(א) לַמְנַצֵּ֬חַ ׀ לִבְנֵי־קֹ֬רַח מִזְמֽוֹר׃(ב) כׇּֽל־הָ֭עַמִּים תִּקְעוּ־כָ֑ף הָרִ֥יעוּ לֵ֝אלֹהִ֗ים בְּק֣וֹל רִנָּֽה׃(ג) כִּֽי־יהוה עֶלְי֣וֹן נוֹרָ֑א מֶ֥לֶךְ גָּ֝ד֗וֹל עַל־כׇּל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃(ד) יַדְבֵּ֣ר עַמִּ֣ים תַּחְתֵּ֑ינוּ וּ֝לְאֻמִּ֗ים תַּ֣חַת רַגְלֵֽינוּ׃(ה) יִבְחַר־לָ֥נוּ אֶת־נַחֲלָתֵ֑נוּ אֶ֥ת־גְּא֨וֹן יַעֲקֹ֖ב אֲשֶׁר־אָהֵ֣ב סֶֽלָה׃(ו) עָלָ֣ה אֱ֭לֹהִים בִּתְרוּעָ֑ה יהוה בְּק֣וֹל שׁוֹפָֽר׃(ז) זַמְּר֣וּ אֱלֹהִ֣ים זַמֵּ֑רוּ זַמְּר֖וּ לְמַלְכֵּ֣נוּ זַמֵּֽרוּ׃(ח) כִּ֤י מֶ֖לֶךְ כׇּל־הָאָ֥רֶץ אֱלֹהִ֗ים זַמְּר֥וּ מַשְׂכִּֽיל׃
(1) For the leader, by the sons of Korah, a song:
(2) All you peoples, clap hands, shout for God with a joyous sound!
(3) For Adonai is supreme, awesome, a great king over all the earth.
(4) He places peoples beneath us, nations beneath our feet.
(5) He chose a possession for us, the pride of Jacob whom He loves. Amen.(6) God has gone up with teru'ah; Adonai, with the sound of the shofar.
(7) Sing of God, sing! Sing to our king, sing!
(8) For God is the king of all the earth--sing praises!
Study Questions on Ps 47
**Background: The Book of Psalms is a collection of the most treasured religious poetry from ancient Israel. Many different themes and emotions are expressed in the Psalms, including gratitude, anxiety, grief, joy, confidence, awe, longing, and many more. In most cases, the first line of each psalm tells us something about what kind of poem it is, and who the author was believed to be. "The leader" probably refers to the person who led the Temple choir.**
1. Overall, what do you think this psalm is about?
2. What do you think is happening in verse 6 specifically? What role is the shofar playing there?
3. In traditional Jewish practice, Psalm 47 was recited seven times (!) before the shofar blowing on Rosh Hashanah. If an important meaning of the shofar is based on this poem, then what are we expressing when we blow the shofar? What could the messages be? Write whatever makes sense to you.
(א) לַמְנַצֵּ֬חַ ׀ עַֽל־הַגִּתִּ֬ית לְאָסָֽף׃(ב) הַ֭רְנִינוּ לֵאלֹהִ֣ים עוּזֵּ֑נוּ הָ֝רִ֗יעוּ לֵאלֹהֵ֥י יַעֲקֹֽב׃(ג) שְֽׂאוּ־זִ֭מְרָה וּתְנוּ־תֹ֑ף כִּנּ֖וֹר נָעִ֣ים עִם־נָֽבֶל׃(ד) תִּקְע֣וּ בַחֹ֣דֶשׁ שׁוֹפָ֑ר בַּ֝כֵּ֗סֶה לְי֣וֹם חַגֵּֽנוּ׃(ה) כִּ֤י חֹ֣ק לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל ה֑וּא מִ֝שְׁפָּ֗ט לֵאלֹהֵ֥י יַעֲקֹֽב׃
(1) For the leader, on the gittit [a musical instrument], byAsaph.
(2) Sing joyously to God our strength; shout for Jacob's God!
(3) Take up a melody and play the drum, a sweet lyre together with a harp.
(4) Blow the shofar on the new moon, on the full moon for our festival day.
(5) For it is Israel's law, a rule of Jacob's God.
(ד) הָרִ֣יעוּ לַ֭יהוה כׇּל־הָאָ֑רֶץ פִּצְח֖וּ וְרַנְּנ֣וּ וְזַמֵּֽרוּ׃(ה) זַמְּר֣וּ לַיהוה בְּכִנּ֑וֹר בְּ֝כִנּ֗וֹר וְק֣וֹל זִמְרָֽה׃(ו) בַּ֭חֲצֹ֣צְרוֹת וְק֣וֹל שׁוֹפָ֑ר הָ֝רִ֗יעוּ לִפְנֵ֤י ׀ הַמֶּ֬לֶךְ יהוה׃(ז) יִרְעַ֣ם הַ֭יָּם וּמְלֹא֑וֹ תֵּ֝בֵ֗ל וְיֹ֣שְׁבֵי בָֽהּ׃(ח) נְהָר֥וֹת יִמְחֲאוּ־כָ֑ף יַ֝֗חַד הָרִ֥ים יְרַנֵּֽנוּ׃
(4) All the earth, shout to Adonai! Open your mouth and break into joyous song!
(5) Sing to Adonai with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of song.
(6) With trumpets and the sound of shofar shout before Adonai, the king.
(7) Let the sea and all within it thunder, the world and those who live there. (8) Let the rivers clap their hands, the mountains sing joyously together.
(א) הַ֥לְלוּ־יָ֨הּ ׀ הַֽלְלוּ־אֵ֥ל בְּקׇדְשׁ֑וֹ הַֽ֝לְל֗וּהוּ בִּרְקִ֥יעַ עֻזּֽוֹ׃(ב) הַלְל֥וּהוּ בִגְבוּרֹתָ֑יו הַ֝לְל֗וּהוּ כְּרֹ֣ב גֻּדְלֽוֹ׃(ג) הַ֭לְלוּהוּ בְּתֵ֣קַע שׁוֹפָ֑ר הַ֝לְל֗וּהוּ בְּנֵ֣בֶל וְכִנּֽוֹר׃(ד) הַ֭לְלוּהוּ בְּתֹ֣ף וּמָח֑וֹל הַֽ֝לְל֗וּהוּ בְּמִנִּ֥ים וְעֻגָֽב׃(ה) הַלְל֥וּהוּ בְצִלְצְלֵי־שָׁ֑מַע הַֽ֝לְל֗וּהוּ בְּֽצִלְצְלֵ֥י תְרוּעָֽה׃(ו) כֹּ֣ל הַ֭נְּשָׁמָה תְּהַלֵּ֥ל יָ֗הּ הַֽלְלוּ־יָֽהּ׃
(1) Halleluyah! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in the sky, his fortress.
(2) Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him for his abounding greatness.
(3) Praise him with blasts of shofar; praise him with harp and lyre.
(4) Praise him with drum and dance; praise him with strings and pipe.
(5) Praise him with resounding cymbals; praise him with teru'ah cymbals.
(6) Let everything with breath praise Yah. Halleluyah!
Study Questions for Psalms 81, 98, and 150
1. What else can we learn about the shofar from these three psalms? Think carefully and explain.
2. Can you find any possible reference to Rosh Hashanah in these texts? Where?