8 Zion H6726 heard, H8085 and was glad; H8055 and the daughters H1323 of Judah H3063 rejoiced H1523 because of thy judgments, H4941 O LORD. H3068
How beautiful H4998 upon the mountains H2022 are the feet H7272 of him that bringeth good tidings, H1319 that publisheth H8085 peace; H7965 that bringeth good tidings H1319 of good, H2896 that publisheth H8085 salvation; H3444 that saith H559 unto Zion, H6726 Thy God H430 reigneth! H4427 Thy watchmen H6822 shall lift up H5375 the voice; H6963 with the voice H6963 together H3162 shall they sing: H7442 for they shall see H7200 eye H5869 to eye, H5869 when the LORD H3068 shall bring again H7725 Zion. H6726 Break forth into joy, H6476 sing H7442 together, H3162 ye waste places H2723 of Jerusalem: H3389 for the LORD H3068 hath comforted H5162 his people, H5971 he hath redeemed H1350 Jerusalem. H3389 The LORD H3068 hath made bare H2834 his holy H6944 arm H2220 in the eyes H5869 of all the nations; H1471 and all the ends H657 of the earth H776 shall see H7200 the salvation H3444 of our God. H430
Sing, H7442 O daughter H1323 of Zion; H6726 shout, H7321 O Israel; H3478 be glad H8055 and rejoice H5937 with all the heart, H3820 O daughter H1323 of Jerusalem. H3389 The LORD H3068 hath taken away H5493 thy judgments, H4941 he hath cast out H6437 thine enemy: H341 the king H4428 of Israel, H3478 even the LORD, H3068 is in the midst H7130 of thee: thou shalt not see H7200 evil H7451 any more. In that day H3117 it shall be said H559 to Jerusalem, H3389 Fear H3372 thou not: and to Zion, H6726 Let not thine hands H3027 be slack. H7503 The LORD H3068 thy God H430 in the midst H7130 of thee is mighty; H1368 he will save, H3467 he will rejoice H7797 over thee with joy; H8057 he will rest H2790 in his love, H160 he will joy H1523 over thee with singing. H7440
All G1161 G3650 this G5124 was done, G1096 that G2443 it might be fulfilled G4137 which G3588 was spoken G4483 by G1223 the prophet, G4396 saying, G3004 Tell ye G2036 the daughter G2364 of Sion, G4622 Behold, G2400 thy G4675 King G935 cometh G2064 unto thee, G4671 meek, G4239 and G2532 sitting G1910 upon G1909 an ass, G3688 and G2532 a colt G4454 the foal G5207 of an ass. G5268 And G1161 the disciples G3101 went, G4198 and G2532 did G4160 as G2531 Jesus G2424 commanded G4367 them, G846 And brought G71 the ass, G3688 and G2532 the colt, G4454 and G2532 put G2007 on G1883 them G846 their G846 clothes, G2440 and G2532 they set G1940 G1940 him thereon. G1883 G846 And G1161 a very great G4118 multitude G3793 spread G4766 their G1438 garments G2440 in G1722 the way; G3598 others G1161 G243 cut down G2875 branches G2798 from G575 the trees, G1186 and G2532 strawed G4766 them in G1722 the way. G3598 And G1161 the multitudes G3793 that went before, G4254 and G2532 that followed, G190 cried, G2896 saying, G3004 Hosanna G5614 to the Son G5207 of David: G1138 Blessed G2127 is he that cometh G2064 in G1722 the name G3686 of the Lord; G2962 Hosanna G5614 in G1722 the highest. G5310
And G2532 after G3326 these things G5023 I heard G191 a great G3173 voice G5456 of much G4183 people G3793 in G1722 heaven, G3772 saying, G3004 Alleluia; G239 Salvation, G4991 and G2532 glory, G1391 and G2532 honour, G5092 and G2532 power, G1411 unto the Lord G2962 our G2257 God: G2316 For G3754 true G228 and G2532 righteous G1342 are his G846 judgments: G2920 for G3754 he hath judged G2919 the great G3173 whore, G4204 which G3748 did corrupt G5351 the earth G1093 with G1722 her G846 fornication, G4202 and G2532 hath avenged G1556 the blood G129 of his G846 servants G1401 at G1537 her G846 hand. G5495 And G2532 again G1208 they said, G2046 Alleluia. G239 And G2532 her G846 smoke G2586 rose up G305 for G1519 ever G165 and ever. G165 And G2532 the four G5064 and G2532 twenty G1501 elders G4245 and G2532 the four G5064 beasts G2226 fell down G4098 and G2532 worshipped G4352 God G2316 that sat G2521 on G1909 the throne, G2362 saying, G3004 Amen; G281 Alleluia. G239 And G2532 a voice G5456 came G1831 out of G1537 the throne, G2362 saying, G3004 Praise G134 our G2257 God, G2316 all ye G3956 his G846 servants, G1401 and G2532 ye that fear G5399 him, G846 both G2532 small G3398 and G2532 great. G3173 And G2532 I heard G191 as it were G5613 the voice G5456 of a great G4183 multitude, G3793 and G2532 as G5613 the voice G5456 of many G4183 waters, G5204 and G2532 as G5613 the voice G5456 of mighty G2478 thunderings, G1027 saying, G3004 Alleluia: G239 for G3754 the Lord G2962 God G2316 omnipotent G3841 reigneth. G936 Let us be glad G5463 and G2532 rejoice, G21 and G2532 give G1325 honour G1391 to him: G846 for G3754 the marriage G1062 of the Lamb G721 is come, G2064 and G2532 his G846 wife G1135 hath made G2090 herself G1438 ready. G2090
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on Psalms 97
Commentary on Psalms 97 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
The Breaking Through of the Kingdom of God, the Judge and Saviour
This Psalm, too, has the coming of Jahve, who enters upon His kingdom through judgment, as its theme, and the watchword “Jahve is King” as its key-note. The lxx inscribes it: τῷ Δαυίδ ὅτε ἡ γῆ αὐτοῦ καθίσταται ( καθίστατο ); Jerome: quando terra ejus restituta est . The τῷ Δαυίδ is worthless; the time of restoration, from which it takes its rise, is the post-exilic, for it is composed, as mosaic-work, out of the earlier original passages of Davidic and Asaphic Psalms and of the prophets, more especially of Isaiah, and is entirely an expression of the religious consciousness which resulted from the Exile.
