Christmas Season · Nativity of the Lord - Christmas Eve Proper 1 · Year A
Psalm 96
Psalm 96
December 24, 2025
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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Commentary
Psalm 96 Working Preacher
A commentary on the new song and the Lord coming to judge the earth.
Psalm 96 Enduring Word · David Guzik
A verse-by-verse evangelical commentary on singing a new song to the Lord.
Classic commentaries on Psalm 96 BibleHub
A classic aggregator with many historic commentators on the psalm.
Psalm 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
The Church Fathers
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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