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Epiphany · The Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany

Psalm 96

Psalm 96

February 1, 2026

The Great Forest, Jacob van Ruisdael
The Great Forest, Jacob van Ruisdael, about 1655Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna
A wood of oaks and beeches along a sandy track with a pool in the ruts, a huge cloudy sky over it, and two small figures on the road that you only find after a while.O sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it. Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy.Jacob van RuisdaelRuisdael, who painted Dutch woods as if they had weather and a mood of their own.Kunsthistorisches Museum, ViennaThe Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna
Historic One-Year Lectionary
GospelMatt. 8:23-27Mt 8:23-27
EpistleRom. 8:18-23Rom 8:18-23Alt. EpistleRom. 13:8-10Rom 13:8-10
Old TestamentJonah 1:1-17Jon 1:1-17
PsalterPs. 96Ps 96

Overview & Insights

“O sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.” (Psalm 96:1)

The Divine King Comes to Judge the Earth The liturgy of this psalm celebrating Yahweh’s kingship opens with calls to praise stated in general terms (vv. 1–3). Reasons for the praise are then stated in terms of Yahweh’s incomparability among those claiming divine status, his past act of making the heavens, and his royal attributes (vv. 4–6). The liturgy then moves to another section calling for praise but this time specifying how and where (vv. 7–9). The final section specifies the content of this praise, which looks especially to his future act of judging. In response, the whole cosmos is to reverberate with praise (vv. 10–13).

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Take it further: Psalm 96

Commentary

Psalm 96Ps 96 Working Preacher

A commentary on the new song and the Lord coming to judge the earth.

Psalm 96Ps 96 Enduring Word · David Guzik

A verse-by-verse evangelical commentary on singing a new song to the Lord.

Classic commentaries on Psalm 96Classic commentaries on Ps 96 BibleHub

A classic aggregator with many historic commentators on the psalm.

Psalm 96 CommentaryPs 96 Commentary Center for Excellence in Preaching

A Reformed reflection on singing a new song as an act of hope in a weary world.

Background & Word Study

Psalm 96 in Hebrew, with Jewish commentaryPs 96 in Hebrew, with Jewish commentary Sefaria

The Hebrew text with Jewish commentary and linked traditional sources.

The Church Fathers

Psalm 96, patristic commentaryPs 96, patristic commentary Catena

Early church comments gathered verse by verse on the enthronement psalm.

Questions preachers ask

Why does Psalm 96 summon the whole earth, and not only Israel?

Because the news it carries is not tribal. The nations, the heavens, the sea and the trees of the forest are all called to sing, and the reason given is that the Lord is coming to judge the earth with righteousness, which the psalm treats as cause for joy rather than dread.

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