TRV
Translation
American Standard Version
Sing praises unto Jehovah with the harp; With the harp and the voice of melody.
World English Bible Messianic
Sing praises to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and the voice of melody.
Geneva Bible (1599)
Sing prayse to the Lord vpon the harpe, euen vpon the harpe with a singing voyce.
See also
In the KJVVerse 15,496 of 31,102
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Commentary on Psalms 98 verses 4–9
4 ¶ Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.
5 Sing unto the LORD with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm.
6 With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the LORD, the King.
7 Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
8 Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together
9 Before the LORD; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.
The setting up of the kingdom of Christ is here represented as a matter of joy and praise.
I. Let all the children of men rejoice in it, for they all have, or may have, benefit by it. Again and again we are here called upon by all ways and means possible to express our joy in it and give God praise for it: Make a joyful noise, as before, Psa 95:1, Psa 95:2. Make a loud noise, as those that are affected with those glad tidings and are desirous to affect others with them. Rejoice and sing praise, sing Hosannas (Mat 21:9), sing Hallelujahs, Rev 19:6. Let him be welcomed to the throne, as new kings are, with acclamations of joy and loud shouts, till the earth ring again, as when Solomon was proclaimed, Kg1 1:40. And let the shouts of the crowd be accompanied with the singers and players on instruments (Psa 87:7; Psa 68:25), as is usual in such solemnities. 1. Let sacred songs attend the new King: "Sing praise, sing with the voice of a psalm. Express your joy; thus proclaim it, thus excite it yet more, and thus propagate it among others." 2. Let these be assisted with sacred music, not only with the soft and gentle melody of the harp, but since it is a victorious King whose glory is to be celebrated, who goes forth conquering and to conquer, let him be proclaimed with the martial sound of the trumpet and cornet, Psa 98:6. Let all this joy be directed to God, and expressed in a solemn religious manner: Make a joyful noise to the Lord, Psa 98:4. Sing to the Lord, (Psa 98:5); do it before the Lord, the King, Psa 98:6. Carnal mirth is an enemy to this holy joy. When David danced before the ark he pleaded that it was before the Lord; and the piety and devotion of the intention not only vindicated what he did, but commended it. We must rejoice before the Lord whenever we draw near to him (Deu 12:12), before the Lord Jesus, and before him, not only as the Saviour, but as the King, the King of kings, the church's King, and our King.
II. Let the inferior creatures rejoice in it, Psa 98:7-9. This is to the same purport with what we had before (Psa 96:11-13): Let the sea roar, and let that be called, not as it used to be, a dreadful noise, but a joyful noise; for the coming of Christ, and the salvation wrought out by him, have quite altered the property of the troubles and terrors of this world, so that when the floods lift up their voice, lift up their waves, we must not construe that to be the sea roaring against us, but rather rejoicing with us. Let the floods express their joy, as men do when they clap their hands; and let the hills, that trembled for fear before God when he came down to give the law at Mount Sinai, dance for joy before him when his gospel is preached and that word of the Lord goes forth from Zion in a still small voice: Let the hills be joyful together before the Lord. This intimates that the kingdom of Christ would be a blessing to the whole creation; but that, as the inferior creatures declare the glory of the Creator (Psa 19:1), so they declare the glory of the Redeemer, for by him all things not only subsist in their being, but consist in their order. It intimates likewise that the children of men would be wanting in paying their due respects to the Redeemer, and therefore that he must look for his honour from the sea and the floods, which would shame the stupidity and ingratitude of mankind. And perhaps respect is here had to the new heavens and the new earth, which we yet, according to his promise, look for (Pe2 3:13), and this second mention of his coming (after the like, Psa 96:1-13) may principally refer to his second coming, when all these things shall be so dissolved as to be refined; then shall he come to judge the world with righteousness. In the prospect of that day all that are sanctified do rejoice, and even the sea, and the floods, and the hills, would rejoice if they could. One would think that Virgil had these psalms in his eye, as well as the oracles of the Cumean Sibyl, in his fourth eclogue, where he either ignorantly or basely applies to Asinius Pollio the ancient prophecies, which at that time were expected to be fulfilled; for he lived in the reign of Augustus Caesar, a little before our Saviour's birth. He owns they looked for the birth of a child from heaven that should be a great blessing to the world, and restore the golden age: -
Jam nova progenies coelo demittitur alto -
A new race descends from the lofty sky;
and that should take away sin: -
Te duce, si qua manent sceleris vestigia nostri,
Irrita perpetua solvent formidine terras -
Thy influence shall efface every stain of corruption,
And free the world from alarm.
