Common misinterpretations include viewing 'terrible' as indicating God is cruel or malevolent rather than majestically fearsome and worthy of awe, or reducing the verse to mere nationalism about Israel's God ignoring its global scope inviting all nations to worship, or taking it out of context as solely about military conquest instead of the psalm's theme of joyful praise for God's enthronement over creation.
Psalms 47:2
King James Version (1769)
2 For the Lord most high is terrible; he is a great King over all the earth.
Psalms 47:2 proclaims God's supreme sovereignty and majesty, declaring the LORD Most High as an awe-inspiring ruler whose power evokes reverent fear and who reigns as the great King over the entire earth, emphasizing His universal dominion celebrated amid Israel's triumphs and calling all peoples to acknowledge His exalted authority.