Psalms 98:4-9

4 1Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; 2break forth into joyous song and sing praises!
5 Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre, with the lyre and the 3sound of melody!
6 With 4trumpets and the sound of 5the horn 6make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD!
7 7Let the sea roar, and 8all that fills it; 9the world and those who dwell in it!
8 Let the rivers 10clap their hands; let 11the hills sing for joy together
9 before the LORD, for he comes to 12judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity.

Psalms 98:4-9 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 98

\\<>\\. This is the only psalm throughout the whole book which is so called, without any other additional word, epithet, or inscription. The Targum calls it a psalm of prophecy, or a prophetic psalm, as indeed it is; for it respects time to come, as Jarchi observes, even the Gospel dispensation. Aben Ezra says, perhaps this psalm is concerning the coming of the Redeemer; a doubt need not be made of it, it certainly is. Abendana, a later writer among the Jews, says of the latter part of the psalm, that it figuratively expresses the greatness of the joy that shall be in the days of the Messiah. The Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions, ascribe it unto David; but it was not penned by him on account of any victory obtained by him, but as a prophecy of the victories and salvation of the Messiah; nor is it of the same argument with, or a compendium of, the song of Moses at the Red sea, as Grotius thinks; though the inscription of the Syriac version begins thus, ``a Psalm of David, concerning the redemption of the people out of Egypt, when they conquered and triumphed;'' yet it more rightly adds, ``but spiritually a prophecy concerning the coming of Christ, and the calling of the Gentiles unto the faith.''

Cross References 12

  • 1. See Psalms 66:1
  • 2. Isaiah 44:23
  • 3. Isaiah 51:3
  • 4. Numbers 10:10; 1 Chronicles 15:24
  • 5. 2 Chronicles 15:14
  • 6. [See ver. 4 above]
  • 7. Psalms 96:11
  • 8. Psalms 24:1
  • 9. Psalms 24:1
  • 10. Isaiah 55:12; [Psalms 93:3]
  • 11. Psalms 89:12
  • 12. Psalms 96:13; See Psalms 58:11
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.