Psalms 96

Psalms 96A JOYOUS celebration of the universal spread of the true religion and conversion of the Gentiles. The structure of the psalm is perfectly simple, and all attempts at artificial subdivision and arrangement are either wholly arbitrary or founded upon dubious hypotheses. The marked resemblance of the diction to that of Isaiah in his later prophecies, has been thought to fix the date of the composition as posterior to that prophet. This seems indeed to be forbidden by the fact that in 1 Chronicles 16, as commonly interpreted, this psalm, with portions of others, is said to have been sung at the dedication of the tabernacle on mount Zion in the time of David. But according to Hengstenberg, the true sense of that passage is, that David instituted the musical service of the sanctuary, of which samples are then given, taken not from the most ancient psalms, but from those most familiar to the people when the history was written. See below, the prefatory note to Psalms 105 and Psalms 106. The psalm before us seem to form a pair or double psalm with that preceding, the Jews and Gentiles being then successively addressed, as in Isaiah 2:3-5, but in an inverted order.

1. (Psalms 96:1) Sing unto Jehovah a new song; sing unto Jehovah all the earth. A new song implies fresh occasion to praise God, not for the mere repetition of his former favours, but for some new dispensation of his grace. See above, on Psalms 33:3; Psalms 40:2. The one here meant is the extension of his favour to the nations, who are therefore summoned in the last clause to celebrate his praise themselves. Compare Isaiah 42:10, Revelation 5:9-10.

2. (Psalms 96:2) Sing unto Jehovah, bless his name, proclaim from day to day his salvation. To bless his name is to praise him for the manifestation of his attributes. The verb translated proclaim is constantly applied to joyful tidings. See above, on Psalms 40:9; Psalms 68:11, and compare Isaiah 60:9; Isaiah 52:7; Isaiah 60:6. The phrase from day to day implies that the occasion of the praise required is not a transient one but permanent and perpetual. His salvation, that which he hast wrought, provided and revealed, not for the Jews only but for the Gentiles also. With this and the preceding verse compare 1 Chronicles 16:23.

3. (Psalms 96:3) Recount among the nations his glory, among all the peoples his wonders. The use of glory, to denote the special manifestation of God’s attributes, is a characteristic feature of Isaiah’s later prophecies. To preclude all doubt as to the extent of the invitation, the ambiguous expression all the earth, in ver. 1, is here explained to mean the nations, and then still more absolutely all the peoples. The only variation of the parallel passage (1 Chronicles 16:24) is the insertion of the objective particle in the first clause.

4. (Psalms 96:4) For great (is) Jehovah, and to be praised exceedingly; to be feared (is) He above all gods. He is not a mere local deity, as the heathen were disposed to imagine, even in reference to their own divinities. With this verse compare Psalms 47:2; Psalms 48:1; Psalms 77:13; Psalms 86:8; Psalms 95:3; Psalms 97:8; Psalms 99:2.

5. (Psalms 96:5) For all the gods of the nations are nothings, and Jehovah the heavens did make. Nothings, nonentities, a favourite description of idols in Isaiah’s later prophecies. See e.g. Isaiah 41:24, and compare Leviticus 19:4; Leviticus 26:1, 1 Corinthians 8:4-6; 1 Corinthians 10:19. A less probable etymology of the Hebrew word makes it a diminutive of El, analogous to godlings, as an expression of contempt. The contrast intended is extreme and absolute. He called the world into existence; they do not even exist themselves. See above, Psalms 95:4.

6. (Psalms 96:6) Honour and majesty (are) before him, strength and beauty in his holy place. The first combination occurs above, Psalms 45:3. Before him, as his constant attendants or forerunners. Beauty, all that is lovely and admirable. See above, on Psalms 71:8. His holy place, his earthly residence, regarded as a radiating centre even to the Gentiles; or the place where God reveals himself, whatever it may be.

7. (Psalms 96:7) Give to Jehovah, ye families of nations, give to Jehovah glory and strength. Compare Psalms 29:1. Here, as there, to give is to ascribe or recognise as belonging to him. The expression families of nations is Mosaic. See Genesis 12:3. The parallel passage (1 Chronicles 16:27) has, strength and joy (are) in his place.