We have here nothing but echoes of the older literature: Psalms 97:1, cf. Isaiah 42:10-12; Isaiah 51:5; Psalms 97:2 , cf. Psalms 18:10, Psalms 18:12; Psalms 97:2 = Psalms 89:15; Psalms 97:3 , cf. Psalms 50:3; Psalms 18:9; Psalms 97:3 , cf. Isaiah 42:25. Beginning with the visible coming of the kingdom of God in the present, with מלך ה the poet takes his stand upon the standpoint of the kingdom which is come. With it also comes rich material for universal joy. תּגל is indicative, as in Psalms 96:11 and frequently. רבּים are all, for all of them are in fact many (cf. Isaiah 52:15). The description of the theophany, for which the way is preparing in Psalms 97:2, also reminds one of Hab. 3. God's enshrouding Himself in darkness bears witness to His judicial earnestness. Because He comes as Judge, the basis of His royal throne and of His judgment-seat is also called to mind. His harbinger is fire, which consumes His adversaries on every side, as that which broke forth out of the pillar of cloud once consumed the Egyptians.
Again we have nothing but echoes of the older literature: Psalms 97:4 = Psalms 77:19; Psalms 97:4 , cf. Psalms 77:17; Psalms 97:5 , cf. Micah 1:4; Psalms 97:5 , cf. Micah 4:13; Psalms 97:6 = Psalms 50:6; Psalms 97:6 , cf. Isaiah 35:2; Isaiah 40:5; Isaiah 52:10; Isaiah 66:18. The poet goes on to describe that which is future with historical certainty. That which Psalms 77:19 says of the manifestation of God in the earlier times he transfers to the revelation of God in the last time. The earth sees it, and begins to tremble in consequence of it. The reading ותּחל , according to Hitzig (cf. Ew. §232, b ) traditional, is, however, only an error of pointing that has been propagated; the correct reading is the reading of Heidenheim and Baer, restored according to MSS, ותּחל (cf. 1 Samuel 31:3), like ותּבן , ותּקם , ותּרם , and ותּשׂם . The figure of the wax is found even in Psalms 68:3; and Jahve is also called “Lord of the whole earth” in Zechariah 4:14; Zechariah 6:5. The proclamation of the heavens is an expression of joy, Psalms 96:11. They proclaim the judicial strictness with which Jahve, in accordance with His promises, carries out His plan of salvation, the realization of which has reached its goal in the fact that all men see the glory of God.
When the glory of Jahve becomes manifest, everything that is opposed to it will be punished and consumed by its light. Those who serve idols will become conscious of their delusion with shame and terror, Isaiah 42:17; Jeremiah 10:14. The superhuman powers (lxx ἄγγελοι ), deified by the heathen, then bow down to Him who alone is Elohim in absolute personality. השׁתּחווּ is not imperative (lxx, Syriac), for as a command this clause would be abrupt and inconsequential, but the perfect of that which actually takes place. The quotation in Hebrews 1:6 is taken from Deuteronomy 32:43, lxx. In Psalms 97:8 (after Psalms 48:12) the survey of the poet again comes back to his own nation. When Zion hears that Jahve has appeared, and all the world and all the powers bow down to Him, she rejoices; for it is in fact her God whose kingship has come to the acknowledge. And all the daughter-churches of the Jewish land exult together with the mother-church over the salvation which dawns through judgments.
This distichic epiphonema ( Psalms 97:9 = Ps 83:19; Psalms 97:9 , cf. Psalms 47:3, 10) might close the Psalm; there follows still, however, a hortatory strophe (which was perhaps not added till later on).
It is true Psalms 97:12 is = Psalms 32:11, Psalms 97:12 = Psalms 30:5, and the promise in Psalms 97:10 is the same as in Psalms 37:28; Psalms 34:21; but as to the rest, particularly Psalms 97:11, this strophe is original. It is an encouraging admonition to fidelity in an age in which an effeminate spirit of looking longingly towards lit. ogling heathenism was rife, and stedfast adherence to Jahve was threatened with loss of life. Those who are faithful in their confession, as in the Maccabaean age ( Ἀσιδαῖοι ), are called חסדיו . The beautiful figure in Psalms 97:11 is misapprehended by the ancient versions, inasmuch as they read זרח (Psalms 112:4) instead of זרע . זרע does not here signify sown = strewn into the earth, but strewn along his life's way, so that he, the righteous one, advances step by step in the light. Hitzig rightly compares ki'dnatai ski'dnatai, used of the dawn and of the sun. Of the former Virgil also says, Et jam prima novo spargebat lumine terras .