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Easter Season · A Tenth Reading Easter Vigil · Year A

Psalm 98

Sing to the Lord a New Song

April 5, 2026

The Concert of Angels (Isenheim Altarpiece, left of the Nativity panel), Matthias Grünewald
The Concert of Angels (Isenheim Altarpiece, left of the Nativity panel), Matthias Grünewald, 1512-1516Musée Unterlinden, Colmar
A great angel kneeling at the front with a viol across its knee, and behind it, inside a gothic canopy crawling with carved prophets, a crowd of smaller angels playing, with a figure of light at the right. This is the left half of one panel; the right half, not shown here, is the Nativity.O sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvellous things. Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody. With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King.Matthias GrünewaldGrünewald, who gave the angels real instruments and real hands, and lit the whole thing from inside the canopy.Musée Unterlinden, ColmarThe Musée Unterlinden in Colmar.Musée Unterlinden, Colmar
Revised Common Lectionary
Old TestamentZeph. 3:14-20Zep 3:14-20
PsalterPs. 98Ps 98

Overview & Insights

“Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things.” (Psalm 98:1)

Most of this psalm of Yahweh’s kingship is comprised of calls to praise (vv. 1a, 4–8), along with substantiating reasons that look to Yahweh’s past (vv. 1b–3) and future (v. 9) actions. Like Psalm 96, it opens with a general call for all the earth (v. 4; 96:1) to sing a new song (v. 1; 96:1) about Yahweh’s marvelous things/deeds (Hb. niplāʾôt , v. 1; 96:3) and salvation (v. 2; 96:2). It similarly contains three verses of commands to the human world to join in a ritual celebration of “the LORD, the King” (vv. 4–6; 96:7–9), and a closing section inviting the natural world to join in applauding his coming to judge the earth (vv. 7–9; 96:10–13).

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Commentary

Commentary on Psalm 98 (Working Preacher)Commentary on Ps 98 (Working Preacher) Working Preacher

Luther Seminary commentary reading the enthronement hymn's call for all creation to sing a new song of praise.

Psalm 98 (A New Song for His Marvelous Things)Ps 98 (A New Song for His Marvelous Things) Enduring Word · David Guzik

David Guzik's verse by verse study of the new song for the Lord's saving victory and coming judgment in righteousness.

Psalm 98:1 Commentaries (BibleHub)Ps 98:1 Commentaries (BibleHub) BibleHub

Parallel classic commentaries assembled verse by verse across the whole psalm.

Background & Word Study

Psalms 98 (Sefaria)Ps 98 (Sefaria) Sefaria

The Hebrew psalm with English alongside for study of its summons to sing to the Lord a new song.

The Church Fathers

Psalms 98 (Catena Bible)Ps 98 (Catena Bible) Catena

Early and medieval commentary on the psalm gathered verse by verse.

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