Psalms 96:1-10
Context96:1 Sing to the Lord a new song! 2
Sing to the Lord, all the earth!
96:2 Sing to the Lord! Praise his name!
Announce every day how he delivers! 3
96:3 Tell the nations about his splendor!
Tell 4 all the nations about his amazing deeds!
96:4 For the Lord is great and certainly worthy of praise;
he is more awesome than all gods. 5
96:5 For all the gods of the nations are worthless, 6
but the Lord made the sky.
96:6 Majestic splendor emanates from him; 7
his sanctuary is firmly established and beautiful. 8
96:7 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the nations,
ascribe to the Lord splendor and strength!
96:8 Ascribe to the Lord the splendor he deserves! 9
Bring an offering and enter his courts!
96:9 Worship the Lord in holy attire! 10
Tremble before him, all the earth!
96:10 Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!
The world is established, it cannot be moved.
He judges the nations fairly.”
1 sn Psalm 96. The psalmist summons everyone to praise the Lord, the sovereign creator of the world who preserves and promotes justice in the earth.
2 sn A new song is appropriate because the
3 tn Heb “announce from day to day his deliverance.”
4 tn The verb “tell” is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
5 tn Or perhaps “and feared by all gods.” See Ps 89:7.
6 tn The Hebrew term אֱלִילִים (’elilim, “worthless”) sounds like אֱלֹהִים (’elohim, “gods”). The sound play draws attention to the statement.
7 tn Heb “majesty and splendor [are] before him.”
8 tn Heb “strength and beauty [are] in his sanctuary.”
9 tn Heb “the splendor of [i.e., “due”] his name.”
10 tn Or “in holy splendor.”