Psalms 96:9

9 Worship the Lord because he is holy. Tremble before him, everyone on earth.

Psalms 96:9 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 96:9

O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness
(See Gill on Psalms 29:2), in this and the three preceding verses there is a manifest allusion to the form of addresses made to kings in the eastern nations; who being arrayed, and seated in a majestic manner, with all the marks of royal honour and dignity about them, whom their subjects approach with ascriptions of glory to them; bringing presents in their hands, and bowing down to the ground before them, as the word F18 for "worship" signifies; expressing the utmost awe and reverence of them, as in the next clause:

fear before him, all the earth;
or, as the Targum,

``all the inhabitants of the earth;''

it is the duty of all men to fear the Lord; but none can fear him aright without his grace, or an heart given them to fear him: this respects the latter day, when the Jews shall seek the Lord, and fear him and his goodness; when all nations shall fear and worship him; when, from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, the name of the Lord shall be great and tremendous among the Gentiles; see ( Hosea 3:5 ) ( Revelation 15:3 Revelation 15:4 ) ( Malachi 1:11 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F18 (wwxtvh) "incurvate vos", Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; "prosternite vos", Tigurine version.

Psalms 96:9 In-Context

7 Praise the Lord, all nations on earth; praise the Lord's glory and power.
8 Praise the glory of the Lord's name. Bring an offering and come into his Temple courtyards.
9 Worship the Lord because he is holy. Tremble before him, everyone on earth.
10 Tell the nations, "The Lord is king." The earth is set, and it cannot be moved. He will judge the people fairly.
11 Let the skies rejoice and the earth be glad; let the sea and everything in it shout.
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.