Bible Commentaries

The Breaking Through of the Kingdom of God, the Judge and Saviour

This Psalm, too, has the coming of Jahve, who enters upon His kingdomthrough judgment, as its theme, and the watchword “Jahve is King” as itskey-note. The lxx inscribes it: ôùÄáõéïçãçáõêáèé(êáèé); Jerome: quando terra ejus restituta estThe ôùÄáõéis worthless; the time ofrestoration, from which it takes its rise, is the post-exilic, for it iscomposed, as mosaic-work, out of the earlier original passages of Davidicand Asaphic Psalms and of the prophets, more especially of Isaiah, and isentirely an expression of the religious consciousness which resulted fromthe Exile.

We have here nothing but echoes of the older literature: Psalm 97:1, cf. Isaiah 42:10-12; Isaiah 51:5; Psalm 97:2 , cf. Psalm 18:10, Psalm 18:12; Psalm 97:2 = Psalm 89:15; Psalm 97:3 , cf. Psalm 50:3; Psalm 18:9; Psalm 97:3 , cf. Isaiah 42:25. Beginning with the visible coming of the kingdomof God in the present, with מלך ה the poet takes his stand upon thestandpoint of the kingdom which is come. With it also comes rich materialfor universal joy. תּגל is indicative, as in Psalm 96:11 andfrequently. 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 Psalm 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: Psalm 97:4 = Psalm 77:19;Psalm 97:4 , cf. Psalm 77:17; Psalm 97:5 , cf. Micah 1:4; Psalm 97:5 , cf. Micah 4:13; Psalm 97:6 = Psalm 50:6; Psalm 97:6 , cf. Isaiah 35:2; Isaiah 40:5; Isaiah 52:10; Isaiah 66:18. The poet goes on to describe thatwhich is future with historical certainty. That which Psalm 77:19 says of themanifestation of God in the earlier times he transfers to the revelation ofGod in the last time. The earth sees it, and begins to tremble inconsequence of it. The reading ותּחל, according to Hitzig (cf. Ew. §232, b) traditional, is, however, only an error of pointing that hasbeen propagated; the correct reading is the reading of Heidenheim andBaer, restored according to MSS, ותּחל (cf. 1 Samuel 31:3), likeותּבן, ותּקם, ותּרם, and ותּשׂם. The figure of the wax is found even in Psalm 68:3; and Jahve is alsocalled “Lord of the whole earth” in Zechariah 4:14; Zechariah 6:5. The proclamation of theheavens is an expression of joy, Psalm 96:11. They proclaim the judicialstrictness with which Jahve, in accordance with His promises, carries outHis plan of salvation, the realization of which has reached its goal in thefact that all men see the glory of God.

When the glory of Jahve becomes manifest, everything that is opposed toit will be punished and consumed by its light. Those who serve idols willbecome conscious of their delusion with shame and terror, Isaiah 42:17; Jeremiah 10:14. The superhuman powers (lxx á), 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 Psalm 97:8 (after Psalm 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 (Psalm 97:9 = Ps 83:19; Psalm 97:9 , cf. Psalm 47:3, 10) mightclose the Psalm; there follows still, however, a hortatory strophe (whichwas perhaps not added till later on).

It is true Psalm 97:12 is = Psalm 32:11, Psalm 97:12 = Psalm 30:5, and the promise in Psalm 97:10 isthe same as in Psalm 37:28; Psalm 34:21; but as to the rest, particularly Psalm 97:11, thisstrophe is original. It is an encouraging admonition to fidelity in an age inwhich an effeminate spirit of looking longingly towards lit. oglingheathenism was rife, and stedfast adherence to Jahve was threatened withloss of life. Those who are faithful in their confession, as in theMaccabaean age (Á), are called חסדיו. The beautifulfigure in Psalm 97:11 is misapprehended by the ancient versions, inasmuch asthey read זרח (Psalm 112:4) instead of זרע. זרע doesnot here signify sown = strewn into the earth, but strewn along his life'sway, 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 thesun. Of the former Virgil also says, Et jam prima novo spargebat lumine terras/>