The Meaning of Psalms 47:3 Explained

Psalms 47:3

KJV: He shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet.

YLT: He leadeth peoples under us, and nations under our feet.

Darby: He subdueth the peoples under us, and the nations under our feet.

ASV: He subdueth peoples under us, And nations under our feet.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

He shall subdue  the people  under us, and the nations  under our feet. 

What does Psalms 47:3 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 47:1-9 - "king Over All The Earth"
This psalm may have been sung in the valley of Berachah, where Jehoshaphat celebrated his victory over the Moabites. See 2 Chronicles 20:1-37. When some great deliverance has been granted, we should break out in blessing and praise. Notice Psalms 47:3-4! They are rightly placed side by side; because God will not subdue our enemies under us, unless we have allowed Him to choose our life-plan. Live on that plan and you are unconquerable.
In the second division, Psalms 47:5-9, Jehovah is depicted as returning from the war to his dwelling-place in the height of Zion. This seems to anticipate the Ascension, when Jesus became the enthroned King of men. They fail to recognize Him now, but some day the princes of the people shall be gathered together, and the kingdoms of the world shall have become the one kingdom of the Christ, Revelation 15:4. The shields of the earth, Psalms 47:9, are its princes and leaders. See Hosea 4:18, r.v., margin. The kings of wealth, science, art, literature, and power will one day bring their glory and honor into the gates of the New Jerusalem, Revelation 1:5; Revelation 21:24. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 47

1  The nations are exhorted cheerfully to entertain the kingdom of Christ

What do the individual words in Psalms 47:3 mean?

He will subdue the peoples under us and the nations under our feet
יַדְבֵּ֣ר עַמִּ֣ים תַּחְתֵּ֑ינוּ וּ֝לְאֻמִּ֗ים תַּ֣חַת רַגְלֵֽינוּ

יַדְבֵּ֣ר  He  will  subdue 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect Jussive, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
עַמִּ֣ים  the  peoples 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
תַּחְתֵּ֑ינוּ  under  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
Root: מִתְחָה 
Sense: the under part, beneath, instead of, as, for, for the sake of, flat, unto, where, whereas.
וּ֝לְאֻמִּ֗ים  and  the  nations 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural
Root: לְאֹם  
Sense: a people, nation.
תַּ֣חַת  under 
Parse: Preposition
Root: מִתְחָה 
Sense: the under part, beneath, instead of, as, for, for the sake of, flat, unto, where, whereas.
רַגְלֵֽינוּ  our  feet 
Parse: Noun, fdc, first person common plural
Root: רֶגֶל  
Sense: foot.