Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Psalms 97:6

Clarke's Commentary

Verse Psalms 97:6. The heavens declare his righteousness — They also, in this poetic description, become intelligent beings, and proclaim the majesty and the mercy of the Most High. Metaphorically, they may be said to declare his glory. Their magnitude, number, revolutions, order, influence, and harmony, proclaim the wondrous skill, matchless wisdom, and unlimited power of the Sovereign of the universe. Psalms 100:0; Psalms 19:1, c.

And all the people see his glory. — Whatsoever God has made proclaims his eternal power and Godhead and who, from a contemplation of the work of his hands, can be ignorant of his being and providence?

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

Psalms 97-100 God the universal king

Psalms 97:0 follows on from the thought on which the previous psalm closed (namely, that God is king over the earth). It shows that holiness, righteousness and justice are the basis of God’s kingdom. His judgment will be as universal as a flash of lightning and as powerful as an all-consuming fire (97:1-5). Every thing will bow before his rule (6-7). His own people already recognize him as Lord and bring him fitting worship (8-9). They can experience the light and joy of his salvation in their everyday lives as they reject what is evil and choose what is good (10-12).

Continuing the theme of the previous psalm, Psalms 98:0 reminds the people to welcome the divine universal king. By his power, he has conquered evil and established his kingdom in righteousness and love (98:1-3). People worldwide are to praise God with music and singing because of his great victory (4-6). The physical creation is invited to join in the praise, rejoicing because of him who rules the earth with justice (7-9).

From his throne in Zion, the city of God, God rules over the earth in holiness and justice (99:1-4) and people respond with worship (5). The psalmist refers to the lives of Moses, Aaron and Samuel to show how God answered the prayers of those who submitted to his rule and obeyed his law (6-7). When people disobeyed they were punished, but when they repented God forgave them (8). The God who rules in Zion is holy, and those who worship him must also fear him (9).

Psalms 100:0 is the climax of this group of six psalms. People of all the world are to worship God gladly, acknowledging him as their God, their maker and their shepherd (100:1-3). They are invited to come into his temple, where they can unite in thankfully praising him for his loving faithfulness to them (4-5).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

GOD STRIKES FEAR INTO THE HEARTS OF THE WICKED

"A fire goeth before him, And burneth up his adversaries round about. His lightnings lightened the world: The earth saw and trembled. The mountains melted like wax at the presence of Jehovah, At the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. The heavens declare his righteousness, And all the peoples have seen his glory."

"A fire goeth before him" This passage is a prophecy of the Second Advent of Christ in the Judgment of the whole earth. An apostle has warned us that, "The heavens and the earth which now are, are stored up for fire against the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men (2 Peter 3:7).

"The earth saw and trembled" The Final Judgment is an appointment that shall be universally attended, with no absentees whatever. This thought is reiterated in Psalms 97:6, where "all the peoples" are depicted as seeing God's glory. The "trembling," due to the wrath of God and the stricken consciences of guilty men, is mentioned in Revelation 6:14 ff.

"The mountains melted like wax" This is the same prophecy as that of the apostle Peter, who said, "The elements shall melt with fervent heat; and the earth and the things that are therein shall be burned up" (2 Peter 3:10).

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

The heavens declare his righteousness - See the notes at Psalms 50:6. Compare the notes at Psalms 19:1.

And all the people see his glory - As manifested in the heavens, and in the power which he puts forth on the earth. That is, (they have the opportunity of seeing it; it is made manifest in all his works. They see what in fact is a manifestation of his glory, to wit, his great and wondrous works. It is not affirmed that they “appreciate” all this, or that they see this to be a manifestation of his glory - which would not be true - but that they see what is in fact a revelation of his greatness, his wisdom, and his power.

Calvin's Commentary on the Bible

6The heavens have declared his righteousness Here he states that there would be such an illustrious display of the righteousness of God, that the heavens themselves would herald it. The meaning is not the same as in the beginning of the nineteenth psalm, “The heavens declare the glory of God,” etc. In that psalm David means no more than that the wisdom and power of God are as conspicuous in the fabric of the heavens, as if God should assert them with an audible voice. The meaning of the passage before us is, that the spiritual righteousness of God should be so signally manifested under the reign of Christ as to fill both heaven and earth. There is much force in this personification, in which the heavens, as if even they were penetrated with a sense of the righteousness of God, are represented as speaking of it. It is equally probable, however, that the heavens signify here the angels, who are contained in heaven, by the figure of metonomy or synecdoche, while, in the corresponding clause, instead of the earth being mentioned, he speaks of the peoples who dwell upon it. The angels may very properly be said to announce and celebrate the Divine glory.

