SUBJECT. This Psalm is evidently taken
from that sacred song which was composed by David at the time
when "the ark of God was set in the midst of the tent which
David had prepared for it, and they offered burnt sacrifices and
peace offerings before God." See the sixteenth chapter of
the first book of the Chronicles. The former part of that sacred
song was probably omitted in this place because it referred to
Israel, and the design of the Holy Ghost in this psalm was to
give forth a song for the Gentiles, a triumphant hymn wherewith
to celebrate the conversion of the nations to Jehovah in gospel
times. It follows fitly upon the last Psalm, which describes the
obstinacy of Israel, and the consequent taking of the gospel
from them that it might be preached among the nations who would
receive it, and in due time be fully won to Christ by its power.
It thus makes a pair with the Ninety-fifth Psalm. It is a grand
MISSIONARY HYMN, and it is a wonder that Jeers can read it and
yet remain exclusive. If blindness in part had not happened unto
Israel, they might have seen long ago, and would now see, that
their God always had designs of love for all the families of
men, and never intended that his grace and his covenant should
relate only to the seed of Abraham after the flesh. We do not
wonder that the large hearted David rejoiced and danced before
the ark, while he saw in vision all the earth turning from idols
to the one living and true God. Had Michal, Saul's daughter,
only been able to enter into his delight, she would not have
reproached him, and if the Jews at this day could only be
enlarged in heart to feel sympathy with all mankind, they also
would sing for joy at the great prophecy that all the earth
shall be fitted with the glory of the Lord.
DIVISION. We will make none, for the
song is one and indivisible, a garment of praise without seam,
woven from the top throughout.
EXPOSITION
Verse 1. O sing unto the Lord a new song. New
joys are filling the hearts of men, for the glad tidings of
blessing to all people are proclaimed, therefore let them sing a
new song. Angels inaugurated the new dispensation with new
songs, and shall not we take up the strain? The song is for
Jehovah alone, the hymns which chanted the praises of Jupiter
and Neptune, Vishnoo and Siva are hushed for ever; Bacchanalian
shouts are silenced, lascivious sonnets are no more. Unto the
one only God all music is to be dedicated. Mourning is over, and
the time of singing of hearts has come. No dismal rites are
celebrated, no bloody sacrifices of human beings are presented,
no cutting with knives, and outcries of lamentation are
presented by deluded votaries. Joy is in the ascendant, and
singing has become the universal expression of love, the fitting
voice of reverent adoration. Men are made new creatures, and
their song is new also. The names of Baalim are no more on their
lips, the wanton music of Ashtaroth ceaseth; the foolish ditty
and the cruel war song are alike forgotten; the song is holy,
heavenly, pure, and pleasant. The psalmist speaks as if he would
lead the strain and be the chief musician, he invites, he
incites, he persuades to sacred worship, and cries with all his
heart, "O sing unto Jehovah a new song." Sing unto the
Lord, all the earth.—National jealousies are dead; a Jew
invites the Gentiles to adore, and joins with them, so that all
the earth may lift up one common psalm as with one heart and
voice unto Jehovah, who hath visited it with his salvation. No
corner of the world is to be discordant, no race of heathen to
be dumb. All the earth Jehovah made, and all the earth must sing
to him. As the sun shines on all lands, so are all lands to
delight in the light of the Sun of Righteousness. E Pluribus
Unum, out of many one song shall come forth. The
multitudinous languages of the sons of Adam, who were scattered
at Babel, will blend in the same song when the people are
gathered at Zion. Nor men alone, but the earth itself is to
praise its Maker. Made subject to vanity for a while by a sad
necessity, the creation itself also is to be delivered from the
bondage of corruption, and brought into the glorious liberty of
the children of God, so that sea and forest, field and flood,
are to be joyful before the Lord. Is this a dream? then let us
dream again. Blessed are the eyes which shall see the kingdom,
and the ears which shall hear its songs. Hasten thine advent,
good Lord! Yea, send forth speedily the rod of thy strength out
of Zion, that the nations may bow before the Lord and his
Anointed.
Verse 2. Sing unto the Lord, bless his name.
Thrice is the name of the Lord repeated, and not without
meaning. Is it not unto the Three One Lord that the enlightened
nations will sing? Unitarianism is the religion of units; it is
too cold to warm the world to worship; the sacred fire of
adoration only burns with vehement flame where the Trinity is
believed in and beloved. In other ways beside singing, the
blessed Lord is to be blessed. His name, his fame, his
character, his revealed word and will are to be delighted in,
and remembered with perpetual thanksgiving. We may well bless
him who so divinely blesses us. At the very mention of his name
it is meet to say, "Let him be blessed for ever." Shew
forth his salvation from day to day. The gospel is the clearest
revelation of himself, salvation, outshines creation and
providence; therefore let our praises overflow in that
direction. Let us proclaim the glad tidings, and do so
continually, never ceasing the blissful testimony. It is ever
new, ever suitable, ever sure, ever perfect; therefore let us
show it forth continually until he come, both by words and
deeds, by songs and sermons, by sacred Baptism and by the Holy
Supper, by books and by speech, by Sabbath services and weekday
worship. Each day brings us deeper experience of our saving God,
each day shows us anew how deeply men need his salvation, each
day reveals the power of the gospel, each day the Spirit strives
with the sons of men; therefore, never pausing, be it ours to
tell out the glorious message of free grace. Let those do this
who know for themselves what his salvation means; they
can bear witness that there is salvation in none other, and that
in him salvation to the uttermost is to be found. Let them show
it forth till the echo flies around the spacious earth, and all
the armies of the sky unite to magnify the God who hath
displayed his saving health among all people.
Verse 3. Declare his glory among the heathen.
His salvation is his glory, the word of the gospel glorifies
him; and this should be published far and wide, till the
remotest nations of the earth have known it. England has spent
much blood and treasure to keep up her own prestige among
barbarians; when will she be equally anxious to maintain the
honour of her religion, the glory of her Lord? It is to be
feared that too often the name of the Lord Jesus has been
dishonoured among the heathen by the vices and cruelties of
those who call themselves Christians; may this fact excite true
believers to greater diligence in causing the gospel to be
proclaimed as with a trumpet in all quarters of the habitable
globe. His wonders among all people. The gospel is a mass of
wonders, its history is full of wonders, and it is in itself far
more marvellous than miracles themselves. In the person of his
Son the Lord has displayed wonders of love, wisdom, grace, and
power. All glory be unto his name; who can refuse to tell out
the story of redeeming grace and dying love? All the nations
need to hear of God's marvellous works; and a really living,
self denying church would solemnly resolve that right speedily
they fill shall hear thereof. The tribes which are dying out are
not to be excluded from gospel teaching any more than the great
growing families which, like the fat kine of Pharaoh, are eating
up other races: Red Indians as well as Anglo Saxons are to hear
of the wonders of redeeming love. None are too degraded, none
too cultured, none too savage, and none too refined.
