Psalm 97[a]
Divine King and Universal Judge
1 The Lord is King;[b] let the earth exult;
let the distant isles rejoice.
2 [c]Clouds and darkness[d] surround him;
righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
3 Fire[e] precedes him,
consuming his enemies on every side.
4 His flashes of lightnwing illumine the world;
the earth sees this and trembles.
5 The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,
before the Lord of all the earth.
6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness,[f]
and all the nations behold his glory.
7 All who worship images are put to shame,
those who boast of their worthless idols;
bow down before him, all you gods.[g]
8 Zion hears and rejoices,
and the cities[h] of Judah exult
because of your judgments, O Lord.
9 For you, O Lord, are the Most High over all the earth;
you are exalted far above all gods.
10 [i]Let those who love the Lord hate evil,
for he protects the souls of his faithful ones
and rescues them from the hand of the wicked.
11 [j]Light dawns for the righteous,
and joy for the upright in heart.
12 Rejoice in the Lord, you who are righteous,
and give thanks to his holy name.
Footnotes
- Psalm 97:1 Here is another hymn to King Yahweh, the only Lord and Savior. His coming is described with the grandiose and traditional images of divine manifestations (see Ex 19:16-20). These produce terror among idolaters and joy in Israel. By the time this song was written, all fear of foreign deities had disappeared among the Israelites; the gods themselves, or at least their worshipers, are invited to come and prostrate themselves before the only God. The people’s faith in the only Lord is henceforth unshakable.
This majestic Lord is also the God who comes, the one who loves every righteous heart. Furthermore, this God of the universe who is praised is the very same God who is close to us along the paths of life.
The theme of the kingdom of God was dominant in the teaching of Jesus. According to John’s Gospel, Jesus was enthroned on the cross and in his Resurrection-Ascension. Hence, as Christians pray this psalm, we can rejoice in Christ’s rule.
According to the superscription in the Septuagint and Vulgate, this psalm was sung when David’s land was established, hence after the return from the Exile. - Psalm 97:1 The Lord is King: see note on Ps 93:1a-b. The distant isles: distant countries accessible only by sea (see 1 Ki 9:26-28; 10:22; Isa 60:9; Jon 1:3).
- Psalm 97:2 The psalmist portrays the Lord’s appearance by traditional signs of his manifestation at Sinai. These went on to become the signs used to describe the future day of the Lord, when he would come in glory to establish true justice on the earth (see notes on Pss 18:7; 18:8-16).
- Psalm 97:2 Clouds and darkness: these served to veil God’s ineffable glory from human eyes (see Ex 19:9; 1 Ki 8:12). Righteousness and justice: divine attributes personified (see Pss 61:8; 85:12; Prov 16:12; 25:5).
- Psalm 97:3 Fire: symbol of God’s wrath (see Pss 21:10; 50:3; 83:15; Deut 4:24; 1 Ki 19:12; Isa 10:17).
- Psalm 97:6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness: the heavens show forth the glory of their Creator to all peoples (see Ps 19:2-5a).
- Psalm 97:7 Those who trust in false gods are put to shame. For “our God is in heaven; he does whatever he pleases. Their idols are merely silver and gold, the work of human hands” (Ps 115:3f).
- Psalm 97:8 Cities: literally, “daughters.” Judgments: see note on Ps 48:12.
- Psalm 97:10 Those who are loyal to the covenant (the righteous) live in the light of God’s presence, where there is fullness of joy. They glorify his holy name; that is, they honor him by their lives.
- Psalm 97:11 Light: see notes on Pss 27:1; 36:10. Name: see note on Ps 5:12.