Smith's Bible Commentary

Psalms 97:1-12 :

The LORD reigneth ( Psalms 97:1 );

In the previous psalm, it said, "The Lord reigneth. Say among the heathen, 'The Lord reigneth.'" I think that this is something that we often forget in the adverse circumstances of life, that God reigns.

We used to have a dear saint of God in Huntington Beach, that whenever I would get discouraged, she'd say, "Well, Charles, the Lord is still on the throne." I'd say, "Thanks, I needed that." You know, sometimes I would forget that God was on the throne. I'd look at the things that were happening in the world around me and I'd see all the disasters and see how things were going so bad and all, and I'd start to get upset. She'd say, "But Charles, the Lord is still on the throne." Oh, the Lord reigneth. How we need to remember that.

God is reigning. Things are not out of control. You know, you read of the new weapons that Russia has. Man, the Lord reigneth. It's not out of control. He knows exactly what's going on, the Lord reigneth. That's really the only hope for the world today that God is reigning. He's on the throne. He's allowing it to go so far, but God has set the limits. He said, "That's it. That's all the further you're going." He's reigning.

Now men think that they are reigning sometimes. Russia thinks that they are reigning. Russia's going to move down into Israel thinking that no one can stop her, but the Lord reigneth. God says, "Hey, you're going to come so far and then blotto!" The Lord reigneth.

let the earth rejoice; and the multitude of the isles be glad. Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne. A fire goes before him, and burns up his enemies round about. His lightnings enlightened the world: the earth saw, and trembled. The hills melted like wax at the presence of the LORD, at the presence of the Lord of the whole eaRuth ( Psalms 97:1-5 ).

This is reference to Mount Sinai, the giving of the law.

The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory. Confounded be all they that serve the graven images, which boast themselves of idols: worship him, all ye gods. Zion heard, and was glad; and the daughters of Judah rejoiced because of thy judgments, O LORD. For thou, LORD, art high above all the earth: thou art exalted far above all gods. Ye that love the LORD, hate evil ( Psalms 97:6-10 ):

Underline that and put emphatic marks around it. If you really love God, hate evil. Unfortunately, because of the iniquity of the earth today, we have developed sort of a toleration towards evil. And in some quarters, even an acceptance of evil, because evil is desiring to be accepted. It wants to make itself acceptable. But if you really love the Lord, then hate evil. Have no toleration for it. Certainly no place in your life. "Ye that love the Lord, hate evil."

for he preserveth the souls of his saints; and delivers them out of the hand of the wicked. Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness ( Psalms 97:10-12 ). "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

Psalms 97

The writer of this psalm also saw the Lord coming to rule and reign on the earth. He exhorted his readers to prepare for that event by living appropriately in the present.

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

2. The appearance of the King 97:2-9

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

When He comes to reign, His messengers will announce His arrival (cf. Revelation 19:11). Everyone will see Him descend (Zechariah 12:10; Revelation 1:7). In view of this revelation, idol worshippers should realize their folly. The psalmist called all judges ("gods") to worship Yahweh. God’s people can rejoice because He will rule over all the earth one day. "Amen. Come, Lord Jesus" (Revelation 22:20)!

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

The heavens declare his righteousness,.... His justice in punishing his enemies; the lightning and the thunder in the heavens, the tokens of his wrath, and instruments of it; his wrath itself, which is revealed from heaven, Romans 1:18, or the inhabitants of heaven, as Aben Ezra; the angels of heaven; so the Targum, "the angels on high (or of heaven, as in the king's Bible) declare his righteousness"; see