Many other things he says of this long-looked-for child, which Ludovicus Vives, in his notes on that eclogue, thinks applicable to Christ; and he concludes, as the psalmist here, with a prospect of the rejoicing of the whole creation herein: -
Aspice, venturo laetentur ut omnia saeclo -
See how this promis'd age makes all rejoice.
And, if all rejoice, why should not we?
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 4–9. Public domain.
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Augustine of HippoAD 430
Exposition on Psalm 98
"Make melody unto the Lord upon the harp: on the harp and with the voice of a Psalm" [Psalm 98:5]. Praise Him not with the voice only; take up works, that you may not only sing, but work also. He who sings and works, makes melody with psaltery and upon the harp. Now see what sort of instruments are next spoken of, in figure: "With ductile trumpets also, and the sound of the pipe of horn" [Psalm 98:6]. What are ductile trumpets, and pipes of horn? Ductile trumpets are of brass: they are drawn out by hammering; if by hammering, by being beaten, you shall be ductile trumpets, drawn out unto the praise of God, if you improve when in tribulation: tribulation is hammering, improvement is the being drawn out. Job was a ductile trumpet, when suddenly assailed by the heaviest losses, and the death of his sons, become like a ductile trumpet by the beating of so heavy tribulation, he sounded thus: "The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." [Job 1:21] How did he sound? How pleasantly does his voice sound? This ductile trumpet is still under the hammer....We have heard how he was hammered; let us hear how he sounds: let us, if it please you, hear the sweet sound of this ductile trumpet: "What! shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?" O courageous, O sweet sound! Whom will not that sound awake from sleep? Whom will not confidence in God awake, to march to battle fearlessly against the devil; not to struggle with his own strength, but His who proves him. For He it is who hammers: for the hammer could not do so of itself....See how (I dare so speak, my brethren) even the Apostle was beaten with this very hammer: he says, "there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan, to buffet me." [2 Corinthians 12:7-10] Behold he is under the hammer: let us hear how he speaks of it: "For this thing," he says, "I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for you: for My strength is made perfect in weakness." I, says His Maker, wish to make this trumpet perfect; I cannot do so unless I hammer it; in weakness is strength made perfect. Hear now the ductile trumpet itself sounding as it should: "When I am weak, then am I strong."...
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Psalms 98:5 issues a vibrant and direct call to worship, exhorting all creation, and specifically the people of God, to express profound adoration for the LORD through a harmonious combination of instrumental and vocal praise. This verse, strategically placed within a psalm that celebrates God's universal kingship, His righteous acts of salvation, and His coming judgment, underscores the joyful, holistic, and intentional nature of worship. It invites believers to engage all their faculties—skill, voice, and spirit—in proclaiming the divine majesty, unwavering faithfulness, and redemptive power of the sovereign God, affirming that praise is the fitting and necessary response to His wondrous deeds.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Psalms 98:5 is rich with several potent literary devices that enhance its message and impact. The most prominent is Repetition, particularly evident in the phrase "with the harp," which appears twice in close succession. This repetition is not redundant but serves to emphasize the instrument's significance and central role in worship, creating a rhythmic, almost incantatory quality that reinforces the command for musical praise. This also contributes to the verse's Parallelism, specifically a type of synonymous or expanding parallelism, where the two clauses, though similar, build upon each other. The first clause introduces the harp, and the second reiterates its importance while adding the crucial "voice of a psalm," thus creating a fuller and more comprehensive picture of the desired worship. The verse also employs the Imperative Mood with the command "Sing," which functions as a direct and urgent exhortation, urging the audience to active, participatory, and intentional engagement in praise. Finally, Metonymy or Synecdoche is subtly at play, where "the harp" and "the voice of a psalm" serve as representative examples, standing in for instrumental and vocal worship generally, thereby encompassing the broader categories of musical expression offered to God.