The Church Fathers on this verse
THEOSIS
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Psalm 47 (46):7Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Sing praises to our God, sing ye: sing praises to our king, sing ye.

Douay-Rheims · Hebrew numbering, Septuagint numbering in brackets.

זַמְּר֣וּ אֱלֹהִ֣ים זַמֵּ֑רוּ זַמְּר֖וּ לְמַלְכֵּ֣נוּ זַמֵּֽרוּ׃

Hebrew (Masoretic text)

The Church Fathers on this verse

8 Church Fathers comment on this verse · 10 commentaries

John Chrysostom

4th centuryChurch Father

After highlighting the significance of this momentous occasion, the prophet urges all of creation to praise God fervently, which is why he emphasizes the call to ‘sing’ multiple times. He does not merely invite them to sing, but to do so with profound understanding. What does it mean to ‘sing intelligently’? It involves recognizing the magnitude of the events that have transpired. Additionally, it appears that he conveys through the term ‘intelligently’ the notion of expressing praise not only through vocalization but also through actions, engaging both the mouth and the life in worship.

Augustine of Hippo

5th centuryChurch Father

Sing to the God-Man. Those who were estranged from God ridiculed the man Christ, yet you—lift your voices to our God, for He is not merely a man; He is also God. He bears the lineage of David as a man, and yet, as God, He is the Lord of David. He assumed humanity from the Jews—this is affirmed by the apostle, who states that Christ is descended from them according to the flesh (Rom. 9:5). Thus, while Christ is indeed of the Jewish lineage in human form, He is ultimately God, who reigns over all, blessed forever (Rom. 9:5). He is God prior to the flesh, God incarnate, and God through His embodiment. Not only is He divine before His incarnation, but He existed as God before the creation of the earth from which our flesh came.

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He is God prior to the earthly realm from which flesh was formed, and He was also God before the heavens, created before the earth itself. He stands as God before the very first day of creation and before all the angels; Christ is indeed God. For in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Through Him, all creation came into existence, and without Him, nothing was made that has been made (John 1:1-3). He is the One who transcends all creation, through whom everything began. Therefore, lift your voices to our God; sing!

Yet John has articulated with clarity that our Lord Jesus Christ is indeed God. We aim to explore this in today's reflection, as we proclaim, "God reigns over all the earth" (cf. Psalm 46:3), to which those who believe His sovereignty is restricted to Africa remain oblivious. It was asserted about Christ that He is the one referred to: "God reigns over all the earth." Who else, then, could be our Sovereign but our Lord Jesus Christ? He reigns as our King. And what do we hear in the subsequent verse of the same psalm? "Sing to our God, sing; sing to our King, sing" (Psalm 46:7). The psalmist refers to Him as God and our King: "Sing to our God, sing; sing to our King, sing with understanding" (cf. Ps. 46:7-8).

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To prevent any misconception that His reign is confined to a single location, we are reminded that the Lord is King of all the earth (Psalm 46:8).

How can the King of the entire world be the One who was revealed in a specific place, in Jerusalem, Judea, where He lived among humanity, was born, nourished, matured, ate, drank, rested, sat by the well in weariness, was apprehended, whipped, mocked, adorned with thorns, crucified, pierced with a spear, died, and was buried? In what sense is He the King of all the earth? What was observable in that place was His humanity; to earthly eyes, it was flesh that was evident, while His immortal majesty was concealed within mortal flesh.

And with what vision can we perceive this immortal majesty, which has united with the flesh? There are different kinds of vision, inner vision. For instance, Tobit was blind physically, yet even with his earthly blindness, he provided guidance for his son (see Tob. 4:3 ff.). The son held his father's hand to walk, receiving counsel to adhere to the path of righteousness. Here I perceive the eyes that guide life are distinct from those that only hold hands. These are the eyes to which Jesus referred when He asked Philip, "How long have I been with you, and you do not know me?" (John 14:9). It is of these eyes He commented when stating that "Philip, he who has seen me has also seen the Father" (Jn. 14:9). These are the eyes of wisdom and understanding, the eyes of the heart. Thus, when the Psalm states, "For God is king over all the earth" (cf. Ps. 46:3), He immediately adds, "Sing with understanding" (Psalms 46:8).

