Psalm 47:4
He chooses our inheritance for us, the pride of Jacob, whom He loves. Selah
He chooses our inheritance for us,

God assigned Israel the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, establishing their place among the nations by His covenant and power rather than by their own strength. Israel’s possession of Canaan testified that the Lord rules over the earth and gives according to His wise purpose. Believers likewise receive an eternal inheritance through Christ, secured by God’s grace and ordered according to His will.

Psa 33:12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,…
Deu 32:8-9 When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance,…
Num 26:55-56 Indeed, the land must be divided by lot;…

the pride of Jacob,

The promised land was the honor and glory of Jacob’s descendants, the place where God placed His name, gave His law, and fulfilled His covenant promises. Its value rested not merely in its fertility or security, but in the Lord’s presence and faithfulness among His people.

Amo 6:8 The Lord GOD has sworn by Himself—the LORD, the God of Hosts…
Psa 135:4 For the LORD has chosen Jacob as His own,…
Deu 33:29 Blessed are you, O Israel! Who is like you?…

whom He loves.

God’s election of Israel arose from His steadfast covenant love, not from Israel’s greatness or merit. His love remained the ground of His promises despite their repeated failures, and it ultimately points to the redeeming love displayed in Christ for all who belong to Him.

Mal 1:2 “I have loved you,” says the LORD. But you ask……
Deu 7:7-8 The LORD did not set His affection on you and choose you…
Jer 31:3 The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying:…

Selah

The worshiper is called to pause before the sovereign King who appoints His people’s portion and holds their future in His faithful hands.

Hab 3:3 God came from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran.…
Hab 3:9 You brandished Your bow; You called for many arrows.…
Hab 3:13 You went forth for the salvation of Your people…

Persons / Places / Events
1. God
The sovereign chooser of our inheritance, demonstrating His authority and love.

2. Jacob
Represents the nation of Israel, chosen by God as His special people.

3. Inheritance
Symbolizes the blessings and promises given by God to His people.

4. Selah
A term used in the Psalms, possibly indicating a pause for reflection or emphasis on the preceding statement.
Teaching Points
God's Sovereignty in Choosing
God is the ultimate authority in determining our inheritance, both spiritually and materially. Trust in His perfect will and timing.

The Pride of Jacob
Reflect on the special relationship God had with Israel and how it extends to all believers through Christ. We are part of a chosen people, loved by God.

Inheritance Beyond Material
While the Old Testament often speaks of land and physical blessings, our inheritance in Christ is spiritual and eternal. Focus on the eternal promises rather than temporary gains.

Reflective Pause (Selah)
Take time to meditate on God's love and the inheritance He has prepared for us. Use moments of reflection to deepen your understanding and appreciation of His blessings.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does understanding God's sovereignty in choosing our inheritance affect your daily trust in Him?

2. In what ways can you see the "pride of Jacob" reflected in your own life as a believer?

3. How does the concept of inheritance in the Old Testament connect to the promises we have in Christ today?

4. What are some practical ways you can focus on your spiritual inheritance rather than material possessions?

5. How can you incorporate moments of "Selah" into your daily routine to reflect on God's love and promises?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Genesis 28:13-15
God's promise to Jacob about the land and his descendants, illustrating the concept of inheritance.

Ephesians 1:11
Speaks of believers receiving an inheritance in Christ, connecting the Old Testament promise to New Testament fulfillment.

Deuteronomy 32:9
Describes Israel as God's portion, reinforcing the idea of a chosen inheritance.

Romans 8:17
Believers are co-heirs with Christ, expanding the concept of inheritance to include all who are in Christ.
A Wise DesirePsalm 47:4
A Wise DesireCharles Haddon Spurgeon Psalm 47:4
Christian ResignationJ. Crouther.Psalm 47:4
God's Conduct of Our AffairsRobert Hall, A. M.Psalm 47:4
He Shall Choose Our Inheritance for UsE. Paxton Hood.Psalm 47:4
Submission to Divine AppointmentEvangelical PreacherPsalm 47:4
The Providence of GodJob Orion, D. D.Psalm 47:4
A Song for All the Peoples!C. Clemance Psalm 47:1-9
Messianic Triumph PredictedA. Maclaren, D. D.Psalm 47:1-9
The Praiseworthy and the Faultworthy in WorshipHomilistPsalm 47:1-9
The Universal KingW. Forsyth Psalm 47:1-9
The Universal Sovereignty of GodC. Short Psalm 47:1-9
People
Jacob, Korah, Psalmist
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Choose, Chooses, Chooseth, Chose, Chosen, Dear, Excellence, Excellency, Glory, Heritage, Inheritance, Jacob, Loved, Loves, Loveth, Pride, Selah
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Psalm 47:4

