Psalm 98


Psalm 98 is the 98th psalm of the Book of Psalms, generally known in English by its first verse, in the King James Version, "O sing unto the Lord a new song; for he hath done marvellous things". The Book of Psalms is the third section of the Hebrew Bible, and a book of the Christian Old Testament. In the Greek Septuagint version of the bible, and in its Latin translation in the Vulgate, this psalm is Psalm 97 in a slightly different numbering system. In Latin, it is known as "Cantate Domino". The psalm is a hymn psalm, one of the Royal Psalms, praising God as the King of His people.
The psalm is a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Anglican and Protestant liturgies. It has been set to music often.

Background and themes

Psalm 98 describes God's redemption of Israel and the rejoicing that will ensue. It also features many expressions and instruments of music and song. According to the Midrash Tanchuma, Psalm 98 is the tenth and final song that the Jewish people will sing after the final redemption. Grammatically, the reference to a shir chadash in verse 1 is a masculine construction, in contrast to the shira mentioned throughout the Tanakh, a feminine construction. Thus, the Midrash teaches that the shir chadash is a song of the future.

Text

Hebrew Bible version

Following is the Hebrew text and English translation of Psalm 98:
VerseHebrewEnglish
1שִׁ֥יר חָדָ֗שׁ כִּֽי־נִפְלָא֥וֹת עָשָׂ֑ה הוֹשִֽׁיעָה־לּ֥וֹ יְ֜מִינ֗וֹ וּזְר֥וֹעַ קָדְשֽׁוֹA song. Sing to the Lord a new song, for He performed wonders; His right hand and His holy arm have saved Him.
2ההוֹדִ֣יעַ יְ֖הֹוָה יְשֽׁוּעָת֑וֹ לְעֵינֵ֥י הַ֜גּוֹיִ֗ם גִּלָּ֥ה צִדְקָתֽוֹThe Lord has made known His salvation; to the eyes of the nations He has revealed His righteousness.
3וֶֽאֱמֽוּנָתוֹ֘ לְבֵ֪ית יִשְׂרָ֫אֵ֥ל רָא֥וּ כָל־אַפְסֵי־אָ֑רֶץ אֵ֜֗ת יְשׁוּעַ֥ת אֱלֹהֵֽינוּHe remembered His kindness and His faith to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
4הָרִ֣יעוּ לַֽ֖יהֹוָה כָּל־הָאָ֑רֶץ פִּצְח֖וּ וְרַנְּנ֣וּ וְזַמֵּֽרוּShout to the Lord, all the earth, open and sing praises and play music.
5זַמְּר֣וּ לַֽיהֹוָ֣ה בְּכִנּ֑וֹר בְּ֜כִנּ֗וֹר וְק֣וֹל זִמְרָֽהPlay to the Lord with a harp, with a harp and a voice of song.
6הַמֶּ֬לֶךְ יְהֹוָֽהWith trumpets and the sound of a shofar, raise your voices before the King, the Lord.
7יִרְעַ֣ם הַ֖יָּם וּמְלֹא֑וֹ תֵּ֜בֵ֗ל וְי֣שְׁבֵי בָֽהּThe sea and the fullness thereof will roar, the inhabited world and the inhabitants thereof.
8נְהָר֥וֹת יִמְחֲאוּ־כָ֑ף יַ֜֗חַד הָרִ֥ים יְרַנֵּֽנוּRivers will clap hands; together mountains will sing praises.
9לִֽפְ֥נֵי־יְהֹוָ֗ה כִּ֥י בָא֘ לִשְׁפֹּ֪ט הָ֫אָ֥רֶץ יִשְׁפֹּט־תֵּבֵ֥ל בְּצֶ֑דֶק וְ֜עַמִּ֗ים בְּמֵֽישָׁרִֽיםBefore the Lord, for He has come to judge the earth; He will judge the inhabited world justly and the peoples with equity.

King James Version

  1. O sing unto the Lord a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.
  2. The Lord hath made known his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen.
  3. He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
  4. Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.
  5. Sing unto the Lord with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm
  6. With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the Lord, the King.
  7. Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
  8. Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together
  9. Before the Lord; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.

    Uses

Judaism

Psalm 98 is the fourth of six psalms recited during the Kabbalat Shabbat service. It is one of the additional psalms recited during the morning prayer on Shabbat in the Sephardi tradition. According to the Abudraham, this psalm corresponds to the seventh of the Ten Utterances of Creation, "Let the waters swarm", corresponding to verse 7 of this psalm, "Let the sea roar".
Verse 6 is one of the ten verses recited during the Mussaf Amidah on Rosh Hashana in the verses of Shofrot.

[New Testament]

The psalm may be recited as a canticle in the Anglican liturgy of Evening Prayer according to the Book of Common Prayer as an alternative to the Magnificat, when it is referred to by its incipit as "Cantate Domino". It is not included as a canticle in Common Worship, but it does of course appear in the psalter.

Musical settings

Musical settings of Psalm 98 were composed by Loys Bourgeois, John Rutter, David Conte and Arvo Pärt.
Bernard Barrell – Show Yourselves Joyful unto the Lord, Anthem for female chorus and organ, Op. 130
The Christmas carol "Joy to the World" is a lyrical adaptation of Psalm 98 written by Isaac Watts and set by Lowell Mason to a tune attributed to George Frideric Handel.
Czech composer Antonín Dvořák set part of Psalm 98 to music as No. 10 of his Biblical Songs in 1894.