1 Jehovah hath reigned, The earth is joyful, many isles rejoice.
Say among nations, `Jehovah hath reigned, Also -- established is the world, unmoved, He judgeth the peoples in uprightness.' The heavens joy, and the earth is joyful, The sea and its fulness roar.
Jehovah hath reigned, Excellency He hath put on, Jehovah put on strength, He girded Himself, Also -- established is the world, unmoved.
And I have set among them a sign, And have sent out of them those escaping unto the nations, (Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, drawing bow, Tubal and Javan, the isles that are far off,) Who have not heard My fame, nor seen Mine honour, And they have declared Mine honour among nations.
saying, `We give thanks to Thee, O Lord God, the Almighty, who art, and who wast, and who art coming, because Thou hast taken Thy great power and didst reign;
And the messenger said to them, `Fear not, for lo, I bring you good news of great joy, that shall be to all the people -- because there was born to you to-day a Saviour -- who is Christ the Lord -- in the city of David,
blessed is the coming reign, in the name of the Lord, of our father David; Hosanna in the highest.'
`Thy reign come: Thy will come to pass, as in heaven also on the earth.
for this is he who was spoken of by Isaiah the prophet, saying, `A voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, straight make ye His paths.'
And gone up have saviours on mount Zion, To judge the mount of Esau, And the kingdom hath been to Jehovah!'
By these have the isles of the nations been parted in their lands, each by his tongue, by their families, in their nations.
Near `is' My righteousness, Gone out hath My salvation and Mine arms, Peoples they judge, on Me isles do wait, Yea, on Mine arm they do wait with hope.
Sing, O heavens, and joy, O earth, And break forth, O mountains, with singing, For comforted hath Jehovah His people, And His afflicted ones He doth pity.
Sing to Jehovah a new song, His praise from the end of the earth, Ye who are going down to the sea, and its fulness, Isles, and their inhabitants. The wilderness and its cities do lift up `the voice', The villages Kedar doth inhabit, Sing do the inhabitants of Sela, From the top of mountains they cry. They ascribe to Jehovah honour, And His praise in the isles they declare.
He doth not become weak nor bruised, Till he setteth judgment in the earth, And for his law isles wait with hope.
They -- they lift up their voice, They sing of the excellency of Jehovah, They have cried aloud from the sea. Therefore in prosperity honour ye Jehovah, In isles of the sea, the name of Jehovah, God of Israel. From the skirt of the earth we heard songs, The desire of the righteous. And I say, `Leanness `is' to me, Leanness `is' to me, wo `is' to me.' Treacherous dealers dealt treacherously, Yea, treachery, treacherous dealers dealt treacherously.
And it hath come to pass, in that day, The Lord addeth a second time his power, To get the remnant of His people that is left, From Asshur, and from Egypt, And from Pathros, and from Cush, And from Elam, and from Shinar, And from Hamath, and from isles of the sea,
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Psalms 97
Commentary on Psalms 97 Matthew Henry Commentary
Psalm 97
This psalm dwells upon the same subject, and is set to the same tune, with the foregoing psalm. Christ is the Alpha and the Omega of both; they are both penned, and are both to be sung to his honour; and we make nothing of them if we do not, in them, make melody with our hearts to the Lord Jesus. He it is that reigns, to the joy of all mankind (v. 1); and his government speaks,
In singing this psalm we must be affected with the glory of the exalted Redeemer, must dread the lot of his enemies, and think ourselves happy if we are of those that "kiss the son.'
Psa 97:1-7
What was to be said among the heathen in the foregoing psalm (v. 10) is here said again (v. 1) and is made the subject of this psalm, and of psalm 99. The Lord reigns; that is the great truth here laid down. The Lord Jehovah reigns, he that made the world governs it; he that gave being gives motion and power, gives law and commission, gives success and event. Every man's judgment proceeds from the Lord, from his counsel and providence, and in all affairs, both public and private, he performs the thing which he himself has appointed. The Lord Jesus reigns; the providential kingdom is twisted in with the mediatorial and the administration of both is in the hand of Christ, who therefore is both the head of the church and head over all things to the church. The kingdom of Christ is so constituted that,
Psa 97:8-12
The kingdom of the Messiah, like the pillar of cloud and fire, as it has a dark side towards the Egyptians, so it has a bright side towards the Israel of God. It is set up in spite of opposition; and then the earth saw and trembled (v. 4), but Zion heard and was glad, very glad, to hear of the conversion of some and of the confusion of others, that is, the conquest of all that stood it out against Christ. Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! for behold thy king comes unto thee, Zec. 9:9. And not Zion only, where the temple was, but even the daughters of Judah, rejoiced; the common people, the inhabitants of the villages, they shall triumph in Christ's victories. The command (v. 1) is, Let the earth rejoice; but it is only the sons of Zion and the daughters of Judah that do rejoice. All should bid the kingdom of the Messiah welcome, but few do. Now here observe,