Psalms 96

General context

The psalm calls all the earth to sing a new song to the Lord, bless his name, show forth his salvation from day to day and declare his glory among the heathen and his wonders among all people. The Lord is great and to be feared above all gods, for all the gods of the nations are idols but the Lord made the heavens; honour and majesty are before him, strength and beauty in his sanctuary. The kindreds of the people are told to give the Lord glory and strength, to bring an offering and come into his courts, and to worship in the beauty of holiness. They are to say among the heathen that the Lord reigneth, that the world shall be established and not moved, and that he shall judge the people righteously. The heavens are to rejoice, the earth be glad, the sea roar, the field be joyful and the trees of the wood rejoice before the Lord, for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth with righteousness and the people with his truth.

Cited passages: Psalms 96:1, Psalms 96:2, Psalms 96:3, Psalms 96:4, Psalms 96:5, Psalms 96:6, Psalms 96:7, Psalms 96:8, Psalms 96:9, Psalms 96:10, Psalms 96:11, Psalms 96:12, Psalms 96:13

Psalms 96 (KJV)

This page shows the King James Version. In the app, reading opens in the Berean Standard Bible unless you have chosen another translation. The reader includes five translations: the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), the King James Version (KJV), the World English Bible (WEB), the Bible in Basic English (BBE), and the American Standard Version (ASV). Search covers three of them: Berean Standard, King James, and World English. Basic English and American Standard readers search the King James words.

Historical context

This source prints no superscription; the psalm opens with O sing unto the Lord a new song. No speaker is named; the whole poem is a series of commands addressed to all the earth, the heathen, the kindreds of the people, and then to the heavens, earth, sea, field and trees. What is to be said among the heathen is given in verse 10: the Lord reigneth. The gods of the nations are called idols, and the contrast drawn is that the Lord made the heavens. The sanctuary and courts are named without location. The judging in verse 13 is stated as coming, for he cometh, rather than as done, and no occasion or event is attached to the new song. There is no Selah.

Cited passages: Psalms 96:1, Psalms 96:7, Psalms 96:10, Psalms 96:5, Psalms 96:6, Psalms 96:8, Psalms 96:13, Psalms 96:12

Literary context

The psalm is a chain of imperatives. Sing is said three times in the first two verses, and give unto the Lord three times in verses 7 and 8, so the commands come in triplets. The audience widens as the poem goes on, from all the earth to the heathen and the kindreds, and finally to heavens, earth, sea, field and trees, which are told to rejoice, be glad, roar and be joyful. Two reasons begin with For: the Lord is great, and the gods of the nations are idols. The repeated for he cometh, for he cometh in the last verse gives the whole song its motive, a judge who is arriving. Established that it shall not be moved in verse 10 gives the reign a settled world, and the poem ends on righteousness and truth as the terms of the judgment.

Cited passages: Psalms 96:1, Psalms 96:2, Psalms 96:8, Psalms 96:11, Psalms 96:4, Psalms 96:13, Psalms 96:10

Key moments

1. A new song (Psalms 96:1). All the earth is called to sing a new song to the Lord.
2. The gods are idols (Psalms 96:5). The gods of the nations are called idols, and the Lord is the maker of the heavens.
3. Bring an offering (Psalms 96:8). The kindreds of the people are told to bring an offering into his courts.
4. Say the Lord reigneth (Psalms 96:10). The heathen are to be told that the Lord reigns and will judge righteously.
5. The trees rejoice (Psalms 96:12). The field and all the trees of the wood are called to joy.
6. He cometh to judge (Psalms 96:13). The psalm ends with the Lord coming to judge the world with righteousness and truth.

For reflection

The trees of the wood are told to rejoice because a judge is coming, while all the earth is told to fear before him. What in the psalm makes the same arrival a cause for both?