Christmas Season · Nativity of the Lord - Christmas Dawn Proper 2 · Year A
Psalm 97
Psalm 97
December 25, 2025
Overview & Insights
“Light dawns for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart.” (Psalm 97:11)
This psalm of Yahweh’s kingship picks up where Psalm 96 leaves off: “let the earth be glad” (cf. 96:11). After this opening invitation, we hear of a thunderstorm demonstrating Yahweh’s supremacy and righteousness (vv. 2–6). We hear of the responses of idol worshipers and of Zion, along with a summary statement of Yahweh’s supremacy (vv. 7–9). The closing section spells out the implications of the above: Yahweh’s people must shun evil and then they will be granted protection, light, and joy (vv. 10–12).
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Commentary
Psalm 97 Working Preacher
A commentary reading Psalm 97 as an enthronement psalm whose acclaim of the reigning Lord fits the joy of Christ's birth.
Psalm 97 Center for Excellence in Preaching
A Reformed preaching archive for Psalm 97, with reflections on the Lord's cosmic kingship and light dawning for the righteous.
Psalm 97 Enduring Word · David Guzik
An evangelical verse-by-verse study on the reign of the Lord, clouds and fire, and gladness in Zion.
Classic commentaries on Psalm 97 BibleHub
A classic aggregator stacking public-domain commentators on Psalm 97:1 verse by verse.
Background & Word Study
Questions preachers ask
Why is a psalm full of fire and lightning read at Christmas dawn?
Psalm 97 describes a king whose arrival shakes the earth, with cloud and thick darkness around him. Read at the dawn service it sets the scale of what has just happened in the stable: the one the mountains melt before is the one lying in the manger.
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