Psalms 96:9

9 Bow yourselves to Jehovah, In the honour of holiness, Be afraid of His presence, all the 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 Ascribe to Jehovah, O families of the peoples, Ascribe to Jehovah honour and strength.
8 Ascribe to Jehovah the honour of His name, Lift up a present and come in to His courts.
9 Bow yourselves to Jehovah, In the honour of holiness, Be afraid of His presence, all the earth.
10 Say among nations, `Jehovah hath reigned, Also -- established is the world, unmoved, He judgeth the peoples in uprightness.'
11 The heavens joy, and the earth is joyful, The sea and its fulness roar.
Young's Literal Translation is in the public domain.