Psalms — Chapter 98

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1A Psalm. Sing to the LORD a new song, for He has done wonders; His right hand and holy arm have gained Him the victory.

2The LORD has proclaimed His salvation and revealed His righteousness to the nations.

3He has remembered His love and faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

4Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth—let your cry ring out, and sing praises!

5Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre, in melodious song with the harp.

6With trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn shout for joy before the LORD, the King.

7Let the sea resound, and all that fills it, the world, and all who dwell in it.

8Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy

9before the LORD, for He comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness and the peoples with equity.

1O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.

2The LORD hath made known his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen.

3He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

4Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.

5Sing unto the LORD with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm.

6With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the LORD, the King.

7Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

8Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together

9Before the LORD; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.

1Oh sing unto Jehovah a new song; For he hath done marvellous things: His right hand, and his holy arm, hath wrought salvation for him.

2Jehovah hath made known his salvation: His righteousness hath he openly showed in the sight of the nations.

3He hath remembered his lovingkindness and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel: All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

4Make a joyful noise unto Jehovah, all the earth: Break forth and sing for joy, yea, sing praises.

5Sing praises unto Jehovah with the harp; With the harp and the voice of melody.

6With trumpets and sound of cornet Make a joyful noise before the King, Jehovah.

7Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; The world, and they that dwell therein;

8Let the floods clap their hands; Let the hills sing for joy together

9Before Jehovah; for he cometh to judge the earth: He will judge the world with righteousness, And the peoples with equity. Psalm 99

1A psalm. Sing to the Lord a new song, for he performs amazing deeds. His right hand and his mighty arm accomplish deliverance.

2The Lord demonstrates his power to deliver; in the sight of the nations he reveals his justice.

3He remains loyal and faithful to the family of Israel. All the ends of the earth see our God deliver us.

4Shout out praises to the Lord, all the earth. Break out in a joyful shout and sing!

5Sing to the Lord accompanied by a harp, accompanied by a harp and the sound of music.

6With trumpets and the blaring of the ram’s horn, shout out praises before the king, the Lord.

7Let the sea and everything in it shout, along with the world and those who live in it.

8Let the rivers clap their hands! Let the mountains sing in unison

9before the Lord. For he comes to judge the earth. He judges the world fairly, and the nations in a just manner.

1Sing to Yahweh a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand, and his holy arm, have worked salvation for him.

2Yahweh has made known his salvation. He has openly shown his righteousness in the sight of the nations.

3He has remembered his loving kindness and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

4Make a joyful noise to Yahweh, all the earth! Burst out and sing for joy, yes, sing praises!

5Sing praises to Yahweh with the harp, with the harp and the voice of melody.

6With trumpets and sound of the ram’s horn, make a joyful noise before the King, Yahweh.

7Let the sea roar with its fullness; the world, and those who dwell therein.

8Let the rivers clap their hands. Let the mountains sing for joy together.

9Let them sing before Yahweh, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity.

Summary
Authorship & Background
Commentary
Videos
Articles
Reflection

Summary

A psalm of praise calling for a new song because the LORD has worked salvation with his own right hand and holy arm, displaying his righteousness in full view of the nations (vv. 1-3). All the earth is summoned to shout for joy and make music with harp, trumpet, and horn before the King (vv. 4-6), and even creation joins in — the sea roaring, the rivers clapping their hands, the hills singing together — because the LORD is coming to judge the world with righteousness and fairness (vv. 7-9).

Authorship & Background

Author: Multiple authors — primarily David (73 psalms attributed), plus Asaph (12), Sons of Korah (11), Solomon (2), Moses (1), Heman (1), Ethan (1), and anonymous. The Psalter was compiled over approximately 1000 years and served as Israel's hymnal and prayer book. The book is divided into five 'books' (1-41, 42-72, 73-89, 90-106, 107-150), paralleling the five books of Moses.
Classification: Enthronement / Praise Psalm
Attributed Author: Anonymous
Key Themes: New song for new salvation, God's victory by His own power, salvation revealed to all nations, joyful noise with instruments, nature worshipping, God coming to judge with equity
Historical Context: Psalm 98 closely parallels Psalm 96 (both call for a "new song" and end with creation rejoicing at God's coming judgment). It also echoes Isaiah 52:10: "The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God." The psalm celebrates a specific salvation event (v.1 — "he hath done marvellous things") and calls for escalating praise: vocal singing (vv.1-3), instrumental music (vv.4-6), and cosmic celebration (vv.7-9). The hymn "Joy to the World" by Isaac Watts is a direct paraphrase of this psalm — bringing its Christmas/Messianic application to the forefront.
His Right Hand Hath Gotten Him the Victory (vv.1-3): O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous things. The new song is asked for because something new has happened, and the psalm is careful to leave no human agent in it, his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory. Then the audience widens past Israel twice over, his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen, and all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Isaac Watts took this psalm as the basis of Joy to the World, which is why a Christmas carol has no manger in it and a great deal about judgement.
Make a Joyful Noise, All the Earth (vv.4-6): Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise. Volume is asked for plainly, and the instruments named are the temple's, the harp, the trumpets and the sound of cornet. The title given to God at the end of the list is the one the psalm has been arguing for, before the LORD, the King.
Let the Floods Clap Their Hands (vv.7-9): Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. The invitation passes from the congregation to the landscape, and the metaphor stops being decorous, let the floods clap their hands, let the hills be joyful together. Then the reason, and it is the same one Psalm 96 gives, for he cometh to judge the earth. Equity is the last word of the psalm, and the psalm's whole case is that a world which has seen unequal judgement would greet a fair one with noise.

Commentary

  • Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Verse-by-verse commentary on this chapter, written for the everyday reader and freely available online.
  • Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
  • Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.

Videos

"Rooted" 4 - Rooted In Worship Psalm 98
David Guzik

Psalm 98 | A Joyful Noise to the Lord | Bible Study
Spoken Gospel

Psalm 98 - A New Song for His Marvelous Things
David Guzik

Articles

  • GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of Psalms -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.

Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.

Reflection

  • Salvation Is God's Work Alone (v.1) — The victory is credited entirely to God's own right hand and holy arm, with no human contribution. Are you still trying to earn what God has already accomplished, or have you simply received it?
  • A God Who Remembers His Promises (v.3) — The psalmist praises God for remembering His steadfast love and faithfulness toward His people. What promise of God do you need to trust He hasn't forgotten in your own life?
  • Praise That Uses Every Instrument (vv.4-6) — The psalm escalates from singing to harps, trumpets, and horns, holding nothing back in celebration. Does your worship hold anything back, or does it fully engage?
  • All Creation Called to Celebrate God's Coming (vv.7-9) — The sea, rivers, and hills are pictured joining the celebration because God is coming to judge the world with justice. If creation itself is moved to praise, what's holding your own praise back?