Psalms / Chapter 98

Psalms 98

9 verses • Westminster Leningrad Codex

Translator's Introduction

What This Chapter Is About

Psalm 98 is a 'new song' psalm celebrating God's saving acts, which he has made visible to all nations. It summons the whole earth to shout, sing, and play instruments before the LORD, then calls the natural world — sea, rivers, mountains — to join the praise because God is coming to judge the earth. The superscription simply reads mizmor ('a psalm').

What Makes This Chapter Remarkable

Psalm 98 is the twin of Psalm 96 — they share vocabulary, structure, and theology — yet each has its own emphasis. Where Psalm 96 focuses on declaring God's glory among the nations, Psalm 98 focuses on what God has revealed: his yeshu'ah ('salvation'), his tsedaqah ('righteousness'), his chesed ('faithful love'), and his emunah ('faithfulness') toward Israel — all of which the nations have witnessed. The remarkable claim is that God's faithfulness to Israel is itself evidence intended for the watching world. Israel's particular salvation has universal significance. The closing verses (7-9) are nearly identical to Psalm 96:11-13, creating a liturgical echo: the creation's joyful response to God's coming judgment is a recurring chorus in Israel's worship, not a one-time poetic flourish.

Translation Friction

The phrase hodia ('he has made known') in verse 2 raises a question: made known to whom? The answer is le-einei ha-goyim ('before the eyes of the nations'). God's acts of salvation for Israel were performed on a public stage — the exodus, the return from exile, every act of deliverance — and the audience was always wider than Israel. This means Israel's history is not private but pedagogical: God teaches the world through what he does for his people. The 'new song' of verse 1 may refer to a specific deliverance (perhaps the return from Babylonian exile) or may be eschatological — a song for the final salvation.

Connections

The 'new song' command connects to Psalms 33:3, 40:3, 96:1, 144:9, 149:1, and Isaiah 42:10. The four divine attributes in verses 2-3 (salvation, righteousness, faithful love, faithfulness) form a cluster that appears in Psalm 36:5-6, 89:1-2, and Isaiah 59:16-17. The cosmic praise of verses 7-9 parallels Psalm 96:11-13 and Isaiah 55:12. The 'right hand and holy arm' of verse 1 echoes Isaiah 52:10 and Exodus 15:6. Isaac Watts famously paraphrased this psalm as 'Joy to the World,' making it one of the most widely known psalms in Western culture.

Psalms 98:1

מִזְמ֡וֹר שִׁ֤ירוּ לַיהוָ֨ה ׀ שִׁ֣יר חָ֭דָשׁ כִּֽי־נִפְלָא֣וֹת עָשָׂ֑ה הוֹשִֽׁיעָה־לּ֥וֹ יְ֝מִינ֗וֹ וּזְר֥וֹעַ קׇדְשֽׁוֹ׃

A psalm. Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done wonders! His right hand and his holy arm have won him victory.

KJV 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.

Notes & Key Terms 1 term

Key Terms

נִפְלָאוֹת nifla'ot
"wonders" — wonders, marvelous deeds, extraordinary acts, things beyond comprehension

nifla'ot (feminine plural of nifla, niphal participle of pala, 'to be extraordinary, beyond ability') describes acts that exceed normal human capability — they can only be divine. The word is used for the plagues in Egypt (Exodus 3:20), for creation itself (Psalm 139:14), and for God's ongoing interventions in history. The 'wonders' are not magic tricks but revelations of divine character through action.

Translator Notes

  1. The phrase hoshi'ah lo ('has saved for himself') is unusual — God's salvation benefits Israel, but the victory belongs to God. Isaiah 59:16 uses the same image: 'His own arm brought him salvation.' The right hand and holy arm together echo Exodus 15:6 ('Your right hand, O LORD, glorious in power') and Isaiah 52:10 ('The LORD has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations').
Psalms 98:2

הוֹדִ֣יעַ יְ֭הוָה יְשׁוּעָת֑וֹ לְעֵינֵ֥י הַ֝גּוֹיִ֗ם גִּלָּ֥ה צִדְקָתֽוֹ׃

The LORD has made his salvation known; before the eyes of the nations he has revealed his righteousness.

KJV The LORD hath made known his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen.

Notes & Key Terms 1 term

Key Terms

צִדְקָה tsedaqah
"righteousness" — righteousness, justice, righteous action, vindication, deliverance

tsedaqah in this context is nearly synonymous with yeshu'ah ('salvation'). When God acts in tsedaqah, he is putting things right — vindicating the oppressed, fulfilling promises, restoring what was broken. The parallel structure (salvation / righteousness) shows that God's saving acts are themselves acts of righteousness: saving Israel is the right thing to do because God promised to do it.

