Psalms 97:2-12

2 Clouds and thick darkness surround God. His throne is built on righteousness and justice.
3 Fire proceeds before him, burning up his enemies on every side.
4 His lightning lights up the world; the earth sees it and trembles!
5 The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the Lord of the whole world!
6 Heaven has proclaimed God's righteousness, and all nations have seen his glory.
7 All those who worship images, those who are proud of idols, are put to shame. All gods bow down to the Lord!
8 Zion has heard and celebrates, the towns of Judah rejoice, because of your acts of justice, LORD,
9 because you, LORD, are the Most High over all the earth, because you are so superior to all other gods.
10 Those of you who love the LORD, hate evil! God guards the lives of his faithful ones, delivering them from the power of the wicked.
11 Light is planted like seed for the righteous person; joy too for those whose heart is right.
12 Rejoice in the LORD, righteous ones! Give thanks to his holy name!

Psalms 97:2-12 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 97

This psalm is ascribed to David by the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions. It is of the same argument, and upon the same subject, as the preceding, the coming and kingdom of Christ; and that it respects his first coming into the world, when angels were called upon to worship him, appears from Ps 97:7 compared with Heb 1:6 though it is expressed in such language as seems to agree with his second coming; and, perhaps, both are included, with various things between the one and the other; or it respects the kingdom of Christ, from his first to his second coming; to which agrees the inscription of the Syriac version, which is

``a Psalm of David, in which he prophesies concerning the coming of the Messiah, and again he intimates in it his last appearance.''

Footnotes 1

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