Verse 4. For the LORD is great and greatly to be
praised. He is no petty deity, presiding, as the heathen
imagined their gods to do, over some one nation, or one
department of nature. Jehovah is great in power and dominion,
great in mind and act; nothing mean or narrow can be found in
him or his acts, in all things he is infinite. Praise should be
proportionate to its object, therefore let it be infinite when
rendered unto the Lord. We cannot praise him too much, too
often, too zealously, too carefully, too joyfully. He deserves
that nothing in his worship should be little, but all the honour
rendered unto him should be given in largeness of heart, with
the utmost zeal for his glory. He is to be feared above all
gods. Other gods have been worshipped at great cost, and with
much fervour, by their blinded rotaries, but Jehovah should be
adored with far greater reverence. Even if the graven images had
been gods they could not have borne comparison for an instant
with the God of Israel, and therefore his worship, should be far
more zealous than any which has been rendered to them. He is to
be feared, for there is cause to fear. Dread of other gods is
mere superstition, awe of the Lord is pure religion. Holy fear
is the beginning of the graces, and yet it is the accompaniment
of their highest range. Fear of God is the blush upon the face
of holiness enhancing its beauty.
Verse 5. For all the gods of the nations are idols.
Mere images of wood and stone, vanities, nothings. But the Lord
made the heavens. The reality of his Godhead is proved by his
works, and foremost among these the psalmist mentions that
matchless piece of architecture which casts its arch over every
man's head, whose lamps are the light of all mankind, whose
rains and dew fall upon the fields of every people, and whence
the Lord in voice of thunder is heard speaking to every
creature. The idol gods have no existence, but our God is the
author of all existences; they are mere earthly vanities, while
he is not only heavenly, but made the heavens. This is mentioned
as an argument for Jehovah's universal praise. Who can be
worshipped but he? Since none can rival him, let him be adored
alone.
Verse 6. Honour and majesty are before him. Men
can but mimic these things; their pompous pageants are but the
pretence of greatness. Honour and majesty are with him and with
him alone. In the presence of Jehovah real glory and sovereignty
abide, as constant attendants. Strength and beauty are in his
sanctuary. In him are combined all that is mighty and lovely,
powerful and resplendent. We have seen rugged strength devoid of
beauty, we have also seen elegance without strength; the union
of the two is greatly to be admired. Do we desire to see the
"sublime and beautiful" at one glance? Then we must
look to the eternal throne. In the Chronicles we read strength
and gladness;and the two renderings do not disagree in
sense, for in the highest degree in this instance it is true
that "a thing of beauty is a joy for ever." Not in
outward show or parade of costly robes does the glory of God
consist; such things are tricks of state with which the ignorant
are dazzled; holiness, justice, wisdom, grace, these are the
splendours of Jehovah's courts, these the jewels and the gold,
the regalia, and the pomp of the courts of heaven.
Verse 7. The first six verses commenced with an
exhortation to sing, three times repeated, with the name of the
Lord thrice mentioned; here we meet with the expression, Give
unto the Lord, used in the same triple manner. This is after the
manner of those poets whose flaming sonnets have best won the
ear of, the people, they reiterate choice words till they
penetrate the soul and fire the heart. The invocation of the
sweet singer is still addressed to all mankind, to whom he
speaks as, Ye kindreds of the people. Divided into tribes and
families, we are called in our courses and order to appear
before him and ascribe to him all honour. "All worship be
to God only, "is the motto of one of our City companies,
and it may well be the motto of all the families upon earth.
Family worship is peculiarly pleasing unto him who is the God of
all the families of Israel. Give unto the LORD glory and
strength, that is to say, recognise the glory and power of
Jehovah, and ascribe them unto him in your solemn hymns. Who is
glorious but the Lord? Who is strong, save our God? Ye great
nations who count yourselves both famous and mighty, cease your
boastings! Ye monarchs, who are styled imperial and puissant,
humble yourselves in the dust before the only Potentate. Glory
and strength are nowhere to be found, save with the Lord, all
others possess but the semblance thereof. Well did Massilion
declare, "God alone is great."
Verse 8. Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his
name. But who can do that to the full? Can all the nations
of the earth put together discharge the mighty debt? All
conceivable honour is due to our Creator, Preserver, Benefactor,
and Redeemer, and however much of zealous homage we may offer to
him, we cannot give him more than his due. If we cannot bring in
the full revenue which he justly claims, at least let us not
fail from want of honest endeavour. Bring an offering, and come
into his courts. Come with an unbloody sacrifice; atonement for
sin having been made, it only remains to bring thank offerings,
and let not these be forgotten. To him who gives us all, we
ought gladly to give our grateful tithe. When assembling for
public worship we should make a point of bringing with us a
contribution to his cause, according to that ancient word,
"None of you shall appear before me empty." The time
will come when from all ranks and nations the Lord will receive
gifts when they gather together for his worship. 0 long expected
day begin!
Verse 9. 0 worship the Lord in the beauty of
holiness. This is the only beauty which he cares for in our
public services, and it is one for which no other can
compensate. Beauty of architecture and apparel he does not
regard; moral and spiritual beauty is that in which his soul
delighteth. Worship must not be rendered to God in a slovenly,
sinful, superficial manner; we must be reverent, sincere,
earnest, and pure in heart both in our prayers and praises.
