Psalms 98:5

5 Sing ye to the Lord in an harp, in harp and in voice of psalm; (Sing ye to the Lord on a harp, yea, on a harp, and with the words of a song/and with the strains of a lute;)

Psalms 98:5 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 98:5

Sing unto the Lord with the harp
Playing upon that at the same time: here and in the following verse is an allusion to Old Testament worship, and the manner of performing that; not that this should be done in New Testament times, only New Testament worship is expressed in Old Testament language, which is no unusual thing; hence in Gospel times, and Gospel churches, the saints, especially when singing the new song of redeeming grace, are said to have harps in their hands, expressive only of their spiritual melody in their hearts, ( Revelation 5:8 Revelation 5:9 ) ( Revelation 14:2 Revelation 14:3 ) ( Revelation 15:2 Revelation 15:3 ) ,

with the harp, and the voice of the psalm;
with the harp alone first, as Aben Ezra and Kimchi interpret it, and then with the harp, and together with the words of a psalm, sung in a psalm tune. Gospel churches are to sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, ( Ephesians 5:19 ) ( Colossians 3:16 ) .

Psalms 98:5 In-Context

3 He bethought on his mercy; and on his truth, to the house of Israel. All the ends of earth; saw the health of our God. (He remembered his love, and his faithfulness, toward the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth; have seen the victory of our God.)

4 All earth, make ye heartily joy to God; sing ye, and make ye full out joy, and say ye psalm. (All the earth, heartily make ye joy to God; sing ye, and rejoice, and sing ye a song.)

5 Sing ye to the Lord in an harp, in harp and in voice of psalm; (Sing ye to the Lord on a harp, yea, on a harp, and with the words of a song/and with the strains of a lute;)

6 in trumps beaten out with hammer, and in voice of a trump of (a) horn. Heartily sing ye in the sight of the Lord, the king; (and with trumpets beaten out with a hammer, yea, with the sound of trumpets and horns. Heartily sing ye before the Lord, the King;)

7 the sea and the fullness thereof be moved; the world, and they that dwell therein. (let the sea roar, and all the creatures in it; yea, the whole world, and all that live in it!)