Text -- Psalms 98:1-9 (NET)

Psalm 98

98:1 A psalm. Sing to the Lord a new song, for he performs amazing deeds! His right hand and his mighty arm accomplish deliverance. 98:2 The Lord demonstrates his power to deliver; in the sight of the nations he reveals his justice. 98:3 He remains loyal and faithful to the family of Israel. All the ends of the earth see our God deliver us. 98:4 Shout out praises to the Lord, all the earth! Break out in a joyful shout and sing! 98:5 Sing to the Lord accompanied by a harp, accompanied by a harp and the sound of music! 98:6 With trumpets and the blaring of the ram’s horn, shout out praises before the king, the Lord! 98:7 Let the sea and everything in it shout, along with the world and those who live in it! 98:8 Let the rivers clap their hands! Let the mountains sing in unison 98:9 before the Lord! For he comes to judge the earth! He judges the world fairly, and the nations in a just manner.

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: Psa 98:1

¹ sn Psalm 98. The psalmist summons the whole earth to praise God because he reveals his justice and delivers Israel.

² sn A new song is appropriate because the Lord is constantly intervening in the world as its just king. See Ps 96:1.

³ tn The perfect verbal forms in vv. 1-3 are understood here as describing characteristic divine activities. Another option is to translate them as present perfects, “has performed…has accomplished deliverance, etc.” referring to completed actions that have continuing results.

⁴ tn Heb “his right hand delivers for him and his holy arm.” The right hand and arm symbolize his power as a warrior-king (see Isa 52:10). His arm is “holy” in the sense that it is in a category of its own; God’s power is incomparable.

NET Notes: Psa 98:2

¹ tn Heb “makes known his deliverance.”

NET Notes: Psa 98:3

¹ tn Heb “he remembers his loyal love and his faithfulness to the house of Israel.”

² tn Heb “the deliverance of our God,” with “God” being a subjective genitive (= God delivers).

NET Notes: Psa 98:9

¹ tn The verbal forms in v. 9 probably describe God’s typical, characteristic behavior, though they may depict in dramatic fashion the outworking of divine judgment or anticipate a future judgment of worldwide proportions (“will judge…”).