Psalms 96 (WEB)

Chapter Text

96:1 Sing to Yahweh a new song! Sing to Yahweh, all the earth.

96:2 Sing to Yahweh! Bless his name! Proclaim his salvation from day to day!

96:3 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples.

96:4 For great is Yahweh, and greatly to be praised! He is to be feared above all gods.

96:5 For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but Yahweh made the heavens.

96:6 Honor and majesty are before him. Strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

96:7 Ascribe to Yahweh, you families of nations, ascribe to Yahweh glory and strength.

96:8 Ascribe to Yahweh the glory due to his name. Bring an offering, and come into his courts.

96:9 Worship Yahweh in holy array. Tremble before him, all the earth.

96:10 Say among the nations, “Yahweh reigns.” The world is also established. It can’t be moved. He will judge the peoples with equity.

96:11 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice. Let the sea roar, and its fullness!

96:12 Let the field and all that is in it exult! Then all the trees of the woods shall sing for joy

96:13 before Yahweh; for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, the peoples with his truth.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "world", "sing", "yahweh", "song", and "earth". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "world" and "sing", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The local WEB text gives this verse as the immediate unit, so "world" and "sing" carries the first interpretive weight. In Psalms context, the local focus is worship, trust, the LORD's kingship, and covenant mercy.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "world" and "sing" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.