Psalm 96

Psa 96:1

HISTORICAL SETTING: The mighty "Theophany" in Hezekiah's reign.

V 1: Cp Psa 33:3; 40:3; 98:1; 144:9; 149:1; Isa 42:10. This v matches Isa 38:20. Note also the marked similarities between Psa 96 and Isa 42:10-12 (and v 9 suggests that the great divine deliverance will have its greater future counterpart).

A NEW SONG: (NT) The song of the 144,000 (Rev 14:1-3), the new song of a New Creation.

ALL THE EARTH: "All the Land!": Hezekiah's appeal to all 12 tribes.

Psa 96:4

Vv 4,5: Scornful expressions about idols, because the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem was essentially a challenge to Jehovah by the "gods" of Nineveh (Isa 36; 37). The outcome was foreordained: Jehovah is to be feared above all gods.

Psa 96:5

FOR ALL THE GODS OF THE NATIONS ARE IDOLS: There is a marvelous play on words here: "gods"/"idols" = elohim/elilim. Elilim is a pun and parody on Elohim; the word means "worthless" or "useless" (Job 13:4; Jer 14:14, sw). So Paul writes that "an idol is nothing" (1Co 8:4). Psa 96:13 is cited by Paul on Mars' Hill (Act 17:31). There the main thrust of his discourse was to undermine the supposed authority of the many idols in Athens -- so this psalm (and esp v 5 here) would naturally come to mind.

THE LORD MADE THE HEAVENS: That is, even the sun, moon and stars which the heathen invaders worshiped. Not only was He greater than the other "gods"; He MADE the other "gods"! And He "will make" the "heavens"!: see Isa. 65:17,18; cp Isa 51:16; 66:20,22; Rev 3:12; 21:2,10; Heb 12:22,23; 2Pe 2:13.

Psa 96:8

ASCRIBE TO THE LORD THE GLORY DUE HIS NAME: "To divest ourselves of all pride of achievement and to humble ourselves before the Father is a prerequisite to worshipping Him; for this ought to be our first reason for praying to Him. The scientists who unravel some of the secrets of the molecule and the genes; the astronomer who peers out into frighteningly vast space; and the astronauts who photograph the beauties of nature's colours on earth, all proclaim the wondrous and mighty works of God. They unfold for us a multitude of reasons for our humble worship of the Father and the Psalms must often put into words for us what we feel about His Majesty" (TNL 94).

Psa 96:10

SAY AMONG THE NATIONS, 'THE LORD REIGNS’: The destruction of Sennacherib's army made a mighty impact on surrounding nations (2Ch 32:23). And they had good reason to rejoice (v 11) when the threat of Assyrian domination was swept away (cp Psa 67:2,7; 76:11,12).

Psa 96:11

LET THE HEAVENS REJOICE, LET THE EARTH BE GLAD: In Heb, this reads something like: Yismehu Hashshamayim Wethagel Ha'arez ("Rejoice, heavens; be glad, the earth"). The Massoretes have pointed out that the first letters of these four words form the Tetragrammaton YHWH. Not counting this v, the Covenant Name occurs 11 times in Psa 96 (vv 1,1,2,4,5,7,7,8,9,10,13); counting it, the Name occurs a much more satisfying 12 times!

LET THE SEA RESOUND, AND ALL THAT IS IN IT: Cp Psa 98:7-9, but altogether at variance -- as a figure of speech -- with the more common usage of Psa 93:3,4; 46:3; Isa 5:30; 57:20; Jer 50:42; and Luk 21:25. Here (and in Psa 98) the roaring sea is a picture of great rejoicing, but elsewhere it is a picture of turmoil and war and revolution.

Psa 96:12

This figurative language is almost literal -- the God-given fruitfulness of the Year of Jubilee which God had promised to the wasted Land (Isa 35:1,6,7; 41:18; 43:19; 44:23; 55:12,13; cp Psa 67:6; 81:16; 85:12; 107:35-38; 147:8,9).

Psa 96:13

HE COMES, HE COMES: The repetition (as of "sing" in v 1) suggests a second -- and greater -- fulfillment. The repetition also suggests an eager expectation -- a stretching out, or longing (of the new "Creation") -- for the coming redemption (Rom 8:22). Note the same urgent, almost breathless repetition of "Come" in Rev 22:17,20.

HE WILL JUDGE THE WORLD IN RIGHTEOUSNESS: Quoted by Paul on Mars' Hill (Act 17:31). But those "clever" Athenians would not even be able to recognize the quotation!

TO JUDGE THE EARTH: Very evident in the great destruction of the 185,000 troops in Isa 37:36.