Psalm 98

Psalm 98 belongs to Book IV of the Psalms (Psalms 90–106). Psalms 93 and 95–99 are grouped together around the theme "The LORD is King," and Psalm 98 is one of them. The preceding psalm, Psalm 97, opens with "The LORD reigneth" and celebrates the rule of God as King. Psalm 98 calls the whole world to join in praising the salvation this King has accomplished. Its superscription consists of a single word: "A Psalm."

Structure

• Verses 1–3 The psalmist calls for praise with a new song, because the LORD has wrought salvation with His right hand and His holy arm. His salvation and righteousness have been openly shown in the sight of the heathen (the nations), and because He has remembered His mercy and His truth toward the house of Israel, all the ends of the earth have seen that salvation.
• Verses 4–6 The whole earth is summoned to make a joyful noise and to sing. It is to praise before the LORD, the King, with the harp (a small stringed instrument) and the voice of a psalm, with trumpets and the sound of the cornet (a horn).
• Verses 7–9 The sea and all that fills it, the world and those who dwell in it, the floods and the hills are all called to rejoice together, for the LORD comes to judge the earth and will rule the world and its peoples with righteousness and equity.

Key Verses

• Psalm 98:1 "O sing unto the LORD a new song" — one of the Psalter's characteristic calls to answer God's new act of salvation with new praise.
• Psalm 98:3 "All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God" — this verse presents a vision in which the salvation granted to Israel is made manifest to the whole world.
• Psalm 98:9 "With righteousness shall he judge the world" — the psalm grounds its praise in the righteous rule of the King who is to come.

Figures and Places

• The LORD: portrayed as the King who has wrought salvation and who is coming to judge the world.
• The house of Israel: the people toward whom God has remembered His mercy and His truth.
• The nations and the ends of the earth, the sea and the hills: the whole world and all creation, called to join in the praise.

Points for Reflection

• Psalm 98 shares much of its wording with Psalm 96. Both begin with a "new song," and 98:9 is nearly identical to 96:13.
• The phrase "his right hand, and his holy arm" in verse 1 echoes the language of Exodus 15, which celebrates the deliverance of the Exodus. Verses 2–3 are worded almost identically to Isaiah 52:10.
• Scholars sometimes classify Psalms 93 and 95–99, among others, as "enthronement psalms." Views differ on how these psalms were actually used in worship.
• Christian tradition has read "for he cometh" in verse 9 in connection with the coming of the Messiah, or with the Second Coming and the Last Judgment. The words "he hath remembered his mercy and his truth" in verse 3 are often read alongside the Song of Mary (Luke 1:54), and "have seen the salvation" alongside the words of Simeon (Luke 2:30–31).
• The expression "new song" also appears in Revelation 5:9 and 14:3.

In the Korean Church

• The Christmas hymn "Joy to the World" is widely known as a text that Isaac Watts based on Psalm 98. For this reason, the psalm is often introduced alongside the hymn around Christmastime.
• In the Anglican tradition, Psalm 98 has been sung at Evening Prayer as the canticle known as "Cantate Domino" (Latin for "Sing to the Lord").
• Verse 1, "O sing unto the LORD a new song," is frequently used as a sermon text at praise services and in preaching related to church choirs.