Purity is the white linen of the Lord's choristers,
righteousness is the comely garment of his priests, holiness is
the royal apparel of his servants. Fear before him, all the
earth. "Tremble" is the word in the original, and it
expresses the profoundest awe, just as the word
"worship" does, which would be more accurately
translated by "bow down." Even the bodily frame would
be moved to trembling and prostration if men were thoroughly
conscious of the power and glory of Jehovah. Men of the world
ridiculed "the Quakers" for trembling when under the
power of the Holy Spirit; had they been able to discern the
majesty of the Eternal they would have quaked also. There is a
sacred trembling which is quite consistent with joy, the heart
may even quiver with an awful excess of delight. The sight of
the King in his beauty caused no alarm to John in Patmos, and
yet it made him fall at his feet as dead. Oh, to behold him and
worship him with prostrate awe and sacred fear!
Verse 10. Say among the heathen that the LORD
reigneth. This is the gladdest news which can be carried to
them,—the Lord Jehovah, in the person of his Son has assumed
the throne, and taken to himself his great power. Tell this out
among the heathen, and let the heathen themselves, being
converted, repeat the same rejoicing. The dominion of Jehovah
Jesus is not irksome, his rule is fraught with untold blessings,
his yoke is easy, and his burden is light. The world also shall
be established that it shall not be moved. Society is safe where
God is king, no revolutions shall convulse his empire, no
invasions shall disturb his kingdom. A settled government is
essential to national prosperity, the reign of the god of truth
and righteousness will promote this to the highest degree. Sin
has shaken the world, the reign of Jesus will set it fast again
upon sure foundations. He shall judge the people righteously.
This is the best method for establishing society on a secure
basis, and this is the greatest source of joy to oppressed
nations. Iniquity makes the dynasties of tyrants fall, equity
causes the throne of Jesus to stand. He will impartially rule
over Jew and Gentile, prince and peasant, and this will bring
happiness to those who are now the victims of the despot's
arbitrary will.
Verse 11. Let the heavens rejoice, and let the
earth be glad. Above and below let the joy be manifested.
Let the angels who have stood in amaze at the wickedness of men,
now rejoice over their repentance and restoration to favour, and
let men themselves express their pleasure in seeing their true
prince set upon his throne. The book of creation has two covers,
and on each of these let the glory of the Lord be emblazoned in
letters of joy. Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof Let it
be no more a troubled sea, wailing over shipwrecked mariners,
and rehearsing the griefs of widows and orphans, but let it
adopt a cheerful note, and rejoice in the kingdom of the Lord.
Let it thunder out the name of the Lord when its tides are at
its full, and let all its teeming life express the utmost joy
because the Lord reigneth even in the depth of the sea. In
common with the rest of the creation, the sea has groaned and
travailed until now; is not the time close at hand in which its
hollow murmur shall be exchanged for an outburst of joy? Will
not every billow soon flash forth the praises of him who once
trod the sea?
"Waft, waft, ye winds, his story!
And you ye waters, roll,
Till, like a sea of glory,
It spreads from pole to pole."
Verse 12. Let the field be joyful, and all that is
therein. Let the cultivated plains praise the Lord. Peace
enables their owners to plough and sow and reap, without fear of
the rapine of invaders, and therefore in glad notes they applaud
him whose empire is peace. Both men, and creatures that graze
the plain, and the crops themselves are represented as swelling
the praises of Jehovah, and the figure is both bold and
warranted, for the day shall come when every inhabited rood of
ground shall yield its song, and every farmstead shall contain a
church. Then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice. He does
not say, let them rejoice, but they shall do so. The faith of
the psalmist turns itself from the expression of desire to the
fully assured prediction of the event. Groves have in old times
stood shuddering at the horrid orgies which have been performed
within their shade, the time shall come when they shall sing for
joy because of the holy worship, the sounds of which they shall
hear. The bush is the stronghold of savage men and robbers, but
it shall be sanctified to retirement and devotion. Perhaps the
psalmist was thinking of the birds; so Keble must have supposed,
for he versifies the passage thus—
"Field exults and meadow fair,
With each bud and blossom there,
In the lonely woodlands now
Chants aloud each rusting bough."
Verse 13. Before the LORD: for he cometh. Even
now he is near, his advent should, therefore, be the cause of
immediate rejoicing: already are we in his presence, let us
worship him with delight. For he cometh to judge the earth, to
rule it with discretion; not to tax it, and control it by force,
as kings often do, but to preside as magistrates do whose
business it is to see justice carried out between man and man.
All the world will be under the jurisdiction of this great
Judge, and before his bar all will be summoned to appear. At
this moment he is on the road, and the hour of his coming
draweth nigh. His great assize is proclaimed. Hear ye not the
trumpets? His foot is on the threshold. He shall judge the world
with righteousness. His essential rectitude will determine all
causes and cases, there will be no bribery and corruption there,
neither can error or failure bc found in his decisions. And the
people with his truth, or rather "the nations in
faithfulness." Honesty, veracity, integrity, will rule upon
his judgment seat. No nation shall be favoured there, and none
be made to suffer through prejudice. The black man shall be
tried by the same law as his white master, the aboriginal shall
have justice executed for him against his civilised
exterminator, the crushed and hunted Bushman shall have space to
appeal against the Boer who slaughtered his tribe, and the South
Sea Islander shall gain attention to his piteous complaint
against the treacherous wretch who kidnapped him from his home.
There shall be true judgment given without fear or favour. In
all this let the nations be glad, and the universe rejoice. In
closing, let us ourselves join in the song. Since the whole
universe is to be clothed with smiles, shall not we be glad? As
John Howe observes, "Shall we not partake in this common
dutiful joy, and fall into concert with the adoring loyal
chorus? Will we cut ourselves off from this happy obsequious
throng? And what should put a pleasant face and aspect upon the
whole world, shall it only leave our faces covered with clouds,
and a mournful sadness?"
