Bible Commentaries
Psalms 96

Verses 1-13

v. 1. O sing unto the Lord a new song, one fitting the new appearance and form of things in the Messiah's kingdom; sing unto the Lord, all the earth, all creatures of the universe being included in the summons.

v. 2. Sing unto the Lord, Jehovah, the mighty Messiah; bless His name, making known the attributes concerned with the redemption of mankind: show forth His salvation from day to day, in a continuous round of praise.

v. 3. Declare His glory among the heathen, for the joyful news is not confined to the Jewish nation, His wonders among all people, for even in the Old Testament the missionary call sounded time and again.

v. 4. For the Lord is great, unique in divine greatness, and greatly to be praised, most praiseworthy; He is to be feared, regarded with reverence and awe, above all gods, not as though the worship of idols were permissible beside that of Jehovah, but in the sense that He alone may and shall be worshiped as true God.

v. 5. For all the gods of the nations, the idols, foolishly called gods by the blind heathen, are idols, literally, "nothingnesses"; but the Lord made the heavens, He alone is the almighty Creator. The contrast is most emphatic: the idols of men are non-existent, except in the foolish imagination of the heathen; Jehovah alone is the true God.

v. 6. Honor and majesty are before Him, His attendants, as it were, declaring His mighty works throughout the earth; strength and beauty are in His Sanctuary, power and grace being particularly stressed in the relation of Jehovah and His Church, John 1:14. The wonderful glory and majesty, as well as the kindness and mercy of Jehovah, having been set forth, the psalmist turns to all people with an urgent appeal to act upon this knowledge.

v. 7. Give unto the Lord, O ye kindreds of the people, all the generations of earth-dwellers, give unto the Lord glory and strength, acknowledging Him as the possessor of these divine attributes.

v. 8. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto His name, that which the revelation of His essence in His works and Word lays upon men as an obligation; bring an offering, a token of the acknowledgment of the heart, and come into His courts, the place of Jehovah's worship, where the congregation assembles to receive the means of grace.

v. 9. O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness, in the marriage garment of the New Testament parable, the holiness and righteousness imputed to the believers by faith ; fear before Him, all the earth, giving Him the reverence of believing hearts.

v. 10. Say among the heathen, in joyful proclamation of the essence and works of God, that the Lord reigneth, Jehovah alone being King of the universe; the world also shall be established, firmly founded, that it shall not be moved, no one being able to overthrow the Messiah's kingdom; He shall judge the people righteously, in uprightness and justice. With such ideal Messianic conditions obtaining, the psalmist launches forth in a last exultant admonition.

v. 11. Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad, the very inanimate creation being called upon to join in the Church's hymn of praise; let the sea roar, with a voice of thanksgiving, and the fullness thereof, all it contains.

v. 12. Let the field be joyful, all the meadows and prairies joining with the rest of creation, and all that is therein; then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice, the mighty forests singing their joyful hymns of praise to Jehovah,

v. 13. before the Lord; for He cometh, for He cometh to judge the earth, to visit the earth with a wonderful judgment; He shall judge the world with righteousness, that gained by the Messiah for the entire lost and condemned world of sinners, and the people with His truth, the faithfulness of His gracious promises, as fulfilled in Messiah's coming. Thus were the glories of the Messianic period of grace sung before the believers of the Old Testament. How much more ought we Christians to sing of the glories of mercy and truth revealed to us and given to us in Jesus Christ and His redemption!