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To call God “holy” is to acknowledge that God is radically different from anything in the universe that exists or that we could imagine. Psalm 99 uses this profoundly powerful concept as a lens through which the awesomeness of God may be contemplated and praised. Scholars disagree on how exactly to categorize this psalm. The … Continue reading “Psalm 99 Commentary by Bobby Morris”

Psalm 99 is the last of the six “Enthronement Psalms” in Book Four of the Psalter. They include Psalm 93 and Psalms 95-99 and celebrate God as sovereign (or king — melek, as in many translations) over all of creation (see 93:1; 95:3; 96:10; 97:1-2; 98:6; 99:1, 4). They further declare that God is the … Continue reading “Psalm 99 Commentary by Nancy deClaissé-Walford”

“Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre and the sound of melody! With trumpets make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord!” (Psalm 98:5) Once in a while I try in my mind to imagine the sound of ancient musical instruments and the mindset of the ancient Israelites who played them. When they … Continue reading “Psalm 98 Commentary by James Howell”

Talk about inclusive! Not only are trained musicians called upon to make a joyful noise to the Lord, but just about everything else as well: The sea and everything in it, the world and its inhabitants, even the hills are invited to join in the new song of praise for God. Just by being what … Continue reading “Psalm 98 Commentary by Mark Throntveit”

The Christmas season always seems like a time to sing the good old songs. Each year I have sung the carols and even played them on a trombone alongside a Salvation Army bell ringer in order to help raise money for the poor. Most popular of all these carols is “Joy to the World,” which … Continue reading “Psalm 98 Commentary by James Limburg”

It was Dorothy Day who wrote, “Whenever I felt the beauty of the world in song or story, in the material universe around me, or glimpsed it in human love, I wanted to cry out with joy. The Psalms were an outlet for this enthusiasm…”1 While the well-known Catholic writer was addressing the Psalms generally, … Continue reading “Psalm 98 Commentary by Eric Mathis”

Like many psalms of praise, Psalm 98 begins with an imperative “call to praise” followed by a “reason to praise” introduced by the Hebrew word ki, “for.” Here is my translation of 98:1-3: Sing to the Lord a new song,      for (ki) he has done wonders! By his right hand and his holy arm … Continue reading “Psalm 98 Commentary by Rolf Jacobson”

Psalm 98 is the fifth psalm in a group of six psalms in Book Four of the Psalter known as the Enthronement Psalms (Psalms 93, 95-99). The Enthronement Psalms celebrate the reign of God as sovereign or king over all humanity and, indeed, over all creation. In their opening words, they cry out to all … Continue reading “Psalm 98 Commentary by Nancy deClaissé-Walford”

Psalm 98 invites hearers and readers into a new frame of reflection about the activity of God. It breathes with the movement of the planet around the sun. It ties the movement of life to the power of song and music. The earth sings, the sea booms out a bass line, the rivers tap a … Continue reading “Psalm 98 Commentary by Paul O. Myhre”

Recent scholarly work on the book of Psalms has focused considerable attention on the collection to which Psalm 97 belongs — Psalms 93, 95-99, the enthronement or God-reigns psalms.  According to an emerging consensus, the shape of Books I-III (Psalms 1-89) reflects the rupture of exile, especially by way of the positioning of Psalm 89 … Continue reading “Psalm 97 Commentary by J. Clinton McCann”