EXPLANATORY NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS
Whole Psalm. What has been said of Psalm 67 may be
fitly applied to the present psalm. We need not hesitate to add
that it is a millennial anthem. It accords with the condition of
the world when Christ shall sit enthroned in the willing loyalty
of our race. The nations join in an acclaim of praise to him as
their rightful Judge and King. There is a unanimity in the song,
as if it ascended from a world purged into a temple of holiness,
and whose inhabitants were indeed a royal priesthood, with one
heart to make Jesus king, with one voice to sound forth one peal
of melody in praise of the name above every name. Fix the eye
for a moment on the precious vision of which we thus catch a
glimpse. It holds true to the deepest principles of our nature,
that what we contemplate as possible, much more what we
anticipate as ceertain, lends us the very hope and energy
conducive to its realisation. On the contrary, despair paralyses
effort. Is it on this account that everywhere in prophecy, old
and new, there floats before us the ideal of a recovered and
rejoicing world, at times transfigured into a loftier scene, the
new heavens and new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness? So
largely did this thought imbue the prophetic mind, that the
language of Paul warms into the animation of poetry, when even
"the creature itself, "according to his own vivid
personification, like some noble bird, drooping under the weight
of its chain, with neck outstretched and eyeball distended, is
described as looking down into the vista of coming time for its
deliverance from the bondage of corruption into the glorious
liberty of the sons of God (Ro 8:19). He hastens to add, that
"we are saved by hope." It is true of the soul
individually, we are saved by hope. It is true of our race
collectively, if ever a millennium is to dawn upon it, we are
saved by such a hope. Our earth may be in ruins meanwhile,
blackness on the sky, barrenness on the soil, because sin is
everywhere; but a change is promised. What we hope for, we
labour for all the more that our hope is no dream of fancy, but
has its basis in the science and certainty of absolute truth.
"For as the earth hinges forth her bud, and as the garden
causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the
Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth
before all the nations." (Isa 61:11) The tuning of the
instrument is sometimes heard before the music comes. The mother
teaches her child to lisp a hymn before he comprehends its full
scope and meaning. And so here, in this holy psalm, the
Jerusalem from above, the mother of us all, trains us to the
utterance of a song suitable to seasons of millennial glory,
when the Moloch of oppression, the Mammon of our avarice, the
Ashtaroth of fiery lust, every erring creed, every false
religion, shall have given place to the worship of the one true
and living God—to the faith and love of Christ. "Let the
peoples praise thee, O God; let all the peoples praise
thee." W.H. Gould, in "The Mission Hymn of the
Hebrew Church: a Sermon." 1865.
Whole Psalm. This psalm is entitled in the Septuagint,
"A Hymn of David; when the Temple was rebuilt after the
Captivity, " and this appears to be a true description
of it; for the substance of it is found in 1Ch 16:23-33, where
it is described as having been delivered by David into the hand
of Asaph and his brethren, to thank the Lord when the Ark was
brought up to Zion. David's Psalm here receives a new name, and
is called a new song (sir chadash), because new mercies
of God were now to be celebrated; mercies greater than David had
ever received, even when he brought the Ark to Zion. They who
now sang the old song, which had thus become a new song,
identified themselves with David, and identified him with
themselves. Chr. Wordsworth.
Whole Psalm. Subject.—Call to praise, in view of
Christ's second advent and glorious reign.—To apply it.—Look
forward to the glorious day of the Lord's coming; and realize
its approach that you may prepare for it. A. R. C. Dallas.
Verse 1. O sing unto the LORD a new song, etc.
"A new song, " unknown to you before. Come, all
ye nations of the wide earth, who, up to this hour, have been
giving your worship to dead gods that were no gods at all; come
and give your hearts to the true and only God in this new
song! Henry Cowles.
Verse 1. A new song. It must be "a new
canticle, "a beautiful canticle, and elegantly
composed; also a canticle for fresh favours: in like manner, a
canticle befitting men who have been regenerated, in whom
avarice has been supplanted by charity; and finally, a canticle
not like that of Moses, or Deborah, or any of the old canticles
that could not be sung outside the land of promise, according to
Ps 137:4; "How shall we sing the LORD'S song in a strange
land?" but a new canticle that may be sung all over the
world; and he, therefore, adds, Sing unto the LORD, all the
earth, not only Judea, but the whole world. Bellarmine.
Verse 1. New. The word is used to describe that
which is delightful, exquisite, precious, etc. Martin Geier.
Verse 1. New. New things are generally most
approved, and especially in songs; for Pindar praises old wine
and new songs. John Cocceius, 1603-1669.
Verse 1. A new song. Our old songs were those
of pride, of gluttony, of luxury, in hope of gain, prosperity,
or harm to others; our "new song" is of praise,
reverence, and obedience, and love to God, in newness of life,
in the Spirit that quickeneth, no longer in the letter that
killeth, but keepeth that new commandment, that we love one
another, not with the narrow patriotism and fellow feeling of a
small tribe, or a mere national church, but with a citizenship
which embraces all the whole earth. Neale and
Littledale.
Verse 1. Sing unto the LORD. We find it thrice
said, sing unto the Lord, that we may understand that we
are to sing unto Him with mind, and tongue, and deed. For all
these things must be joined together, and the life ought to
correspond with the mouth and mind. As Abbot Absalom says, When
the speech does not jar with the life, there is sweet harmony.
Le Blanc.
Verse 1. All the earth. It is a missionary
hymn for all ages of the church; and it becomes more and
more appropriate to our times in proportion as the heathen begin
to respond to the call, "Sing unto the Lord a new song,
"and in proportion as we find in the melancholy condition
of the church at home occasion to look with a hopeful eye
towards the heathen world. E. W. Hengstenberg.
Verse 2. From day to day. Continually; always.
It is a fit subject for unceasing praise. Every man should
praise God every day—on each returning morning, and on every
evening—for the assurance that there is a way of salvation
provided for him, and that he may be happy for ever. If we had
right feelings, this would be the first thought which would
burst upon the mind each morning, irradiating, as with sunbeams,
all around us; and it would be the last thought which would
linger in the soul as we lie down at night, and close our eyes
in slumber making us grateful, calm, happy, as we sink to rest,
for whether we wake or not in this world, we may be for ever
happy. Albert Barnes.
Verse 2. From day to day. Other news delights
us only at first hearing; but the good news of our redemption is
sweet from day to day, ac si in codera die redemptio fuisset
opereta, saith Kimchi here, as if it were done but today. Tam
recens mihi nunc Christus est, saith Luther, ac si hac
hora fudisset sanguinem, Christ is now as fresh unto me as
if he had shed his blood but this very hour. John Trapp.
Verse 3. Declare. The corresponding word is a book;and
the participle is often rendered a scribe, a writer. Ps 45:1.
The verb is rendered, tell, show forth, declare. The variety of
verbs used in Ps 96:1-3, proves that we are to employ all proper
means for making known the Saviour. One of these methods is by
writing. W. S. Plumer.
