Psalms 96 KJV
Sing a New Song to the Lord
About This Psalm
Sing a new song to the LORD! All creation joins in. A missionary psalm - declare His glory among the nations.
1 sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth.
2 Sing unto the LORD, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day.
3 Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people.
4 For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods.
5 For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.
6 Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
7 Give unto the LORD, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength.
8 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts.
9 O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.
10 Say among the heathen that the LORD reigneth: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously.
11 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof.
12 Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice
13 Before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.
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Did You Know?
Psalm 96 belongs to the enthronement-psalm group (93-99) whose repeated declaration 'The LORD reigneth' directly counters Babylonian Marduk theology by asserting Yahweh's kingship is founded on justice rather than primordial combat.
The psalm's call to 'sing a new song' is framed as Israel's missionary summons to the nations, inverting ancient Near Eastern practice in which vassal states brought tribute songs to the imperial deity.
Verse 5's dismissal of foreign gods as 'idols' (elilim, 'worthless things') employs a term that also evokes the idea of 'nothingness,' linking idolatry critique to the later prophetic theme of created reality sustained solely by Yahweh's word.
The closing image of trees rejoicing 'before the LORD' draws on both Edenic and temple-garden motifs, portraying non-human creation as active liturgical participants rather than passive backdrop.
Although 1 Chronicles 16 inserts nearly identical verses into David's ark procession, Psalm 96 omits the ark-specific references, transforming a localized cultic event into an eschatological vision of universal judgment.
Commentary & Study Notes Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871) ยท Public Domain All nations are invited to unite in this most joyful praise. new song โ literally, "fresh," or new mercies (Ps 33:3; 40:3).
Classic verse-by-verse commentary on Psalms 96 from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown (1871). Covers: The substance of this psalm, and portions of the ninety-seventh, ninety-eighth, and hundredth, are found in 1ch 16:7-36, which was used by David's directions in the dedication of the tabernacle on mount Zion. The dispensation of the messiah was typified by that event, involving, as it did, a more permanent seat of worship, and the introduction of additional and more spiritual services. Hence the language of these psalms may be regarded as having a higher import than that pertinent to the occasion on which it was thus publicly used.
- 1-3
- All nations are invited to unite in this most joyful praise. new song โ literally, "fresh," or new mercies (Ps 33:3; 40:3).
- 2
- show forth โ literally, "declare joyful tidings." salvation โ illustrates His glory in its wonders of love and mercy.
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