8. (Psalms 96:8) Give unto Jehovah the glory of his name; take an offering and come to his courts. With the first clause compare Psalms 29:2. The verb translated take includes the ideas of taking up and carrying. See above, on Psalms 68:29; Psalms 72:10; Psalms 76:12, and compare 2 Samuel 8:2. The word offering is the one used to denote the bloodless or vegetable oblation of the Mosaic ritual. His courts, see above, on Psalms 65:4; Psalms 84:2; Psalms 92:13. The parallel passage (1 Chronicles 16:29) has before him.

9. (Psalms 96:9) Bow down to Jehovah in beauty of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth? The first verb denotes the act of bowing to the ground, as practised in the East. For the meaning of the next phrase, beauty of holiness, see above, on Psalms 29:2, from which place it is borrowed here. The last clause enjoins the reverential awe due to the exhibition of the divine ma-jesty. Compare Psalms 2:11. The plural form of the verb (tremble ye) shews that the earth is put for its inhabitants. Before him, literally from his face. The parallel passage (1 Chronicles 16:30) has a double preposition, a Hebrew idiom which cannot be reproduced in English, and which does not in the least affect the sense. We also find there added to the verse before us the middle clause or member of the next verse.

10. (Psalms 96:10) Say ye among the nations, Jehovah reigns; likewise fixed is the world, it shall not be moved; He will judge the peoples in rectitude. The object of address can only be the nations themselves, as in the foregoing context. They are therefore summoned to announce the joyful news to one another. Jehovah reigns, has begun to reign, i. e. visibly. See above, on Psalms 93:1, and compare Isaiah 24:23; Isaiah 52:7. As in Psalms 93:1, the conservation of the world is ascribed to God’s power, so here to his justice.

Compare Psalms 75:3. He will judge the nations; see above, on Psalms 7:8; Psalms 72:2; Psalms 72:4, and compare Isaiah 11:4. In equities, see above, on Psalms 75:2. It may here mean impartiality, without distinction between Jew and Gentile. This last clause is omitted in the parallel passage (1 Chron. xvi. 31) which also has instead of say ye, they shall say, and joins it to what is here the next verse.

11. (Psalms 96:11) Let the heavens rejoice and the earth exult; let the sea roar and its fulness. The optative form of the second verb determines the meaning of the other futures, which, however, really include a prediction, or what here amounts to the same thing, a confident anticipation. Its fulness, that which fills it, its contents. This verse does not necessarily imply a participation of inferior creatures in God’s favour to his people (Romans 8:21), but may be understood as a strong poetical description of events so joyous that even the inanimate creation breaks forth into singing. Compare Isaiah 44:23; Isaiah 55:12. The verb translated roar is a cognate form of that which means to thunder, Psalms 29:3.

12. (Psalms 96:1) Let the field exult, and all that (is) in it ; then shall sing for joy all trees of the wood (or forest). The strict sense of the future, which was latent in the preceding verse, here, by a beautiful transition, reasserts itself. See below, on Psalms 126:2, and compare Isaiah 24:5-6. The field is the cultivated and productive portion of the earth. All that is in it, with particular reference to its productions. Sing for joy is the translation of a single verb in Hebrew. See above, on Psalms 95:1. The parallel passage (1 Chronicles 16:32-33) has precisely the same sense, but with two slight variations in the words, a less familiar form being substituted in one case, and a more familiar form in the other.

13. (Psalms 96:1) Before Jehovah, for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth; he shall judge the world in righteousness, and nations in his truth (or faithfulness). The rejoicing described in the preceding verse is to take place in the presence (literally to the face) of God when he assumes his universal sovereignty, the judicial function of which is here made prominent, in order to suggest the moral perfection of his reign. In righteousness, not merely in a righteous manner, but in the exercise of his inherent and essential justice. The use of the word people, in the common version of the last clause, obscures the sense, by seeming to apply the verse to Israel, whereas it is expressly applied in the original to the nations generally. Even the truth or faithfulness of God, which commonly denotes his veracity in fulfilling his promises to the chosen people, has here a wider sense, as opposed to the dishonesty or partiality of human judges. In the parallel passage (1 Chronicles 16:33) the emphatic repetition in the first clause, and the whole of the last clause, are omitted, perhaps because so striking and sonorous a conclusion would not have been appropriate, when another psalm was to be added.