Psalm 96:9 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth!

NIV: Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth.

NASB: Worship the Lord in holy attire; Tremble before Him, all the earth.

CSB: Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness; let the whole earth tremble before him.

NLT: Worship the Lord in all his holy splendor. Let all the earth tremble before him.

KJV: O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.

NKJV: Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth.

Psalm 96:7–13 adds details to an earlier call for worship (Psalm 96:1–6). Those praising the Lord should recognize His power, glory, and holiness. The psalmist emphasizes God's sovereignty over the entire world. This also implies His right to judge everyone and everything. The psalm ends with a hopeful look to the future when the Lord will rule the earth directly (Revelation 20:4).

The psalmist calls on all people—of the entire world—to give proper worship to God. Because of His divine nature and the miracles He has done, the Lord deserves to be praised. Other so-called "gods" are nothing. Those who worship the Lord should celebrate His holiness, power, and judgment. One day, the Lord will return and rule the entire earth in perfect justice.

This is one of the "enthronement" psalms, which celebrate God's role as the Supreme King of the earth. Others are Psalms 15, 24, 27, 93, 95, and 97—99. A song celebrating the return of the ark (1 Chronicles 16:23–33) quotes nearly all of Psalm 96. Psalm 96 also anticipates Jesus' reign on earth and the Gentiles' worship of Him. This song may have also been used at the dedication of the second temple when the returnees from Babylon (Ezra 2:1) celebrated its completion (Ezra 6:15–16).

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.

Accessed 9/1/2024 12:04:24 AM