Psalms 96:1-8

Psalm 96 ¹ 

96:1 Sing to the Lord a new song! ² 

Sing to the Lord, all the earth!

96:2 Sing to the Lord! Praise his name!

Announce every day how he delivers! ³ 

96:3 Tell the nations about his splendor!

Tell ⁴  all the nations about his amazing deeds!

96:4 For the Lord is great and certainly worthy of praise;

he is more awesome than all gods. ⁵ 

96:5 For all the gods of the nations are worthless, ⁶ 

but the Lord made the sky.

96:6 Majestic splendor emanates from him; ⁷ 

his sanctuary is firmly established and beautiful. ⁸ 

96:7 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the nations,

ascribe to the Lord splendor and strength!

96:8 Ascribe to the Lord the splendor he deserves! ⁹ 

Bring an offering and enter his courts!

[96:1]  ¹ sn Psalm 96. The psalmist summons everyone to praise the Lord, the sovereign creator of the world who preserves and promotes justice in the earth.

[96:1]  ² sn A new song is appropriate because the Lord is constantly intervening in the world as its just king. See also Pss 33:3; 40:3; 98:1.

[96:2]  ³ tn Heb “announce from day to day his deliverance.”

[96:3]  ⁴ tn The verb “tell” is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).

[96:4]  ⁵ tn Or perhaps “and feared by all gods.” See Ps 89:7.

[96:5]  ⁶ tn The Hebrew term אֱלִילִים (’elilim, “worthless”) sounds like אֱלֹהִים (’elohim, “gods”). The sound play draws attention to the statement.

[96:6]  ⁷ tn Heb “majesty and splendor [are] before him.”

[96:6]  ⁸ tn Heb “strength and beauty [are] in his sanctuary.”

[96:8]  ⁹ tn Heb “the splendor of [i.e., “due”] his name.”