Psalm 98

Footnotes

1. 10 Psalm 98. The psalmist summons the whole earth to praise God because he reveals his justice and delivers Israel.
2. 1 A new song is appropriate because the Lord is constantly intervening in the world as its just king. See Ps 96:1.
3. 2 The perfect verbal forms in vv. 1–3 are understood here as describing characteristic divine activities. Another option is to translate them as present perfects, “has performed … has accomplished deliverance, etc.” referring to completed actions that have continuing results.
4. 3 Heb “his right hand delivers for him and his holy arm.” The right hand and arm symbolize his power as a warrior-king (see Isa 52:10). His arm is “holy” in the sense that it is in a category of its own; God’s power is incomparable.
5. 4 Heb “makes known his deliverance.”
6. 5 Heb “he remembers his loyal love and his faithfulness to the house of Israel.”
7. 6 Heb “the deliverance of our God,” with “God” being a subjective genitive (= God delivers).
8. 7 The verbal forms in v. 9 probably describe God’s typical, characteristic behavior, though they may depict in dramatic fashion the outworking of divine judgment or anticipate a future judgment of worldwide proportions (“will judge …”).