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Psalms 98:5 beautifully encapsulates the biblical emphasis on worship as a joyful, active, and multi-faceted response to God's inherent character and His mighty deeds in history. It highlights that praise is not merely an emotional outburst but a deliberate and artful offering that engages both skill and spirit. Theologically, it affirms God's absolute worthiness of all praise, connecting instrumental and vocal worship directly to His acts of salvation and righteous judgment, as celebrated throughout the psalm. This verse, therefore, serves as a timeless invitation to participate in the cosmic chorus of adoration for the sovereign LORD, echoing the heavenly worship described in Revelation where all creation bows before the throne. It underscores that our worship is a grateful and appropriate response to the God who has revealed His power and faithfulness.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Psalms 98:5 offers profound and enduring insights for contemporary believers, reminding us that authentic worship is a dynamic and holistic engagement with God, not a passive observation. It challenges us to move beyond mere attendance to active participation, encouraging us to employ all our God-given gifts—whether musical, vocal, creative, or otherwise—to honor the LORD with excellence and devotion. The explicit call to use both instruments and voice suggests that our worship should be both artful and heartfelt, combining skilled expression with sincere, Spirit-filled devotion. This verse encourages us to cultivate a spirit of profound joy and enthusiastic gratitude in our praise, recognizing that our worship is a grateful and fitting response to God's marvelous deeds, His unwavering faithfulness throughout history, and His righteous reign over all creation. It invites us to deeply consider how we can more fully and intentionally offer our praise, ensuring that our expressions of adoration are not only pleasing to God but also spiritually enriching for ourselves and powerfully edifying for the community of faith.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why is the "harp" specifically mentioned twice in this verse?
Answer: The double mention of "the harp" (Hebrew: kinnôwr, H3658) serves primarily as an emphatic repetition, underscoring its profound prominence and importance in ancient Israelite worship. This literary device highlights the harp as a quintessential instrument of praise, perhaps even a foundational one, in the musical ensemble of the time. This repetition creates a rhythmic emphasis, reinforcing the command to engage instrumental music in worship with fervor and skill. It also contributes to the psalm's overall tone of exuberant and full-hearted praise, suggesting a rich and layered musical offering to the LORD, who has performed "marvelous deeds" (Psalm 98:1) worthy of such elaborate adoration.
Does this verse mean that only harps and singing are acceptable forms of worship?
Answer: No, this verse does not limit worship solely to harps and singing. While it specifically names the harp and the "voice of a psalm," these should be understood as representative examples of the instrumental and vocal praise forms most common and esteemed in ancient Israelite worship. The broader context of the Psalms and other biblical texts reveals a wide array of instruments used in worship, including trumpets, lyres, cymbals, and tambourines (Psalm 150:3-5). The verse's primary message is to encourage active, joyful, and holistic musical worship, employing both instruments and voice with skill and devotion, rather than prescribing a rigid or exhaustive list of acceptable forms. It is a timeless call to use all available and appropriate means to express profound adoration for the LORD.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Psalms 98:5, with its vibrant call to instrumental and vocal praise for the LORD, finds its ultimate fulfillment and deepest redemptive meaning in the person and work of Jesus Christ. While the psalm celebrates the LORD's past acts of salvation and anticipates His coming judgment, the New Testament reveals Jesus as the incarnate LORD, the very One through whom God's salvation is fully and definitively realized for all humanity (John 3:16). Our "new song" of praise, so earnestly encouraged in this psalm, is now sung in direct response to Christ's unparalleled redemptive work on the cross, His glorious resurrection, and His ascension, which ushered in the new covenant era. The holistic worship described here foreshadows the spiritual worship "in spirit and truth" that Jesus himself taught (John 4:23-24), where the external forms of praise are animated by an internal reality transformed by the indwelling Holy Spirit. Moreover, the collective, universal praise envisioned in Psalm 98 powerfully anticipates the heavenly chorus of redeemed believers from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation, gathered around the throne of the Lamb who was slain. They sing a truly "new song" of redemption, a song of cosmic praise that echoes through eternity, celebrating Christ's worthiness to receive all glory, honor, and power (Revelation 5:9-10). Thus, our contemporary worship, whether expressed through instruments or voice, becomes a profound participation in this eternal song of praise to Christ, the King who has come and will come again to judge the earth in perfect righteousness.