     8666   praise, manner and methods

Library
A Wise Desire
I remember once going to a chapel where this happened to be the text, and the good man who occupied the pulpit was more than a little of an Arminian. Therefore, when he commenced, he said, "This passage refers entirely to our temporal inheritance. It has nothing whatever to do with our everlasting destiny: for," said he, "We do not want Christ to choose for us in the matter of heaven or hell. It is so plain and easy that every man who has a grain of common sense will choose heaven; and any person
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 1: 1855

Tenth Sunday after Trinity. As the Hart Panteth after the Water Brooks, Even So Panteth My Soul after Thee, O God.
As the hart panteth after the water brooks, even so panteth my soul after Thee, O God. Nach dir, o Gott verlanget mich [107]Anton Ulrich, Duke of Brunswick. 1667. trans. by Catherine Winkworth, 1855 O God, I long Thy Light to see, My God, I hourly think on Thee; Oh draw me up, nor hide Thy face, But help me from Thy holy place. As toward her sun the sunflower turns, Towards Thee, my Sun my spirit yearns; Oh would that free from sin I might Thus follow evermore Thy Light! But sin hath so within
Catherine Winkworth—Lyra Germanica: The Christian Year

The Work of Christ.
The great work which the Lord Jesus Christ, God's well beloved Son, came to do was to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. This finished work of the cross is the basis of His present work and His future work. What mind can estimate the value and preciousness of that work in which the Holy One offered Himself through the eternal Spirit without spot unto God! He procured redemption by His death on the cross. In His present work and much more in the future work, He works out this great redemption
A. C. Gaebelein—The Work Of Christ

His Future Work
The Lord Jesus Christ, who finished the work on earth the Father gave Him to do, who is now bodily present in the highest heaven, occupying the Father's throne and exercising His priesthood in behalf of His people, is also King. To Him belongeth a Kingdom and a kingly Glory. He has therefore a kingly work to do. While His past work was foretold by the Spirit of God and His priestly work foreshadowed in the Old Testament, His work as King and His glorious Kingdom to come are likewise the subjects
A. C. Gaebelein—The Work Of Christ

Question of the Comparison Between the Active and the Contemplative Life
I. Is the Active Life preferable to the Contemplative? Cardinal Cajetan, On Preparation for the Contemplative Life S. Augustine, Confessions, X., xliii. 70 " On Psalm xxvi. II. Is the Active Life more Meritorious than the Contemplative? III. Is the Active Life a Hindrance to the Contemplative Life? Cardinal Cajetan, On the True Interior Life S. Augustine, Sermon, CCLVI., v. 6 IV. Does the Active Life precede the Contemplative? I Is the Active Life preferable to the Contemplative? The Lord
St. Thomas Aquinas—On Prayer and The Contemplative Life

The Joy of the Lord.
IT is written "the joy of the Lord is your strength." Every child of God knows in some measure what it is to rejoice in the Lord. The Lord Jesus Christ must ever be the sole object of the believer's joy, and as eyes and heart look upon Him, we, too, like "the strangers scattered abroad" to whom Peter wrote shall "rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory" (1 Pet. i:8). But it is upon our heart to meditate with our beloved readers on the joy of our adorable Lord, as his own personal joy. The
Arno Gaebelein—The Lord of Glory

Letter xix (A. D. 1127) to Suger, Abbot of S. Denis
To Suger, Abbot of S. Denis He praises Suger, who had unexpectedly renounced the pride and luxury of the world to give himself to the modest habits of the religious life. He blames severely the clerk who devotes himself rather to the service of princes than that of God. 1. A piece of good news has reached our district; it cannot fail to do great good to whomsoever it shall have come. For who that fear God, hearing what great things He has done for your soul, do not rejoice and wonder at the great
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux

Psalms
The piety of the Old Testament Church is reflected with more clearness and variety in the Psalter than in any other book of the Old Testament. It constitutes the response of the Church to the divine demands of prophecy, and, in a less degree, of law; or, rather, it expresses those emotions and aspirations of the universal heart which lie deeper than any formal demand. It is the speech of the soul face to face with God. Its words are as simple and unaffected as human words can be, for it is the genius
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

Links
Psalm 47:4 NIV
Psalm 47:4 NLT
Psalm 47:4 ESV
Psalm 47:4 NASB
Psalm 47:4 KJV

Psalm 47:4 Commentaries

Bible Hub
Psalm 47:3
Top of Page
Top of Page