By saying "Sing to our God, sing," I recognize God as our King. Yet you have witnessed our King among humanity, have seen Him suffer, crucified, and dead: there lies something concealed within that flesh which is perceptible to earthly eyes. What is hidden there? Sing with understanding! Do not search with your eyes for what is comprehended by the heart. Sing with your voice, for He is present in flesh among you. Since the Word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14), redirect the sound of your voice to the flesh and the gaze of your heart to God. Sing with understanding, and you will behold that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.

He was ridiculed as a human by those separated from God. Let us exalt our Lord, for He embodies not only humanity but also divinity. He is a descendant of David, as stated in Romans 1:3, and is acknowledged as the Lord God of David, possessing human flesh among the Jews. The apostle affirms that Christ, according to His human lineage, comes from the patriarchs (Romans 9:5). Thus, Christ belongs to the Jewish lineage by His humanity. But who is this Christ who descended from the Jews according to the flesh? He is the one who reigns over all creation, blessed by God for eternity. He is God before taking on flesh, God in human form, and God in the flesh.

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He existed not only before assuming flesh but also prior to the earth, from which humanity was formed; He existed even before heaven, which was created first, before the day that was initially brought into being, and before the angels. This same Christ is indeed God, for in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1).

Athanasius the Great

4th centuryChurch Father

While the angels praise Him as He rises, you Gentiles, maintaining the same liturgical tradition, uplift your voices to the God who rules the earth; it is typical of those who find favor with God to sing. It is written, ‘If any man cheerfully celebrates, let him sing’ (James 5:13).

Theodoret of Cyrus

5th centuryChurch Father

Therefore, let us glorify the All-Holy One with songs and spiritual joy. He has revealed His kingdom to humanity and confirmed to all peoples that He is the Sovereign Lord, seated upon a majestic throne. The declaration, "God sits on His holy throne," aligns with the apostolic teaching: "He sat at the right hand of the throne of majesty on high, having become so much superior to the angels, as He has inherited a name more excellent than theirs" (Hebrews 1:3-4).

Euthymios Zigabenos

11th centuryCommentator

After proclaiming the significant deeds performed by Christ on behalf of the Apostles, David invites all creation to fervently exalt Christ. According to Chrysostom, this fervor is illustrated through the repeated call to sing. The term "sing" emphasizes not just an individual expression, but a collective act of glorifying Christ. Following this invitation, he articulates the rationale for such an exaltation.

Irenaeus (Klementjewsky)

18th centuryCommentator

The prophet, filled with awe and joy, disrupts the flow of discourse to invite everyone to extol God's praises. To express the stirring of his spirit, he does not merely speak once but continually exclaims, “Sing to our God, sing to our King.” Moreover, he emphasizes that this singing should occur frequently and with understanding, ensuring that nothing is done in error, as befits the service rendered to the supreme King of all creation.

Psalter with Commentaries (Cave Monastery in Kiew)

19th centuryCommentator

The prophet invites everyone to Him, celebrating the solemn procession of the Lord's ark to Mount Zion, which symbolizes the divine ascension of Christ the Lord in His pure humanity to the heavenly Zion, along with the arrival of the Holy Spirit into His Divine Church. The Psalm foretells the unstoppable strength of the Gospel message: it is a hymn sung by the Apostles, urging the nations to rejoice and energetically pursue their victory over spiritual foes. Those who have been illuminated by the light of Christ's faith are encouraged to sing thoughtfully and joyfully to the Source of their triumph.

Vissarion (Nechaev)

19th centuryCommentator

On Sunday afternoon, a service is held in honor of the Risen Lord. The prokeimenon varies in tone, mirroring the profound event of Christ’s resurrection to differing extents. Third voice. Prokeimenon: Sing praises to our God, sing; sing to our King, sing. Verse: All the nations clap their hands, shout to God with joyful voices. These words express the joy of Christ’s resurrection, which brings salvation to all people, and highlight His kingship, which is a source of benefit for everyone and was achieved through His humanity in the resurrection.

Cross references

Passages read together with this verse.