God is gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet.

PSALMS 47:5KJV
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Psalms 47:5 (KJV)

What does Psalms 47:5 mean?

Psalms 47:5 describes God rising up in victory, accompanied by loud celebration and the sound of trumpets. The verse pictures God as a triumphant king, being honored with joyful noise and music as He ascends.

In this psalm, the writer (traditionally understood as the sons of Korah) is calling people to celebrate God’s kingship and power. The verse uses the image of God going up with a shout and trumpet sound, which in ancient times often marked the arrival or enthronement of a king. This scene is part of a larger call in the psalm for all nations to recognize and rejoice in God’s rule.

The Hebrew behind Psalms 47:5

  • God (אֱלֹהִים, ’Elohim): This word emphasizes God’s power and majesty, fitting the theme of a king being honored.
  • Up (עָלָה, ‘alah): This verb means “to go up” or “ascend.” Here, it suggests God being lifted up or exalted, possibly recalling the imagery of the Ark of the Covenant being carried up to Jerusalem.
  • Shout (תְּרוּעָה, teru‘ah): This word refers to a loud, joyful noise, like a victory shout or trumpet blast. It signals excitement and public celebration.
  • Sound (קוֹל, qol): This word means “voice” or “sound,” and in this context, it highlights the audible celebration that marks God’s ascent.
  • Trumpet (שׁוֹפָר, shofar): The shofar is a ram’s horn used in ancient Israel for signaling important events, especially in worship and coronations. Its mention here adds to the sense of a royal or sacred occasion.

Why Psalms 47:5 matters

  • The verse helps clarify that the celebration is not just quiet reverence but a public, joyful event, using shouts and music to honor God’s kingship.
  • The mention of the shofar (ram’s horn) ties this verse to important moments in Israel’s worship and history, such as the coronation of kings or the movement of the Ark, deepening the sense of God’s majesty.
  • Understanding this verse in its context shows that the psalm is about God’s rule over all nations, not just Israel, inviting everyone to join in the celebration.

Where else these words appear

“shout” Hebrew H8643 · used in 33 verses

  • Leviticus 23:24 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.
  • 1 Samuel 4:6 And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of the LORD was come into the camp.
  • Psalms 27:6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.

“trumpet” Hebrew H7782 · used in 63 verses

  • Exodus 19:16 And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled.
  • 1 Samuel 13:3 And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear.
  • Isaiah 27:13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great trumpet shall be blown, and they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the LORD in the holy mount at Jerusalem.