A psalm.
98:1 Sing to the Lord a new song, 2
for he performs 3 amazing deeds!
His right hand and his mighty arm
accomplish deliverance. 4
98:2 The Lord demonstrates his power to deliver; 5
in the sight of the nations he reveals his justice.
1 sn Psalm 98. The psalmist summons the whole earth to praise God because he reveals his justice and delivers Israel.
2 sn A new song is appropriate because the Lord is constantly intervening in the world as its just king. See Ps 96:1.
3 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.
4 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.
5 tn Heb “makes known his deliverance.”