Bible Commentaries

Psalms 98.

The Psalmist exhorteth the Jews, the Gentiles, and all creatures, to praise God.

A Psalm.

This psalm has several expressions like those which are used in Psalms 1 96: and therefore probably it was composed by David. The Greek copies call it, "A Psalm of David." Perhaps it was written upon occasion of some remarkable deliverance which God had lately granted to Israel, as an earnest of future blessings; especially of the coming of that great blessing, the Lord Christ, to give salvation to his faithful people. Grotius is of opinion, that this psalm is a kind of summary or abridgement of Moses's song in Exodus 15.

Psalms 98:1. Hath gotten him the victory— Hath brought him salvation. This in the strictest letter belongs to the prophetic sense, accomplished in the resurrection of Christ. For then, in an eminent manner, did the divine power, called God's right hand, and God's fidelity in making good his promise, fitly stiled his holy arm, bring him, that is Christ, relief; in raising his dead body out of the grave. See Dr. Hammond.

Psalms 98:3. He hath remembered his mercy— That this is prophetically spoken of the redemption of mankind by Christ, appears from Luke 1:54; Luke 1:72.

Psalms 98:7-9. Let the sea roar, &c.— The whole heathen world are here expressed by the several parts of this visible globe; sea and world, and floods and hills; as before they were by earth and sea, &c. in Psalms 96. These are here poetically represented as expressing their joy, after the manner of men: the sea roaring, as men in triumph make a loud and vehement noise; the floods clapping their hands, as men do in token of delight and approbation; and the hills, in like manner, resounding their joy. Mudge renders this, Let the mountains at the same time shout before the Lord.

REFLECTIONS.—1st, We have repeated calls to sing unto the Lord, for our hearts are too often sadly out of tune, and need be urged to the blessed work; and what can enliven them, if this new song does not, the subject of which is redeeming love? Three things are here suggested, as claiming our most enlarged praise.

1. The work that Jesus hath wrought. For he hath done marvellous things. His incarnation, miracles, life, death, resurrection, ascension, are all wonderful: his love to sinners, his gifts of pardon, grace, and glory, stupendous: his whole salvation, from its contrivance to its consummation, marvellous. His right hand and his holy arm hath gotten him the victory. Alone he took the field against our foes, infinitely too great to need assistance, and too jealous of his own honour to accept it. Alone he won the day, vanquished Satan, made an end of sin, destroyed death, shut up the jaws of hell, opened the gates of heaven. Can we believe it, and not triumph in the God of our salvation!

2. The gospel preached. The Lord hath made known his salvation, himself the great Evangelist, and commissioning his servants in his name to carry the glad tidings to the ends of the earth. His righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen; the faithfulness of God in fulfilling his promises, and his own all-sufficient merit by which the salvation is obtained, and openly showed, not in dark types, but in his own obedience unto death; and his grace not confined to one people, but all nations freely invited to the faith and privileges of the gospel.

3. The prophecies fulfilled. He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel; appearing as their Messiah in the fulness of time, according to the promises which went before concerning him. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God; agreeable to the prophetic word, which declared that he should be the light to lighten the Gentiles, as well as the glory of his people Israel.

2nd, The psalm concludes with an exhortation to all people, with voices and music, aloud to exalt the Redeemer's name, and with that warmth of affection to his person, zeal for his glory, and exceeding great joy, which his transcendantly rich salvation should inspire; yea, the inanimate creation are called upon to join the song of praise to the universal Lord, and the eternal King; whose government, in the dispensation of the gospel, will be ever most just and equitable; and his decisions, when he shall sit upon the throne of final judgment, be altogether righteous. Note; If we know Jesus as our Lord and King, it cannot but minister to us matter of the most enlivened joy, and tune our hearts for his praise.