Every verse here opens — tap a number for what that one means.
1O 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.
2The LORD hath made known his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen.
3He 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.
4Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.
5Sing unto the LORD with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm.
6With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the LORD, the King.
7Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
8Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together
9Before the LORD; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.
Commentary
Psalm 98, explained
What Psalm 98 is saying
A jubilant new song psalm closely paralleling Psalm 96, Psalm 98 celebrates God's salvation as a public, cosmic event. His right hand and holy arm have won the victory; He has revealed His righteousness before the nations. The psalm summons an ever-expanding orchestra of praise—singing, harp, trumpets, horns—before the rivers clap their hands and mountains sing together. God comes to judge the earth with equity.
The background behind it
The psalm's salvation language echoes Second Isaiah (Isaiah 52:10—'The LORD has bared His holy arm in the sight of all nations'). This connection suggests either post-exilic composition celebrating the return from Babylon or the use of exodus-redemption language for ongoing liturgical celebration.
Themes running underneath
The psalm's theology insists that God's saving acts are inherently public—He has 'made His salvation known' and 'revealed His righteousness in the sight of the nations.' Divine faithfulness to Israel becomes universal testimony. The personification of rivers and mountains praising God envisions cosmic worship that transcends human limits.
Why it still matters
Psalm 98 challenges privatized faith by declaring that God's saving work demands public celebration. It also affirms that the natural world participates in worship, grounding environmental care in theological conviction.
Scripture text: King James Version — public domain.