John Calvin Commentary Psalms 47:5

"God is gone up with a shout, Jehovah with the sound of a trumpet." — Psalms 47:5 (ASV)

God is gone up with triumph. There is an allusion here to the ancient ceremony observed under the Law. As the sound of trumpets was typically used in solemnizing the holy assemblies, the prophet says that God goes up, when the trumpets encourage and stir up the people to magnify and extol his power.

When this ceremony was performed in ancient times, it was just as if a king, making his entrance among his subjects, presented himself to them in magnificent attire and great splendor, by which he gained their admiration and reverence.

At the same time, the sacred writer, under that ceremony which served as a shadow, doubtless intended to lead us to consider another kind of going up more triumphant—that of Christ when he ascended up far above all heavens (Ephesians 4:10), obtained the empire of the whole world, and, armed with his celestial power, subdued all pride and loftiness.

You must remember what I have mentioned before: that the name Jehovah is here applied to the ark. For although the essence or majesty of God was not confined within it, nor his power and operation fixed to it, yet it was not a vain and idle symbol of his presence.

God had promised that he would dwell among the people as long as the Jews worshipped him according to the rule which he had prescribed in the Law; and he actually showed that he was truly present with them, and that it was not in vain that he was called upon among them.

What is stated here, however, applies more properly to the manifestation of the glory which eventually shone forth in the person of Christ.

In short, the meaning of the Psalmist’s language is this: When the trumpets sounded among the Jews according to the appointment of the Law, that was not a mere empty sound which vanished into the air. For God, who intended the ark of the covenant to be a pledge and sign of his presence, truly presided in that assembly.

From this, the prophet draws an argument for urging upon the faithful the duty of singing praises to God. He argues that by engaging in this exercise, they will not be acting blindly or at random, as the superstitious do, who, having no certainty in their false systems of religion, lament and howl in vain before their idols.

He shows that the faithful have just ground for celebrating with their mouths and with a cheerful heart the praises of God, since they certainly know that he is as present with them as if he had visibly established his royal throne among them.