Psalms 47:9

9. The princes of the people are gathered Literally, the willing minded of the nations are gathered. The word rendered “princes” means, willing minded, free, voluntary, and hence nobles, princes. These had voluntarily assembled, as representatives, to pay tribute to Jehovah, their liege Lord and sovereign. The language has a prophetic outlook of gospel times. The poet had just announced that “God reigneth over the Gentiles,” (Psalms 47:8;) and now the princes of the עמים , am-meem peoples, nations meet to tender their submission and homage.

Even the people of the God of Abraham The word “even” is not in the Hebrew, and “people,” here, ( עם ,) is in the singular, of which peoples in the preceding line is plural. Taking the singular in its definitive sense of “people of the God of Abraham “ the Hebrew stock and the plural in the sense of peoples, or nations of the Gentiles, which is in harmony with the connexion and admissible in usage, we derive the idea of the Church universal gathered out of all the nations: or, with Delitzsch, we may suppose “the princes of the nations band themselves into a people of the God of Abraham.”

Shields of the earth belong unto God “Shields of the earth” are, probably, here put for the princes of the nations just mentioned, who are the natural protectors of society. See Hosea 4:18, where shields is translated rulers. So God is called “our shield,” Psalms 84:9. These centres and heads of civil power are in the hands and at the disposal of God, and when they submit the people will follow.