Translator Notes

  1. Two verbs of disclosure: hodia ('he has made known') and gillah ('he has revealed, uncovered'). Both suggest something previously hidden now brought to light. God's yeshu'ato ('his salvation') and tsidqato ('his righteousness') were always real but are now publicly visible. The audience is le-einei ha-goyim ('before the eyes of the nations') — God's saving acts for Israel are performed on a world stage. The nations are not incidental bystanders but intended witnesses.
Psalms 98:3

זָ֘כַ֤ר חַסְדּ֨וֹ ׀ וֶ֥אֱמ֘וּנָת֢וֹ לְבֵ֢ית יִשְׂ֫רָאֵ֥ל רָא֥וּ כׇל־אַפְסֵי־אָ֑רֶץ אֵ֝֗ת יְשׁוּעַ֥ת אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ׃

He has remembered his faithful love and his faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

KJV He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. This verse is one of the most concise statements of the relationship between Israel's particular election and God's universal purpose. God remembers his love for Israel, acts to save Israel, and the whole world sees it. Israel's story is not private but revelatory — through it, the nations learn who God is.
Psalms 98:4

הָרִ֣יעוּ לַ֭יהוָה כׇּל־הָאָ֑רֶץ פִּצְח֖וּ וְרַנְּנ֣וּ וְזַמֵּֽרוּ׃

Shout to the LORD, all the earth! Burst into song, sing for joy, make music!

KJV Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Four imperatives pile up: hari'u ('shout,' the acclamation cry), pitschu ('burst out,' the spontaneous eruption of song), ranenu ('sing for joy,' the piercing cry of exultation), and zammeru ('make music,' the instrumental accompaniment). The escalation builds from a single shout to a full orchestral celebration. The addressee is again kol ha-arets ('all the earth') — this is worship on a planetary scale.
Psalms 98:5

זַמְּר֣וּ לַיהוָ֣ה בְּכִנּ֑וֹר בְּ֝כִנּ֗וֹר וְק֣וֹל זִמְרָֽה׃

Make music to the LORD with the lyre — with the lyre and the sound of melody!

KJV Sing unto the LORD with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The kinnor ('lyre') is mentioned twice for emphasis — it was the primary instrument of temple worship, the instrument David played. The qol zimrah ('sound of melody, voice of song') may refer to the human voice singing alongside the instrument, creating a blend of vocal and instrumental worship.
Psalms 98:6

בַּ֭חֲצֹ֣צְרוֹת וְק֣וֹל שׁוֹפָ֑ר הָ֝רִ֗יעוּ לִפְנֵ֤י ׀ הַמֶּ֬לֶךְ יְהוָֽה׃

With trumpets and the sound of the ram's horn, shout before the king — the LORD!

KJV With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the LORD, the King.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The chatsotsrot ('trumpets,' metal instruments blown by priests) and shofar ('ram's horn') together create the full fanfare of Israelite worship. The shofar was blown at coronations, at the new year, and at moments of divine visitation. The title ha-melekh YHWH ('the king, the LORD') makes explicit what the enthronement psalms have been declaring: this is royal worship for a reigning sovereign.
Psalms 98:7

יִרְעַ֣ם הַ֭יָּם וּמְלֹא֑וֹ תֵּ֝בֵ֗ל וְיֹ֣שְׁבֵי בָֽהּ׃

Let the sea roar, and all that fills it — the world and all who dwell in it!

KJV Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The cosmic praise section begins, closely paralleling Psalm 96:11-12. The sea (hayyam) is summoned first — the same waters that in Psalm 93 crashed against God's throne now roar in celebration. The tevel ve-yoshvei vah ('the world and those who dwell in it') brings humanity into the cosmic choir alongside the natural world.
Psalms 98:8

נְהָר֥וֹת יִמְחֲאוּ־כָ֑ף יַ֝֗חַד הָרִ֥ים יְרַנֵּֽנוּ׃

Let the rivers clap their hands; let the mountains sing for joy together

KJV Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The neharot ('rivers') clapping and the harim ('mountains') singing are among the most vivid personifications in the Psalter. The verb yimcha'u kaf ('they clap their hands') pictures the rhythmic slapping of waves against riverbanks as applause. The mountains singing yachad ('together, in unison') suggests harmony — the entire landscape joining in a chorus. This is not mere poetic decoration but theological conviction: the non-human creation has a voice and a stake in God's reign.
Psalms 98:9

לִפְנֵ֣י יְ֭הוָה כִּ֣י בָ֣א לִשְׁפֹּ֣ט הָאָ֑רֶץ יִשְׁפֹּֽט־תֵּבֵ֥ל בְּ֝צֶ֗דֶק וְעַמִּ֥ים בְּמֵישָׁרִֽים׃

before the LORD, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness and the peoples with equity.

KJV Before the LORD; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The closing verse nearly matches Psalm 96:13, with one notable difference: Psalm 96:13 says God will judge with tsedeq and emunah ('righteousness and faithfulness'), while Psalm 98:9 says tsedeq and meisharim ('righteousness and equity'). Both affirm that God's judgment is characterized by moral integrity and fairness. The substitution of meisharim ('equity, evenness') for emunah ('faithfulness') emphasizes the impartiality of God's judgment — he will judge on a level playing field, with no favoritism for the powerful.
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