Sing a New Song
Psalm 98 summary: what it means
Psalm 98 is a call to sing. It opens by asking for a new song to the LORD because he has done marvelous things, working salvation with his right hand and holy arm. That salvation has been shown openly in the sight of the nations, and all the ends of the earth have seen it. The psalm then widens its choir step by step: first the whole earth, then harp and voice, then trumpets and ram's horn.
In the last verses the choir goes beyond people. The sea roars, the rivers clap their hands and the mountains sing together. The reason comes in the final line: the LORD comes to judge the earth, and he will judge the world with righteousness and the peoples with equity. Judgment here is something creation celebrates.
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Psalm 98: Sing a New Song
World English Bible, public domain. allpsalms.com/psalm-98
Psalm 98 commentary: explained verse by verse
Sing to the LORD a new song,for he has done marvelous things!His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.
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.
The psalm calls for a new song because the LORD has done marvelous things. His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation. New acts call for new words of praise.
Also read Psalm 96:3, Luke 2:10-14, John 16:33, Isaiah 63:5
The LORD has made known his salvation.He has openly shown his righteousness in the sight of the nations.
The LORD hath made known his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen.
The LORD has made his salvation known and shown his righteousness openly in the sight of the nations. It was not done in secret. That public quality is the ground for the call in verse 4.
Also read Isaiah 46:13, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Isaiah 62:2, Romans 10:18
He has remembered his loving kindness and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel.All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
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.
God remembered his loving kindness and faithfulness toward the house of Israel. What he did for Israel was seen by all the ends of the earth. The verse joins a promise kept to one people with a sight shared by everyone.
Also read Micah 7:20, Isaiah 49:6, Romans 10:12, Romans 15:8-9
Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!Burst out and sing for joy, yes, sing praises!
Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.
The call goes out to all the earth: make a joyful noise, burst out and sing for joy, sing praises. The verbs pile up. The praise is meant to be loud.
Also read Psalm 66:1, Jeremiah 33:11, Matthew 21:9, Isaiah 12:6
Sing praises to the LORD with the harp,with the harp and the voice of melody.
Sing unto the LORD with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm.
The harp and the voice of melody are added. After the noise of verse 4, this is the sound of music being made.
Also read Isaiah 51:3, Psalm 33:2, Revelation 5:8, 2 Chronicles 29:25
With trumpets and sound of the ram’s horn,make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD.
With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the LORD, the King.
Trumpets and the ram's horn join in, before the King, the LORD. Both are loud instruments. God is named here as King.
Also read 2 Chronicles 29:27, 2 Chronicles 15:14, 1 Chronicles 15:28, Psalm 47:5-7
Let the sea roar with its fullness;the world, and those who dwell therein.
Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
The sea is told to roar with its fullness, and the world and those who live in it with it. The choir now includes creation itself.
Also read Isaiah 61:11, Psalm 96:11-1, Isaiah 49:13, Psalm 24:1
Let the rivers clap their hands.Let the mountains sing for joy together.
Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together
The rivers clap their hands and the mountains sing for joy together. It is a vivid picture of the natural world joining the praise. Water and land are given human gestures.
Also read Psalm 93:3, Isaiah 55:12, Psalm 65:12-13, Psalm 47:1
Let them sing before the LORD,for he comes to judge the earth.He will judge the world with righteousness,and the peoples with equity.
Before the LORD; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.
This is the reason for all the singing: the LORD comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness and the peoples with equity. The coming judgment is treated as good news, because it will be fair.
Also read Psalm 72:2, Psalm 67:4, Acts 24:25, Romans 2:5-6
A prayer from Psalm 98
LORD, I sing you a new song, for you have done marvelous things. Your right hand and your holy arm have worked salvation. You have remembered your loving kindness and your faithfulness, and the ends of the earth have seen it. I join the joyful noise with harp and voice, with trumpets and the sound of the ram's horn. Let the sea roar, let the rivers clap their hands, and let the mountains sing for joy together before you, for you come to judge the world with righteousness and the peoples with equity. Amen.
Psalm 98 Bible study questions
- In verse 1, what have the LORD's right hand and holy arm done?
- In verses 5 and 6, which instruments are named for praising the King?
- Verse 8 pictures rivers clapping and mountains singing; what does it add when creation joins human praise?
- Verse 3 speaks of God remembering his loving kindness; what do you think it means for God to remember?
- Psalm 96:1 opens with the same call to sing a new song; how are Psalm 96 and Psalm 98 alike and different?
Questions about Psalm 98
What is the meaning of Psalm 98?
It calls all the earth, and even the sea, rivers and mountains, to sing a new song to the LORD for his salvation and because he comes to judge the world with righteousness and equity.
Who wrote Psalm 98?
The author is not named. The heading says only A Psalm.
What does all the ends of the earth mean in Psalm 98?
Verse 3 says all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. It means God's saving acts for Israel were visible to every nation.
What does Psalm 98:9 mean?
It gives the reason for the song: the LORD comes to judge the earth with righteousness and the peoples with equity. His judgment is presented as something to celebrate.
What does Psalm 98:8 mean?
It pictures rivers clapping their hands and mountains singing for joy together. The whole created world is shown joining in the praise.
What does Psalm 98:6 say?
It calls for trumpets and the sound of the ram's horn to make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD.
Psalm 98 KJV: the King James Version
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.1
The LORD hath made known his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen.2
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.3
Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.4
Sing unto the LORD with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm.5
With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the LORD, the King.6
Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.7
Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together8
Before the LORD; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.9
Psalm 98 in Hebrew
The Hebrew text from the Westminster Leningrad Codex, public domain. Verse numbers follow the Hebrew Bible, which counts a psalm's heading as verse 1, so they can run one ahead of English Bibles.
