Psalms 47:4 (KJV)

What does Psalms 47:4 mean?

Psalms 47:4 describes God as the one who chooses the inheritance of his people. The verse presents that inheritance as a source of honor for the descendants of Jacob, whom God loved. In the setting of the psalm, the inheritance points to the land given to Israel.

The singers speak as members of that people when they say “our” and “us.” After verse 3 describes peoples brought under them, verse 4 turns to the place God chose for them. “Jacob” names the ancestor whose name also came to stand for his descendants.

The Hebrew behind Psalms 47:4

• “inheritance” — נַחֲלָה (naḥalah): This word can mean a possession received as a share. Here it evokes Israel’s allotted land, rather than only property passed from a parent to a child.
• “excellency” — גָּאוֹן (ga’on): This word can refer to pride, grandeur, or a source of honor. In this verse it presents Jacob’s inheritance as something esteemed.
• “Selah” — סֶלָה (selah): This is a term found in songs and prayers in the Hebrew Bible. Its exact use is uncertain, but it may have been a musical or performance instruction.

Why Psalms 47:4 matters

• The verse places Israel’s inheritance within a larger picture of God’s rule. The following verse calls God “the King of all the earth,” connecting the people’s own land with the psalm’s praise of a ruler over all nations.
• The language is communal rather than a promise about one person’s property. The singers say “our inheritance” and identify the people together as “Jacob.”