Christmas Season · Nativity of the Lord - Christmas Eve Proper 1 · Year B
Psalm 96
Declare His Glory Among the Nations
December 24, 2026
Overview & Insights
“Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.” (Psalm 96:1)
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.
Background & Word Study
The Church Fathers
Questions preachers ask
What kind of psalm is Psalm 96?
An enthronement hymn calling all the earth to sing and the nations to worship, declaring “the Lord reigns” and comes to judge the world in righteousness, so even the fields and the trees of the forest sing for joy.
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