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1 מִזְמ֡וֹר שִׁ֤ירוּ לַֽיהוָ֨ה ׀ שִׁ֣יר חָ֭דָשׁ כִּֽי־נִפְלָא֣וֹת עָשָׂ֑ה הוֹשִֽׁיעָה־לּ֥וֹ יְ֝מִינ֗וֹ וּזְר֥וֹעַ קָדְשֽׁוֹ׃
2 הוֹדִ֣יעַ יְ֭הוָה יְשׁוּעָת֑וֹ לְעֵינֵ֥י הַ֝גּוֹיִ֗ם גִּלָּ֥ה צִדְקָתֽוֹ׃
3 זָ֘כַ֤ר חַסְדּ֨וֹ ׀ וֶֽאֱֽמוּנָתוֹ֮ לְבֵ֪ית יִשְׂרָ֫אֵ֥ל רָא֥וּ כָל־אַפְסֵי־אָ֑רֶץ אֵ֝֗ת יְשׁוּעַ֥ת אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ׃
4 הָרִ֣יעוּ לַֽ֭יהוָה כָּל־הָאָ֑רֶץ פִּצְח֖וּ וְרַנְּנ֣וּ וְזַמֵּֽרוּ׃
5 זַמְּר֣וּ לַיהוָ֣ה בְּכִנּ֑וֹר בְּ֝כִנּ֗וֹר וְק֣וֹל זִמְרָֽה׃
6 בַּ֭חֲצֹ֣צְרוֹת וְק֣וֹל שׁוֹפָ֑ר הָ֝רִ֗יעוּ לִפְנֵ֤י ׀ הַמֶּ֬לֶךְ יְהוָֽה׃
7 יִרְעַ֣ם הַ֭יָּם וּמְלֹא֑וֹ תֵּ֝בֵ֗ל וְיֹ֣שְׁבֵי בָֽהּ׃
8 נְהָר֥וֹת יִמְחֲאוּ־כָ֑ף יַ֝֗חַד הָרִ֥ים יְרַנֵּֽנוּ׃
9 לִֽפְֽנֵי־יְהוָ֗ה כִּ֥י בָא֮ לִשְׁפֹּ֪ט הָ֫אָ֥רֶץ יִשְׁפֹּֽט־תֵּבֵ֥ל בְּצֶ֑דֶק וְ֝עַמִּ֗ים בְּמֵישָׁרִֽים׃
Psalm 98 in the Catholic Douay-Rheims Bible
The Douay-Rheims Bible, 1899 edition, public domain. It follows the Greek and Latin numbering, so this psalm is Psalm 97 there.
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1 A psalm for David himself. Sing ye to the Lord anew canticle: because he hath done wonderful things. His right hand hath wrought for him salvation, and his arm is holy.
2 The Lord hath made known his salvation: he hath revealed his justice in the sight of the Gentiles.
3 He hath remembered his mercy his truth toward the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
4 Sing joyfully to God, all the earth; make melody, rejoice and sing.
5 Sing praise to the Lord on the harp, on the harp, and with the voice of a psalm:
6 With long trumpets, and sound of comet. Make a joyful noise before the Lord our king:
7 Let the sea be moved and the fulness thereof: the world and they that dwell therein.
8 The rivers shall clap their hands, the mountains shall rejoice together
9 At the presence of the Lord: because he cometh to judge the earth. He shall judge the world with justice, and the people with equity.
Psalm 98 in Latin
The Clementine Vulgate, public domain, where this psalm is Psalm 97.
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1 Psalmus ipsi David. Cantate Domino canticum novum, quia mirabilia fecit. Salvavit sibi dextera ejus, et brachium sanctum ejus.
2 Notum fecit Dominus salutare suum; in conspectu gentium revelavit justitiam suam.
3 Recordatus est misericordiæ suæ, et veritatis suæ domui Israël. Viderunt omnes termini terræ salutare Dei nostri.
4 Jubilate Deo, omnis terra; cantate, et exsultate, et psallite.
5 Psallite Domino in cithara; in cithara et voce psalmi;
6 in tubis ductilibus, et voce tubæ corneæ. Jubilate in conspectu regis Domini:
7 moveatur mare, et plenitudo ejus; orbis terrarum, et qui habitant in eo.
8 Flumina plaudent manu; simul montes exsultabunt
9 a conspectu Domini: quoniam venit judicare terram. Judicabit orbem terrarum in justitia, et populos in æquitate.
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Psalm 98 at a glance
| Verses | 9 |
| Heading in the text | A Psalm. |
| Attributed to | The heading says only A Psalm. No author is named in the text. |
| Type | Praise |
| Number in Greek and Latin Bibles | Psalm 97 |
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Psalm 98 in other translations
This page prints the World English Bible and the King James Version because both are public domain. The NIV, ESV, NKJV, NLT and NASB are under copyright, so they cannot be printed in full here. You can read Psalm 98 in those translations at Bible Gateway.
Where Psalm 98 belongs
How this page was made
The psalm text comes from public domain translations and is not edited. The summary, the verse notes and the answers are written for this page from the text of the psalm itself. Where a claim goes beyond the text, it is sourced below.
Sources
- Text: World English Bible and King James Version, both public domain, from ebible.org source
- Hebrew text: Westminster Leningrad Codex, public domain, from ebible.org source
- Douay-Rheims: Douay-Rheims Bible, 1899 edition, public domain, from ebible.org source
- Latin text: Clementine Vulgate, public domain, from ebible.org source
- Numbering: Greek and Latin psalm numbering, Wikipedia, Psalms source