Psalm 98:1 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Oh sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.

NIV: A psalm. Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.

NASB: Sing a new song to the Lord, For He has done wonderful things, His right hand and His holy arm have gained the victory for Him.

CSB: A psalm. Sing a new song to the Lord, for he has performed wonders; his right hand and holy arm have won him victory.

NLT: Sing a new song to the Lord, for he has done wonderful deeds. His right hand has won a mighty victory; his holy arm has shown his saving power!

KJV: A Psalm. O sing unto the Lord a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.

NKJV: {A Psalm.} Oh, sing to the Lord a new song! For He has done marvelous things; His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory.

Psalm 98:1–3 praises God for His miracles. The psalm notes that God's own work—and only His work—has accomplished salvation. The result of these actions is that the entire world can see His goodness and justice. The psalmist may have been inspired by a specific victory over an enemy of Israel, or the return of Jewish exiles from Babylon (Ezra 2:1).

God has proven His glory through amazing miracles. He has accomplished salvation by His own power, honoring His loyal love for the nation of Israel. Every nation, including the Gentiles, can see what the Lord has done. All people should respond to this with praise and worship, using every type of instrument. Nature itself will echo praises of God. These celebrations look forward to God returning to earth, bringing justice and righteous judgment.

This psalm may have been inspired by a specific victory over one of Israel's enemies. Another possibility is celebrating the return of exiled Jewish people (Ezra 2:1). It is one of the "enthronement" psalms (Psalm 24; 27; 93; 95—99) which honor God as the ultimate ruler over the entire world. As with similar psalms, this song anticipates the Lord coming to earth in righteous judgment.

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.

Accessed 12/4/2024 3:57:36 AM