1 The seuen and nyntithe salm hath no title. Singe ye a newe song to the Lord; for he hath do merueils. His riyt hond and his hooli arm; hath maad heelthe to hym.
Tertullian · AD 220 For if the earth has to suffer either joy or injury, it is simply on people's account, that they may suffer the joy or the sorrow through the events that happen to their dwelling place, whereby they will rather have to pay the penalty that, simply on their account, even the earth must suffer.
Jerome · AD 420 The Lord has reigned, let the earth exult. Let the whole earth, and all the world, which had before been subjected to demons and idols, rejoice now that the Lord reigns. The Lord has reigned. The Lord the Creator who made you, he himself has reigned. O you who before were subjected under the lord the devil, now you are subjected under the Lord the Creator.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 ..."The Lord is King, let the earth be glad: yea, let the multitude of the isles be joyous" [Psalm 97:1]. It is so indeed, because the word of God hath been preached not in the continent alone, but also in those isles which lie in mid sea: even these are full of Christians, full of the servants of God. For the sea doth not retard Him who made it.
2 The Lord hath maad knowun his heelthe; in the siyt of hethene men he hath schewid his riytfulnesse.
Jerome · AD 420 "Cloud and darkness are round about him." No one doubts that this is of the Lord Savior, round about whom was cloud and darkness — the flesh which he deigned to assume; although he is said to have appeared, in the Gospel of John. "And he appeared to us." He appeared indeed to the apostles, but from the Jews he was concealed.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Clouds and darkness are round about Him: righteousness and judgment are the direction of His seat" [Psalm 97:2]....The Lord Himself saith: "For judgment I am come into this world; that they which see not might see, and that they which see might be made blind." [John 9:39] They who seem unto themselves to see, who think themselves wise, who think healing not needful for them, t…
3 He bithouyte on his merci; and on his treuthe, to the hous of Israel. Alle the endis of erthe; sien the heelthe of oure God.
Tertullian · AD 220 If, however, those whom God has accepted and the believers shall attain salvation, it is necessary that those whom God has rejected and the unbelieving should incur the opposite issue, even the loss of salvation. Now here is a judgment, and those who hold it out before us belong to the Creator.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "There shall go a fire before Him, and burn up His enemies on every side" [Psalm 97:3]. We remember having read in the Gospel, He shall say, "Depart into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." [Matthew 25:41] I do not think it is said of that fire. Why do I not? Because he speaketh of some fire, which shall go before Him, before He cometh to judgment.
Bonaventure · AD 1257 Fire will precede the face of the Judge, by which the face of the earth will be burned up, so that the figure of this world will perish by the conflagration of worldly fires, just as the flood came about by the inundation of waters.
4 Al erthe, make ye hertli ioye to God; synge ye, and make ye ful out ioye, and seie ye salm.
Jerome · AD 420 His lightnings have shone upon the world. The philosophers say that lightnings are generated from the collision of clouds. For unless the sound is first heard, the lightnings are not seen. This is said also of the flint-stone: that unless they are struck together, the fire in the middle does not come forth.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "His lightnings gave shine unto the world" [Psalm 97:4]. This is great joy. Do we not see? Is it not clear? His lightnings have shined unto the whole world: His enemies have been set on fire, and burnt. All that gainsaid has been burnt, and "His lightnings have given shine unto the world." How have they shone? That the world might at length believe. Whence were the lightnings?
5 Singe ye to the Lord in an harpe, in harpe and vois of salm;
Jerome · AD 420 "The mountains flowed like wax before his face." By "mountains" he means the lofty powers. Those who before were raised up to heaven through pride, at the coming of the Lord were humbled; and those who were hardened by too great a boasting of vanity, afterward were softened by the heat of divine wisdom.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "The hills melted like wax at the presence of the Lord" [Psalm 97:5]. Who are the hills? The proud. Every high thing raising itself against God, at the deeds of Christ and of the Christians, trembled, yielded, and when I say, what has been already said, "melted," a better word cannot be found.
6 in trumpis betun out with hamer, and in vois of a trumpe of horn. Hertli synge ye in the siyt of the Lord, the king; the see and the fulnesse therof be moued;
Jerome · AD 420 The heavens have announced his justice. These are the heavens of which it is said also in the eighteenth psalm, "The heavens declare the glory of God." The heavens announce his justice: the earth does not announce it.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "The heavens have declared His righteousness: and all the people have seen His glory" [Psalm 97:6]. What heavens have declared? "The heavens declare the glory of God." Who are the heavens? Those who have become His seat; for as God sits in the heavens, so does He sit in the Apostles, so does He sit in the preachers of the Gospel. Even thou, if you will, shall be a heaven.
7 the world, and thei that dwellen therynne.
Jerome · AD 420 "Let all be confounded who worship graven images." If the prophet is blessed, being blessed he never knew how to curse; and therefore in that which he says, "Let them be confounded," it is not against them, but for them: for he prays that they may be confounded in their error, and be converted to the true and only God, the Creator.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Confounded be all they that worship carved images" [Psalm 97:7]. Hath not this come to pass? Have they not been confounded? Are they not daily confounded? For carved images are images wrought by the hand. Why are all who worship carved images confounded? Because all people have seen His glory.
Bonaventure · AD 1257 Why did the Lord place the figment of the human mind among idolatry, since a figment is nothing in reality? An idol is nothing; rather, it is referred to that which exists in estimation. Concerning idolatry with respect to the figment of the human mind, it is said in the Psalm: Let all be confounded who adore graven things, and who glory in their idols.
8 Flodis schulen make ioie with hond, togidere hillis schulen make ful out ioye, for siyt of the Lord;
Jerome · AD 420 "The daughters of Judea rejoiced because of your judgments, O Lord." What does this sense intend, "The daughters of Judea rejoiced," and not "the sons"? Let us understand first what "Judea" is interpreted to mean: and when we have known the interpretation, let us see what are the daughters of the interpretation.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Sion heard of it, and rejoiced" [Psalm 97:8]. What did Sion hear? That all His Angels worship Him....For the Church was not as yet among the Gentiles; in Judæa the Jews had some of them believed, and the very Jews who believed thought that they only belonged to Christ: the Apostles were sent to the Gentiles, Cornelius was preached to; Cornelius believed, was baptized, and they…
9 for he cometh to deme the erthe. He schal deme the world in riytfulnesse; and puplis in equite.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 See if this be not the reason for the joy of the daughters of Judah. "For Thou, Lord, art most high over all the earth" [Psalm 97:9]. Not in Judaea alone, but over Jerusalem; not over Sion only, but over all the earth.