Verse 3. Declare his glory—what a glorious
person the Messiah is; the brightness of his Father's glory;
having all the perfections of Deity in him; how the glory of God
appears in him, and in all that he has done; and especially in
the work of redemption, in which the glory of divine wisdom,
power, justice, truth, and faithfulness, love, grace, and mercy,
is richly displayed; say what glory he is advanced unto, having
done his work, being highly exalted, set at the right hand of
God, and crowned with glory and honour, and what a fulness of
grace there is in him, for the supply of his people; and what a
glory is on him, which they shall behold to all eternity. John
Gill.
Verse 3. His glory shines from every ray of light that
reaches us from a thousand stars; it sparkles from the mountain
tops that reflect the earliest and retain the last rays of the
rising and the setting sun; it spreads over the expanse of the
sea, and speaks in the murmur of its restless waves; it girdles
the earth with a zone of light, and flings over it an aureole of
beauty. In the varied forms of animal tribes; in the relations
of our world to other worlds, in the revolutions of planets, in
the springing of flowers, in the fall of waters, and in the
flight of birds; in the sea, the rivers, and the air; in heights
and depths, in wonders and mysteries,—Christ wears the crown,
sways the sceptre, and receives from all a tribute to his
sovereignty. We cannot augment it; we cannot add one ray of
light to the faintness of a distant star nor give wings to an
apterous insect, nor change a white hair into black. We can
unfold, but not create; we can adore, but not increase; we can
recognise the footprints of Deity, but not add to them. John
Cumming in "From Patmos to Paradise, "1873.
Verse 3. Declare his glory among the heathen,
etc. It is a part of the commission given to the ministers of
the gospel, not only to teach their congregations concerning
Christ, but also to have a care that they who never did hear of
him, may know what he is, what he hath done and suffered, and
what good may be had by his mediation. Nothing so glorious to
God, nothing so wonderful in itself, as is the salvation of man
by Christ; to behold God saving his enemies by the incarnation,
sufferings, and obedience of Christ the eternal Son of God: Declare
his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people. David
Dickson.
Verse 3. Declare his glory. It is his
glory which should be proclaimed, not the learning, ability, and
eloquence of the orator who professes to speak for Him; it is
his glory, the loving beauty, the attractiveness of his
gospel, the lavish promises to repentant sinners, the
blessedness of heaven, which should be the chief themes of
discourse; not threats, menaces, sermons on hell or torment to
affright men, and at best make them God's trembling slaves, not
his loving friends. The preaching is to be unto all people,
in obscure country districts, amongst unpolished and illiterate
congregations, and not to be confined, as fashionable preachers
like to confine it, to the cultivated and critical audiences of
the capital. Hugo, quoted by Neale and Littledale.
Verse 3. His glory. What he had before called salvation,
he now names glory, and afterwards wonders. And
since this salvation, whereby the human race is redeemed from
eternal death and damnation, is glorious and full of wonders, it
is therefore worthy of admiration and praise. Mollerus.
Verse 3. His wonders. What a wonderful person
he is, for he is God manifest in the flesh; what wonderful love
he has shown in his incarnation, obedience, sufferings, and
death; what amazing miracles he wrought, and what a wonderful
work he performed; the work of our redemption, the wonder of men
and angels; declare his wonderful resurrection from the dead,
his ascension to heaven, sitting at the right hand of God, and
intercession for his people; the wonderful effusion of his
Spirit, and the conquests of his grace, and the enlargement of
his kingdom in the world; as also what wonders will be wrought
by him when he appears a second time; how the dead will be
raised and all will be judged. John Gill.
Verse 5. For all the gods of the nations are idols.
Nothings, nonentities, a favourite description of idols in
Isaiah's later prophecies. See eg Isa 41:24, and compare Le 19:4
26:1, 1Co 8:4-6 10:19. A less probable etymology of the Hebrew
word makes it a diminutive of (la) El, analogous to godlings
as an expression of contempt. J. A. Alexander.
Verse 5. The gods of the nations are idols.
Their Elohim are elilim. See 1Ch 16:26. The word elilim
occurs in two places in the Psalms, here and Ps 97:7. It is used
most frequently by Isaiah, and properly signifies nothings,
as St. Paul says, "an idol is nothing."
(1Co 8:4.) Chr. Wordsworth.
Verse 5. The Lord made the heavens. Ps 96:5 is
a notandum. What a tribute to astronomy is it that the Lord is
so often done homage to as having made the heavens! Let the
theology of nature be blended with the theology of
conscience—a full recognition of the strength and the glory
which shine palpably forth in the wonders of creation, with the
spiritual offerings of holy worship and holy service. Thomas
Chalmers.
Oh, if so much of beauty doth reveal
Itself in every vein of life and nature,
How beautiful must be the Source itself,
The Ever Bright One! Esaias Tegner, 1782-1847.
Verse 6. In his sanctuary. That is to say (1)
his ark, tabernacle, or temple, as many writers consider. Kimchi,
as quoted by Muis, suggests that where joy or beauty is
mentioned as being in his temple, it is set in opposition to the
perpetual grief of the Philistines when the ark was in their
cities. They saw the Lord's strength, but not his beauty. (2)
Others refer the word sanctuary to the church of Christ, which,
as Munster remarks, is adorned with heavenly ornaments, and was
typified by the magnificence of Solomon's temple. Certainly it
is in the church that the spiritual power and beauty of the Lord
are to be most clearly seen. (3) The passage may refer to
heaven, where the divine presence is more peculiarly manifest. C.
H. S.
Verse 7. Ye kindreds of the people. There is a
peculiar force, observes an early commentator Cassiodorus,
in this phrase, "kindreds of the people, "much
more than if we had the word "peoples" alone;
for in every nation there are at all times strangers, aliens,
sojourners abiding permanently or for a time, but not reckoned
among the natives; while the phrase here includes all such, and
provides that none shall be shut out because of his origin. Neale
and Littledale.
Verse 7. Ye kindreds of the people. He calls
upon them to come in kindreds or families, in allusion to the
Jewish custom of families coming by themselves, on the several
festival days to worship in Jerusalem; and the Holy Ghost gives
us here to understand that such custom was to serve as a model
for Christians, whose families should unite in coming to the
church to give glory and honour to God for all the wonderful
things he accomplished in the redemption of man; for it was not
by our own industry, or by our merits, that we have come to
grace, and to be the adopted children of God, but through God's
mercy, to whom, therefore, is due all honour and glory. Bellarmine.
