81:3 Sound the ram’s horn on the day of the new moon, 1
and on the day of the full moon when our festival begins. 2
A psalm.
98:1 Sing to the Lord a new song, 4
for he performs 5 amazing deeds!
His right hand and his mighty arm
accomplish deliverance. 6
144:9 O God, I will sing a new song to you!
Accompanied by a ten-stringed instrument, I will sing praises to you,
1 tn Heb “at the new moon.”
sn New moon festivals were a monthly ritual in Israel (see R. de Vaux, Ancient Israel, 469-70). In this context the New Moon festival of the seventh month, when the Feast of Tabernacles was celebrated (note the reference to a “festival” in the next line), may be in view.
2 tn Heb “at the full moon on the day of our festival.” The Hebrew word כֶּסֶה (keseh) is an alternate spelling of כֶּסֶא (kese’, “full moon”).
sn The festival in view is probably the Feast of Tabernacles (Booths), which began on the fifteenth day of the seventh month when the moon was full. See Lev 23:34; Num 29:12.
3 sn Psalm 98. The psalmist summons the whole earth to praise God because he reveals his justice and delivers Israel.
4 sn A new song is appropriate because the Lord is constantly intervening in the world as its just king. See Ps 96:1.
5 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.
6 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.