Revelation 16:5, it is true of the ministers of the Gospel, who are Christ's angels or messengers, men of heavenly gifts and grace, whose work it is to declare the justifying righteousness of Christ, which is revealed in the Gospel from faith to faith, and which is therefore called the word of righteousness, and the ministration of it, Romans 1:17,

and all the people see his glory; the glory of his justice in the destruction of his enemies; the glory of his power and grace in the salvation of his chosen; the glory of God in the face of Christ; the glory of Christ himself, as the only begotten of the Father; the glory of his person, office, grace, and righteousness, in the glass of the Gospel; the glory and honour he is now crowned with in heaven; and all the people, even all the chosen, redeemed, and called people, shall behold his glory to all eternity: it seems chiefly to respect the revelation of his glory, and his people's view of it at his first coming; see Isaiah 60:5.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      1 The LORD reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof.   2 Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne.   3 A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about.   4 His lightnings enlightened the world: the earth saw, and trembled.   5 The hills melted like wax at the presence of the LORD, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.   6 The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory.   7 Confounded be all they that serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols: worship him, all ye gods.

      What was to be said among the heathen in the foregoing psalm (Psalms 96:10; Psalms 96:10) is here said again (Psalms 97:1; Psalms 97:1) and is made the subject of this psalm, and of Psalms 99:1-9. The Lord reigns; that is the great truth here laid down. The Lord Jehovah reigns, he that made the world governs it; he that gave being gives motion and power, gives law and commission, gives success and event. Every man's judgment proceeds from the Lord, from his counsel and providence, and in all affairs, both public and private, he performs the thing which he himself has appointed. The Lord Jesus reigns; the providential kingdom is twisted in with the mediatorial and the administration of both is in the hand of Christ, who therefore is both the head of the church and head over all things to the church. The kingdom of Christ is so constituted that,

      I. It may be matter of joy to all; and it will be so if it be not their own fault. Let the earth rejoice, for hereby it is established (Psalms 96:10); it is honoured and enriched, and, in part, rescued from the vanity which by sin it is made subject to. Not only let the people of Israel rejoice in him as King of the Jews, and the daughter of Zion as her King, but let all the earth rejoice in his elevation; for the kingdoms of the world shall, more or less, sooner or later, become his kingdoms: Let the multitude of isles, the many or great isles, be glad thereof. This is applicable to our country, which is a great isle, and has many belonging to it; at least, it speaks comfort in general to the Gentiles, whose countries are called the isles of the Gentiles,Genesis 10:5. There is enough in Christ for the multitude of the isles to rejoice in; for, though many have been made happy in him, yet still there is room. All have reason to rejoice in Christ's government. 1. In the equity of it. There is an incontestable justice in all the acts of his government, both legislative and judicial. Sometimes indeed clouds and darkness are round about him; his dispensations are altogether unaccountable; his way is in the sea and his path in the great waters. We are not aware of what he designs, what he drives at; nor is it fit that we should be let into the secrets of his government. There is a depth in his counsels, which we must not pretend to fathom. But still righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne; a golden thread of justice runs through the whole web of his administration. In this he resides, for it is his habitation. In this he rules, for it is the habitation of his throne. His commandments are, and will be, all righteous. Righteousness and judgment are the basis of his throne (so Dr. Hammond); for therefore his throne is for ever and ever, because his sceptre is a right sceptre,Psalms 45:6. The throne is established in righteousness. Even the heavens declare his righteousness (Psalms 97:6; Psalms 97:6); it is as conspicuous and as illustrious as the heavens themselves. The angels of heaven will declare it, who are employed as messengers in the administration of his government and therefore know more of it than any of his creatures. His righteousness is incontestable; for who can contradict or dispute what the heavens declare?Psalms 50:6. 2. In the extent of it in the upper and lower world. (1.) All the men on earth are under his government; either he is served by them or he serves himself by them. All the people see his glory, or may see it. The glory of God, in the face of Christ, was made to shine in distant countries, among many people, more or less among all people; the gospel was preached, for aught we know, in all languages, Acts 2:5; Acts 2:11. Miracles were wrought in all nations, and so all the people saw his glory. Have they not heard?Romans 10:18. (2.) All the angels in heaven are so. Perhaps we should not have found this truth in those words (Psalms 97:7; Psalms 97:7), Worship him, all you gods, if we had not been directed to it by the inspired apostle, who, from the Septuagint version of those words, makes the Messiah to be introduced into the upper world at the ascension with this charge (Hebrews 1:6), Let all the angels of God worship him, which helps us to a key to this whole psalm, and shows us that it must be applied to the exalted Redeemer, who has gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God, which intimates that all power is given him both in heaven and earth, angels, authorities, and powers, being made subject unto him,1 Peter 3:22. This speaks the honour of Christ, that he has such worshippers, and the honour of all good Christians, that they have such fellow-worshippers.