Verse 8. Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his
name. It is a debt; and a debt, in equity, must be paid. The
honour due to his name is to acknowledge him to be holy, just,
true, powerful: "The Lord, the faithful God,
""good, merciful, long suffering, "etc. Defraud
not his name of the least honour. Adam Clarke.
Verse 8. Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his
name. Is all the glory due unto God's name, and ought it, in
strict justice, to have been ascribed unto him by men, ever
since man began to exist? How immeasurably great then is the
debt which our world has contracted, and under the burden of
which it now groans! During every day and every hour which has
elapsed since the apostasy of man, this debt has been
increasing; for every day and every hour all men ought to have
given unto Jehovah the glory which is due to his name. But no
man has ever done this fully. And a vast proportion of our race
have never done it at all. Now the difference between the
tribute which men ought to have paid to God and that which they
actually have paid constitutes the debt of which we are
speaking. How vast, then, how incalculable is it! Edward
Payson.
Verse 8. Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his
name. Every glory will not serve the turn, but such glory as
is proper and peculiar for that God we serve. It is a stated
rule in Scripture that, respects to God must be proportioned
to the nature of God. God is a spirit, therefore will
be worshipped in spirit and truth. God is a God of peace,
therefore lift up pure hands, without wrath and doubting.
God is a holy God, therefore will be sanctified.
They which worship the sun, among the heathens, they used a
flying horse, as a thing most suitable to the swift motion of
the sun. Well, then, they that will glorify and honour God with
a glory due to his name, must sanctify him as well as honour
him. Why? For "God is glorious in holiness, "Ex 15:11.
This is that which God counteth to be his chief excellency, and
the glory which he will manifest among the sons of men. Thomas
Minton.
Verse 8. Bring an offering. This is language
taken from the temple worship, and means that God is to be
worshipped, in the manner which he has prescribed, as a suitable
expression of his majesty. The word here rendered "offering"—hxkm,
minkhah—is that which is commonly used to denote a
bloodless offering, a thank offering. Albert Barnes.
Verse 9. In the beauty of holiness, or, in the
ornament of holiness, alluding to the splendid robes of eastern
worshippers. W. Wilson.
Verse 9. The beauty of holiness. Shall I call holiness
an attribute? Is it not rather the glorious combination of all
his attributes into one perfect whole? As all his attributes
proceed from the absolute, so all again converge and meet in
holiness. As from the insufferable white light of the Absolute
they all seem to diverge and separate into prismatic hues, so
they all seem again to converge and meet and combine in the
dazzling white radiance of his holiness. This, therefore, is
rather the intense whiteness, purity, clearness, the infinite
lustre and splendour of his perfect nature—like a gem without
flaw, without stain, and without colour. All of his attributes
are glorious, but in this we have a combination of all into a
still more glorious whole. It is for this reason that it is so
frequently in Scripture associated with the Divine beauty. The
poetic nature of the psalmist is exalted to ecstasy in
contemplation of the "beauty of holiness, "the "beauty
of the Lord." Beauty is a combination of elements
according to the laws of harmony; the more beautiful the parts
or elements, and the more perfect the harmonious combination,
the higher the beauty. How high and glorious, therefore, must be
the beauty of this attribute which is the perfect combination of
all his infinite perfections! You see, then, why this attribute
is awful to us. In the ideal man all the faculties and powers,
mental, moral, and bodily, work together in perfect harmony,
making sweet music—the image of God is clear and pure in the
human heart. But, alas! how far are we from the ideal! In the
actual man the purity is stained, the beauty is defaced, the
harmony is changed into jarring discord, "like sweet bells
jangled out of tune." How it came so, we are not now
inquiring. We all feel that it is so. Therefore is this
attribute so awful to us. It is the awfulness of absolute purity
in the presence of impurity; it is the awfulness of perfect
beauty in the presence of deformity; it is the awfulness of
honour in the presence of dishonour and shame; in one word, it
is the awfulness of holiness in the presence of sinfulness. How,
then, shall we approach him before whom angels bow and
archangels veil their faces—him in whose sight the white
radiance of heaven itself is stained with impurity? Joseph Le
Coute, in "Religion and Science, "1874.
Verse 9. The beauty of holiness. The religion
of the gospel of Christ is "the beauty of holiness,
"as it concerns its Author, its plan, its fruits.
First, As it concerns its Author. Whatever we can
understand as meant by beauty or holiness, we see in the
attributes of God, whether we consider them in all their
harmony, or contemplate any one of them in particular...
Secondly. As to its plan. Survey the gospel where we will, or
regard whatever we can that is revealed concerning it, we find
it to be all "beauty"; and we cannot call it by
a more appropriate name than "the beauty of
holiness." Thirdly, As to its fruits. There is a
holy separation, a beautiful character of holiness, a separation
as to character, feelings, and conduct; these are all the
various fruits of grace; and so the man becomes beautiful in
holiness. Leigh Richmond, 1772-1827.
Verse 10. Say among the heathen that the LORD
reigneth. This clause reads in the old Latin version,
"Tell it out among the heathen, that the Lord reigneth from
the tree." Justin Martyr accuses the Jews, that they
have erased the words "a ligno", apo xulou, which are
wanting in the original and in the Septuagint. Mrs. Charles
renders the verse thus:
"The truth that David learned to sing,
Its deep fulfilment here attains;
Tell all the earth the Lord is king!
Lo, from the cross, a King he reigns!"
--From "Christ in Song. Hymns of Immanuel, with Notes by
P. Schaff," 1870.
Verse 10. Say among the heathen that the LORD
reigneth. It is not enough to feel desire;we must
"say among the heathen, the Lord reigneth."
There is a commandment given us of the Lord to "go into all
the world, and preach the gospel to every creature"—to
tell them what Christ hath taught us—to say to them, in fact,
"The LORD reigneth." . . . We go among the heathen,
and say, "the Lord reigneth"—point them to all the
various objects in creation—to the stars of heaven, to
the beauties of vegetation, to the daily occurrences of providence,
to the body fearfully and wonderfully made, to its continual
preservation and supply. We may easily take our text from every
thing by which we are surrounded, and say, "The Lord
reigneth." But we must not stop here. It is well to have
right views of God as the Creator; but it is only as we view him
as the God of Redemption, that we can praise him "in
the beauty of holiness." Leigh Richmond.
