Psalms · psalm 96 of 150
Updated on
Psalm 96 calls all the earth to sing a new song to the Lord, to proclaim his salvation every day and to declare his glory among the nations. It affirms that the Lord is great and to be feared, that the gods of the peoples are worthless idols while he made the heavens, and it ends by saying that he comes to judge the earth in righteousness, to the joy of the heavens, the sea and the trees.
Psalm 96 has no title in the Psalms, although a version of much of its content appears in the song David gave to Asaph in 1 Chronicles 16:23-33. It belongs to the group of psalms about the Lord's reign (Psalms 93 and 95-99), and its special feature is its universal outlook: it is sung to all the nations and not only to Israel.
The psalm opens with three calls to sing to the Lord: a new song, all the earth; bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. It then asks us to declare his glory among the nations and his marvelous works among all peoples. The reason is that the Lord is great and greatly to be praised, to be feared above all gods, for the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before him, strength and beauty in his sanctuary.
In verses 7-9 the families of the peoples are invited to ascribe to the Lord glory and strength, to bring an offering and come into his courts, and to worship him in the splendor of holiness. All the earth is to tremble before him.
Verse 10 commands us to say among the nations: the Lord reigns, the world is established and he will judge the peoples with equity. Then the heavens rejoice, the earth is glad, the sea roars and all that fills it, the field exults and the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth in righteousness and the peoples in his faithfulness.
References follow ESV book names and verse numbers. Read each verse in your Bible before the explanation.
All the earth is called to sing a new song, bless his name and tell of his salvation from day to day among the nations. Praise to the Lord is not only for the temple: it is witness before the world.
All the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. The contrast is simple: what human hands make cannot be compared with the one who created all things.
We are invited to worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness and for all the earth to tremble before him. True worship joins reverence and joy, because it is directed to a holy God.
The Lord comes to judge the earth: he will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his faithfulness. The coming of the judge is a reason for creation's joy, because he will finally bring the justice the world has not achieved.
6 questions with answers and references, ready for Sunday school, small group or a Bible quiz night.
Answer: A new song, sung by all the earth. — Psalm 96:1
Answer: His salvation. — Psalm 96:2
Answer: Idols, while the Lord made the heavens. — Psalm 96:5
Answer: In the splendor of holiness, trembling before his presence. — Psalm 96:9
Answer: That the Lord reigns, the world is established and he will judge the peoples with equity. — Psalm 96:10
Answer: Because the Lord comes to judge the earth in righteousness and the peoples in his faithfulness. — Psalm 96:13
Psalm 96 connects worship with mission. Singing to the Lord is not a private act: it is telling his salvation to those who do not yet know him. In a class or small group we can think of concrete ways to declare God among the nations, from praying for and supporting missionaries to sharing with a neighbor from another culture something God has done in our lives.
It also challenges anyone who fears the future. The Lord's coming to judge is not a threat to his people but a hope: he will come to set right what is crooked. Meanwhile we can worship with joy and live with integrity, knowing that the world is not adrift but under the reign of God.
Psalm 96 ends with the Lord's coming to judge the earth in righteousness. Psalm 97 continues the same theme: the Lord reigns, the earth rejoices, and idol worshipers are put to shame while light shines on the righteous.
The song David entrusted to Asaph when the ark was brought to Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 16:7-36) contains verses very similar to those of Psalm 96, along with parts of Psalms 105 and 106. This shows that such songs were used in Israel's worship from very early on.
In the Psalms a new song usually springs from a fresh act of God or a fresh awareness of his reign. Here it is called for because the Lord is coming to reign and judge, and praise must be renewed with that hope.