      II. Christ's government, though it may be matter of joy to all, will yet be matter of terror to some, and it is their own fault that it is so, Psalms 97:3-5; Psalms 97:7. Observe,

      1. When the kingdom of Christ was to be set up in the world, after his ascension, it would meet with many enemies, and much opposition would be given to it. He that reigns, to the joy of the whole earth, yet, as he has his subjects, so he has his enemies (Psalms 97:3; Psalms 97:3), that not only will not have him to reign over them, but would not have him to reign at all, that not only will not enter into the kingdom of heaven themselves, but do all they can to hinder those that are entering,Matthew 23:13. This was fulfilled in the enmity of the unbelieving Jews to the gospel of Christ, and the violent persecution which in all places they stirred up against the preachers and professors of it. These enemies are here called hills (Psalms 97:5; Psalms 97:5), for their height, and strength, and immovable obstinacy. It was the princes of this world that crucified the Lord of glory,1 Corinthians 2:8; Psalms 2:2.

      2. The opposition which the Jews gave to the setting up of Christ's kingdom turned to their own ruin. Their persecuting the apostles, and forbidding them to speak to the Gentiles, filled up their sin, and brought wrath upon them to the uttermost,1 Thessalonians 2:15; 1 Thessalonians 2:16. That wrath is here compared, (1.) To consuming fire, which goes before him, and burns up his enemies, that have made themselves like chaff and stubble, and have set the briers and thorns before him in battle,Isaiah 27:4. This fire of divine wrath will not only burn the rubbish upon the hills, but will even melt the hills themselves like wax,Psalms 97:5; Psalms 97:5. When our God appears as a consuming fire even rocks will be wax before him. The most resolute and daring opposition will be baffled at the presence of the Lord. His very presence is enough to shame and sink it, for he is the Lord of the whole earth, by whom all the children of men are manageable and to whom they are accountable. Men hate and persecute God's people, because they think him absent, that the Lord has forsaken the earth; but, when he manifests his presence, they melt. (2.) To amazing lightnings (Psalms 97:4; Psalms 97:4), which strike a terror upon many. The judgments God brought upon the enemies of Christ's kingdom were such as all the world took notice of with terror: The earth saw and trembled, and the ears of all that heard were made to tingle. This was fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem and the Jewish nation by the Romans, about forty years after Christ's resurrection, which, like fire, wholly destroyed that people, and, like lightning, astonished all their neighbours (Deuteronomy 29:24); but the heavens declare God's righteousness in it, and all the people, to this day, see his glory, in those lasting monuments of his justice, the scattered Jews.

      3. Idolaters also would be put to confusion by the setting up of Christ's kingdom (Psalms 97:7; Psalms 97:7): Confounded be all those who serve graven images, the Gentile world, who did service to those that by nature are no gods (Galatians 4:8), who boasted themselves of idols as their protectors and benefactors. Did those that served idols boast of them, and shall the servants of the living God distrust him, or be ashamed of him? Let those be ashamed that serve graven images. (1.) This is a prayer for the conversion of the Gentiles, that those who have been so long serving dumb idols may be convinced of their error, ashamed of their folly, and may, by the power of Christ's gospel, be brought to serve the only living and true God, and may be as much ashamed of their idols as ever they were proud of them. See Isaiah 2:20; Isaiah 2:21. (2.) This is a prophecy of the ruin of those that would not be reformed and reclaimed from their idolatry; they shall be confounded by the destruction of Paganism in the Roman empire, which was fulfilled about 300 years after Christ, so much to the terror of idolaters that some think it was the revolution under Constantine that made even the mighty men say to the rocks, Fall on us and hide us,Revelation 6:15; Revelation 6:16. This prayer and prophecy are still in force against antichristian idolaters, who may here read their doom: Confounded be all those that worship graven images,Psalms 97:7; Psalms 97:7. See Jeremiah 48:13.