Verse 10. Say among the heathen that the LORD
reigneth must be the Christian's as it was the Israelite's
motto. The earliest preaching of our Saviour and his disciples
was the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom. It was
because all power was given unto him in heaven and in earth,
that, after his resurrection from the dead, Jesus sent forth his
apostles to go and teach all nations. The substance of the
apostles' subsequent preaching was, confessedly, the kingdom
of God. J. F. Thrupp.
Verse 10. Say among the heathen. Go, ye that
are already become proselytes unto him, and publish everywhere,
in all countries, that the Lord Christ is the sovereign
of the world, who alone can make it happy: for he shall settle
those in peace that submit unto his government: and they shall
not be so disturbed as they were wont with wars and tumults: he
shall administer equal justice unto all: and neither suffer the
good to be unrewarded, nor the evil to escape unpunished. Symon
Patrick.
Verse 10. The world also, etc. The natural
world shall be established; the standing of the world, and its
stability, is owing to the mediation of Christ. Sin had given it
a shock, and still threatens it; but Christ, as redeemer,
upholds all things, and preserves the course of nature. The
world of mankind shall be established, shall be preserved, till
all that belong to the election of grace are called in, though a
guilty, provoking world. The Christian religion, as far as it is
embraced, shall establish states and kingdoms, and preserve good
order among men. The church in the world shall be established,
that it cannot be moved, for it is built upon a rock, and the
gates of hell shall never prevail against it; it is a
"kingdom that cannot be shaken." Matthew Henry.
Verse 10. It shall not be moved. When we learn
from the records of geology, as they are inscribed upon the
rocks, how numerous and thorough have been the revolutions of
the surface and the crust of the globe in past ages; how often
and how long the present dry land has been alternately above and
beneath the ocean; how frequently the crust of the globe has
been fractured, bent, and dislocated; now lifted upward, and now
thrown downward, and now folded by lateral pressure; how
frequently melted matter has been forced through its strata and
through its fissures to the surface; in short, how every
particle of the accessible portions of the globe has undergone
entire metamorphoses; and especially when we recollect what
strong evidence there is that oceans of liquid matter exist
beneath the solid crust, and that probably the whole interior of
the earth is in that condition, with expansive energy sufficient
to rend the globe into fragments; when we review all these
facts, we cannot but feel that the condition of the surface of
the globe must be one of great insecurity and liability to
change. But it is not so. On the contrary, the present state of
the globe is one of permanent uniformity and entire security,
except those comparatively slight catastrophes which result from
earthquakes, volcanoes, and local deluges. Even the climate has
experienced no general change within historic times, and the
profound mathematical researches of Baron Fourier have
demonstrated that, even though the internal parts of the globe
are in an incandescent state, beneath a crust thirty or forty
miles, the temperature of the surface has long since ceased to
be affected by the melted central mass; that it is not now more
than one seventeenth of a degree higher than it would be if the
interior were ice; and that hundreds of thousands of years will
not see it lowered, from this cause, more than the seventeenth
part of a degree. And as to the apprehension that the entire
crust of the globe may be broken through, and fall into the
melted matter beneath, just reflect what solidity and strength
there must be in a mass of hard rock from fifty to one hundred
miles in thickness, and your fears of such a catastrophe will
probably vanish. Now, such a uniformity of climate and security
from general ruin are essential to the comfort and existence of
animal nature. But it must have required infinite wisdom and
benevolence so to arrange and balance the mighty elements of
change and ruin which exist in the earth, that they should hold
one another in check, and make the world a quiet, unchanged, and
secure dwelling place for so many thousands of years. Surely
that wisdom must have been guided by infinite benevolence. Edward
Hitchcock, in "The Religion of Geology, "1851.
Verse 11. Let the heavens rejoice. As the whole
creation, both animate and inanimate, has groaned beneath the
weight of the curse, so shall the whole creation partake of the
great deliverance." The Speaker's Commentary, "1873.
Verse 11. Let the sea roar.
Thou paragon of elemental powers,
Mystery of waters—never slumbering sea!
Impassioned orator with lips sublime,
Whose waves are arguments which prove a God!
—Robert Montgomery, 1807-1855.
Verses 11-12. God will graciously accept the holy joys
and praises of all the hearty well wishers to the kingdom of
Christ, be their capacity never so mean. The sea can but roar,
and how the trees of the wood can show that they rejoice,
I know not; but "he that searcheth the heart, knows what is
the mind of the Spirit, " and understands the language, the
broken language of the weakest. Matthew Henry.
Verses 11-13. These verses are full of comprehensive
beauty and power. They present the gathering together of
everything under the confessed dominion of the reigning Christ.
Things in heaven, as well as things on earth, rejoice together
in the acknowledged blessing of the Lord of peace. The Psalm is
throughout a very sweet strain of millennial prophecy. Arthur
Pridham.
Verses 11-13. Nothing can excel that noble exultation
of universal nature in the 96th Psalm, which has been so often
commended, where the whole animate and inanimate creation unite
in the praises of their Maker. Poetry here seems to assume the
highest tone of triumph and exultation, and to revel, if I may
so express myself, in all the extravagance of joy. Robert
Lowth.
Verses 11-13. Although there are some who by heaven
understand angels;by the earth, men;by the sea,
troublesome spirits;by trees and fields, the Gentiles
who were to believe, yet this need not be thought strange,
because such prosopopaeias are frequent in Scripture. Adam
Clarke.
Verse 12. Let the fields be joyful, etc. Let
the husbandmen, and the shepherds, and all that dwell in the
fields leap for joy; and the woodmen and foresters shout for
joy, to see the happy day approaching; when all the idols that
are worshipped there shall be thrown down together with their
groves. Symon Patrick.
Verse 12. Rejoice. The verb wgr expresses the
vibratory motion, either of a dancer's feet, or of a singer's
lip. Samuel Horsley.
Verse 12. The trees of the wood.
His praise, ye winds, that from four quarters blow,
Breathe soft or loud; and wave your tops, ye Pines,
With every plant, in sign of worship wave. John Milton.
Verses 12-13. He cometh, etc.
It chanced upon the merry, merry Christmas eve,
I went sighing past the church across the moorland dreary—
"Oh! never sin and want and woe this earth will leave,
And the bells but mock the wailing round, they sing so cheery.
