Tap any verse number for what that verse means.
1O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth.
2Sing unto the LORD, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day.
3Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people.
4For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods.
5For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.
6Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
7Give unto the LORD, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength.
8Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts.
9O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.
10Say among the heathen that the LORD reigneth: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously.
11Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof.
12Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice
13Before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.
Understand This
Psalm 96, explained
What Psalm 96 is saying
A new song celebrating YHWH's universal kingship, Psalm 96 calls all the earth—nations, peoples, families—to worship Israel's God. The psalm systematically dismantles competing deities ('all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens') and envisions all creation—heavens, earth, sea, fields, forests—joining in joyful anticipation of God's coming to judge the earth with righteousness and truth.
The background behind it
This psalm shares extensive verbal parallels with 1 Chronicles 16:23–33, where it appears as part of the celebration when David brought the ark to Jerusalem. Its universal scope and creation theology suggest both early liturgical origins and possible post-exilic expansion for temple worship.
Themes running underneath
The psalm's missional theology explicitly commissions Israel to 'declare His glory among the nations.' The contrast between created idols and the Creator God provides the theological basis for universal worship. The personification of creation's joy—trees singing, seas roaring—anticipates Paul's vision of creation's liberation in Romans 8. God's coming judgment is greeted with joy, not fear, because it brings equity.
Why it still matters
Psalm 96 challenges parochial worship by insisting on the universal scope of God's glory. It presents divine judgment not as threat but as the world's deepest hope—the righteous ordering of all things.
Scripture text: King James Version — public domain.