Psalms 98 · The Lantern

Sing to Yahweh, a song that is new, For, wonderful things, hath he done, His own right hand and his holy arm, have brought him salvation.

Along with my prayers I now add book 10 to the Church History and dedicate it to you, my most consecrated Paulinus, and blazon you as the seal of the whole work.

Sing to the Lord a new song. The new song is the Son of God crucified, which had never before been heard. Let a new thing have a new song. Sing to the Lord a new song. He indeed is a man who suffered — but you, sing to the Lord. He suffered indeed as a man, but he saved as God. Sing to the Lord a new song. A new song deserves a new name.

"O sing unto the Lord a new song" [Psalm 98:1]. The new man knows this, the old man knows it not. The old man is the old life, and the new man the new life: the old life is derived from Adam, the new life is formed in Christ. But in this Psalm, the whole world is enjoined to sing a new song.

Yahweh, hath made known, his salvation, Before the eyes of the nations, hath he revealed his righteousness;

He hath remembered his lovingkindness and his faithfulness towards the house of Israel,—All the ends of the earth, have seen, the salvation of our God.

Shout aloud to Yahweh, all the earth, Break forth and make a joyful noise and sweep the strings;

Rejoice in God, all the earth. Not Judea alone, but all the earth — rejoice in the Lord. Send forth the standards of the victorious army. Sing and exult and make melody. Sing — in thought; but make melody — that is, with all your members. Let the hand make melody in almsgiving, let the foot make melody by going about in good work.

"Sing joyfully to God, all the earth." What is it that an understanding of this great joy is likely to make clear? Why is it that, after God gave commandments so great, so terrifying and so awesome, he now invites the earth to a shout of joy? "Sing joyfully to God, all the earth," the text reads.What other reason is there than the following?

The phrase "Sing and exult and play the lyre" follows. Although these words seem to be similar, nonetheless they are separated by some distinction. Singing is shouting the praises to the Lord, as is befitting for the mouth of a serious Christian to do. Exulting is declaring the vows of the mind with great affection.

Sweep the strings to Yahweh, With the lyre, With the lyre, and the voice of melody;

With trumpets and the sound of a horn, Shout aloud, before the king—Yahweh.

Let the sea, roar, and the fulness thereof, The world, and they who dwell therein;

Let, the floods, clap their hands, Together, let, the mountains, make a joyful noise,

Before Yahweh, for he is coming—to judge the earth,—He will judge the world, in righteousness, And the peoples, with equity.

It is prophesied here that the coming of the Lord will be the cause of great benefits to the nations, which have been proved to have actually accrued to them, through the manifestation of our Savior.

He shall judge the world in righteousness, and the peoples in equity. Righteousness is set down, and equity. If righteousness is set down, and afterward equity, it is properly called εὐθύτης (euthytēs), 'straightness,' which makes the crooked straight. So he comes to judge in his righteousness, that what is crooked may in him be made straight.

"Before the Lord, for He has come; for He has come to judge the earth" [Psalm 98:9]. "The hills" signify the great. The Lord comes to judge the earth, and they rejoice. But there are hills, who, when the Lord is coming to judge the earth, shall tremble. There are therefore good and evil hills; the good hills, are spiritual greatness; the bad hills, are the swelling of pride.

Psalms98