How long O Lord! how long before thou come again?
Still in cellar, and in garret, and on moorland dreary
The orphans moan, and widows weep, and poor men toil in vain,
Till earth is sick of hope deferred, though Christmas bells be
cheery."
Then arose a joyous clamour from the wild fowl on the mere,
Beneath the stars, across the snow, like clear bells ringing.
And a voice within cried. "Listen! Christmas carols even
here!
Though thou be dumb, yet over their work the stars and snows are
singing.
Blind! I live, I love, I reign: and all the nations through
With the thunder of my judgments even now are ringing;
Do thou fulfil thy work but as yon wild fowl do,
Thou wilt heed no less the wailing, yet hear through it angels
singing."
—Charles Kingsley, 1858.
Verse 13. For he cometh, for he cometh. Because
the thing was hard to be believed, the Prophet asserts twice
that God should come, that he should be Judge and King, and
Governor of all. Martinus Bucerus in Expos.
Ecclesiast.
Verse 13. He cometh. Not awby, "he
shall come; "but jpvl ab, "he cometh; "to
show how near the time is. It is almost daybreak, and the court
is ready to sit: "The Judge standeth at the door, "Jas
5:9. Thomas Watson.
Verse 13. To judge. Vatablus remarks that to
judge is the word used instead of to reign, judicare pro
regere, because judges in the early days of the Holy Land
exercised the power both of kings and magistrates. The Lord
comes to be to all nations a wiser judge than Samuel, a greater
champion than Samson, a mightier deliverer than Gideon. C. H.
S.
Verse 13. He cometh to judge the earth. That
is, to put earth in order, to be its Gideon and Samson, to be
its ruler, to fulfil all that the Book of Judges
delineates of a judge's office. It is, as Hengstenberg says,
"a gracious judging, "not a time of mere adjudication
of causes or pronouncing sentences—it is a day of jubilee. It
is the happiest day our world has ever seen. Who would not long
for it? Who is there that does not pray for it? It is the day of
the Judge's glory, as well as of our world's freedom—the day
when "the judgement of this world" (Joh 12:31
16:11), which his cross began and made sure, is completed by the
total suppression of Satan's reign, and the removal of the
curse. All this is anticipated here; and so we entitle this
Psalm, The glory due to him who cometh to judge the earth.
Andrew A. Bonar.
Verse 13. He cometh to judge the earth, etc. In
this new song they take up the words of Enoch, the seventh from
Adam (Jude 1:14), who preached of the Coming of the Lord to
judge the world. Chr. Wordsworth.
HINTS TO THE VILLAGE PREACHER
Verse 1. The novelties of grace.
1. A new salvation.
2. Creates a new heart.
3. Suggests a new song.
4. Secures new testimonies, and these,
5. Produce new converts.
Verses 1-3.
1. The end desired—to see the earth singing unto the Lord,
and blessing his name.
2. The means suggested—the showing forth his salvation from
day to day; declaring his glory, etc.
3. The certainly of its accomplishment. The Lord hath said
it. "O sing, "etc. When he commands earth must obey. G.
R.
Verses 1-3. The progress of zeal.
1. The spring of expansive desire, Ps 96:1.
2. The streamlet of practical daily effort, Ps 96:2.
3. The broad river of foreign missions, Ps 96:3. C. D.
Verses 1-9. We are to honour God.
1. With songs, Ps 96:1-2.
2. With sermons, Ps 96:3.
3. With religious services, Ps 96:7-9.
—Matthew Henry.
Verses 3 (first clause).
1. Declare among the heathen the glory of God's perfections,
that they may acknowledge him as the true God.
2. Declare the glory of his salvation, that they may accept
him as their only Redeemer.
3. Declare the glory of his providence, that they may confide
in him as their faithful guardian.
4. Declare the glory of his word, that they may prize it as
their chief treasure.
3. Declare the glory of his service, that they may choose it
as their noblest occupation.
4. Declare the glory of his residence, that they may seek it
as their best home. William Jackson.
Verse 3.
1. What the gospel is, "God's glory, ""his
wonders."
2. What shall we do with it—declare it.
3. To whom. "Among the heathen, "all people.
Verse 3 (last clause). His wonders among the
people.
1. The wonders of his Being, to inspire them with awe.
2. The wonders of his creation, to fill them with amazement.
3. The wonders of his judgments, to restrain them with fear.
4. The wonders of his grace, to allure them with love. W.
Jackson.
Verses 4-6. Missionary sermon.
1. Contrast Jehovah of the Bible with gods of human device.
2. Decide between divine worship and idolatry.
3. Appeal for effort on behalf of idolaters. C. D.
Verse 6. Honour and majesty are before him.
1. As emanations from him.
2. As excellencies ascribed to him.
3. As characteristics of what is done by him.
4. As marks of all that dwell near him. W. Jackson.
Verse 6 (latter clause).—What we may see in God's
sanctuary (strength, and beauty). What we may obtain there, Ps
90:17 (strength and beauty). C. D.
Verse 8. Jehovah possesses a nature and character
peculiar to himself; he sustains various offices and relations,
and he has performed many works which he alone could perform. On
all these accounts something is due to him from his creatures.
And when we regard him with such affections, and yield him such
services, as his nature, character, offices, and works deserve,
then we give unto him the glory which is due to his name.
1. Let us inquire what is due to Jehovah on account of his
nature.
2. What is due to Jehovah on account of the character he
possesses.
3. What is due to God on account of the relations and offices
which he sustains—that of a creator, preserver.
4. What is due to Jehovah on account of the works which he
has performed, in nature, providence and redemption. E.
Payson.
Verse 8. The object of worship. The nature of worship.
The accompaniment of worship (an offering). The place of
worship. C. D..
Verse 9. (first clause). An examination of true and
false worship.
1. False worship, in the obscurity of ignorance, in the
dulness of formalism, in the offensiveness of indulged sin, in
the hideousness of hypocrisy.
2. True worship, in the beauty of holiness. C. D.
Verse 9. Holy fear an essential ingredient in true
religion.
Verses 10-13. The reign of righteousness.
1. The announcement of a righteous king and judge.
2. The joyful reception prepared for him.
3. His glorious coming. C. D.
Verses 11-12. The sympathy of nature with the work of
grace; especially dwelling upon its fuller display in the
millennial period.