |
| Ezekiel 20:6 | in that day I swore to them to bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands. |
Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes emphasizes that God personally selected Canaan as the inheritance for His people, a choice rooted in the Hebrew conviction that their land was the finest on earth. The phrase "excellency of Jacob" points to Jacob's ancestral pride in this territory, which actually came into the nation's possession through his sons.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin downplays historical guesses about when the psalm was written and instead stresses its universal invitation: it calls all nations, not just Israel, to worship the true God. He reads it as a prophecy of Christ's kingdom, where the sanctuary's glory spreads far beyond Israel to unite kings and peoples with Abraham's children.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The note emphasizes that God, not Israel, chose their inheritance for them. That inheritance is the glory of Jacob, the people God loved. The point rests on divine election and grace: God’s love for Jacob is the sole basis of the blessing, not any merit in the people themselves.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill presents two ways to understand the inheritance: either God chooses the best earthly or heavenly portion for His people, or God has chosen believers themselves as His own inheritance. Either way, Christ is central — He secures the inheritance for us, or we become His treasured possession through His love.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB interprets the heathen inheritance as the Church possessing the nations, just as Israel possessed Canaan. The phrase "excellency of Jacob" means the privileges of God's chosen people, with "excellency" carrying the sense of pride or glory in a positive way. His love alone, not human merit, is the sole reason these privileges were granted.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch read the ascent of God as a historical event: God descends to fight for His people, then returns to His throne on Zion after victory. They see this as a prelude to Christ’s final visible enthronement, connecting the psalm’s shouts and horns to a recent celebration of triumph.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry observes that the psalmist is so moved by great thoughts of God that he cannot keep the praise to himself and calls everyone to join in. The clapping and shouting are for the worshiper's own expression of joy and approval, not to get God's attention. Henry also reads "all you people" as either a call to Israel or a prophecy that Gentiles would one day be brought into the church.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley highlights that the inheritance God chooses and bestows is nothing less than his own presence, worship, and blessing, first given to Israel and now appointed for the Gentiles. This choice does not rest on any human worth but solely on God’s free love.