PSALM 98

Joyful praise and shouting for the salvation of Yahweh

All the ends of the earth see the salvation of Yahweh (vv.1-3)

1 O sing to Yahweh a new song, [1]	For He has done wonderful things,
His right hand and His holy arm	have gained the victory/salvation for Him.
2 Yahweh has made known His salvation;	He has revealed His righteousness in the sight of the nations.
3 He has remembered His lovingkindness and His faithfulness to the house of Israel;	All the ends of the earth [2] have seen the salvation of our God. [3]

All the ends of the earth shout joyfully to Yahweh for His salvation (vv.4-6)

4 Shout joyfully to Yahweh, all the earth;	Break forth and sing for joy and sing praises.
5 Sing praises to Yahweh with the lyre,	With the lyre and the sound of melody.
6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn	Shout joyfully before the King, Yahweh.

All the earth becomes a Temple of praise (vv.7-9)

7 Let the sea roar and all it contains,		The world and those who dwell in it.
8 Let the rivers clap their hands,		Let the mountains sing together for joy [4]
9 Before Yahweh, for He is coming to judge the earth;	He will judge the world with righteousness		And the peoples with equity.

[1] Psalm 96 and Psalm 98 begin the same way, “Sing to Yahweh a new song” (96:1; 98:1) and both end the same way, “Before the Lord, for He is coming, For He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness And the peoples in His faithfulness” (Psalm 96:13; 98:9).

[2] The expression “ends of the earth” occurs 16x in the Old Testament. It often emphasizes the worldwide rule (cf. Psalm 135:7) and or salvation of Yahweh through His anointed. See 1 Samuel 2:10; Psalm 2:8; 22:27; 46:9; 59:13; 61:2,6-7; 67:7; 72:8; Isa.45:22; 49:6; 52:10; Micah 5:2-4; Zech.9:9-10; cf. Psalm 65:5,8; Acts 1:8.

[3] The language of verses 1-3 is remarkably similar to Isaiah 52:10, “Yahweh has bared His holy arm In the sight of all the nations, That all the ends of the earth may see The salvation of our God.”

J. Clinton McCann Jr. points out the parallels between Psalm 98 and Exodus 15,

Every major item of vocabulary recalls Exodus 15: “song” (see Exod 15:1,21), “marvelous things” (see Exod 15:11), “right hand” (see Exod 15:6,12), “holy arm” (see Exod 15:11,16), “salvation” (see Exod 15:2). The stated purpose of the exodus was that the Egyptians might know God’s sovereignty (see Exod 7:5; 8:10; 9:14; 14:4,18). Thus Ps 98:2 is also reminiscent of the exodus, and v.3 recalls Exod 9:16, which suggest that the ultimate purpose of the exodus was to make God manifest “through all the earth” (New Interpreter’s Bible IV:1072).

“Man’s immediate response to God’s saving deeds, actual or anticipated, is in hymns of praise. The Song of the Sea was composed and sung immediately following the deliverance at the Red Sea (Ex 15:1–18). Isaiah’s description of salvation through the coming Messiah is followed by song in chapter 12, and three of the servant songs end with singing:42:10ff.; 49:13; 54:1ff.” (Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament p.416).

[4] In Psalm 97 all angelic beings are commanded to worship Jesus (Psalm 97:7 with Hebrews 1:6). And now in Psalm 98 all the earth is commanded to sing praise to Yahweh for the salvation of Jesus (cf. Revelation 5:11-14).