Psalm 93

Psalm 93 is a short, untitled psalm of praise of five verses in Book IV of the Psalms (Psalms 90–106). The psalm immediately before it, Psalm 92, bears the title "A Psalm or Song for the sabbath day" and praises the works of the LORD. Psalm 93 continues from there by celebrating the kingship of the LORD itself.

Outline

• Verses 1–2 The LORD reigns, clothed and girded with majesty and strength as with a garment. Therefore the world cannot be moved. His throne is established of old, and he is from everlasting.
• Verses 3–4 The floods lift up their voice and their waves. Yet the might of the LORD on high is greater than the noise of many waters and the mighty waves of the sea.
• Verse 5 His testimonies (the words and ordinances God has given) are sure. Holiness befits his house forever.

Key Verses

• Psalm 93:1 "The LORD reigneth" — The theme of the psalm, and a confession repeated in several psalms that celebrate the kingship of the LORD.
• Psalm 93:4 "The LORD on high is mightier than … the mighty waves of the sea" — Portrays God's rule as something no threat can overcome.
• Psalm 93:5 "Thy testimonies are very sure" — Closes the psalm's portrait of God's reign with his word and his holiness.

People and Places

• The LORD — The sole subject of the psalm, portrayed as the one who reigns as King.
• The house of the LORD — The place where God is worshiped, commonly understood to be the temple.

Points for Reflection

• Scholars group this psalm with Psalms 95–99 as "enthronement psalms" that celebrate the kingship of the LORD.
• The opening words, "The LORD reigneth," can be rendered from the Hebrew either as "The LORD is King" or as "The LORD has become King." As a result, interpretations differ.
• One interpretation reads the psalm as a confession of God's eternal kingship.
• Another theory holds that it was a song commemorating God's enthronement in a liturgical setting. Sigmund Mowinckel and others advanced this view.
• The "floods" or "great waters" are understood as an image that symbolized chaos and threat in the ancient Near East. For this reason, the psalm is sometimes read in connection with the creation account in Genesis 1, where God divided the waters and caused the dry land to appear.
• In the Septuagint (the Greek Old Testament), this psalm carries a heading associated with "the day before the Sabbath." Jewish tradition holds that it was sung in the temple on the sixth day of the week. Neither tradition is found in the Hebrew text.
• The psalm is also read in connection with the New Testament. One example is the account of Jesus calming the wind and the sea. It is also frequently read together with the praise in Revelation 19:6: "Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth."