‏ Psalms 93

Summary for Ps 93:1-100:5: Pss 93–100  ^a These psalms challenge the doubts created by the Exile (see Ps 89  ^b) and answer the questions asked in 90:11  ^c, 13  ^d. The Lord has established a kingdom (Ps 93  ^e) that is characterized by the punishment of the wicked (Ps 94  ^f), reverent obedience among his people (Ps 95  ^g), justice for the poor (Ps 96  ^h), celebration in Zion (Ps 97  ⁱ), salvation for Israel (Ps 98  ^j), holiness (Ps 99  ^k), and praise (Ps 100  ^l).
Summary for Ps 93:1-5: Ps 93  ^m The everlasting Lord gloriously establishes his kingship (cp. Pss 47  ⁿ, 99–100  ^o). 93:1  ^p robed in majesty: The Lord stands victorious both before and after battle (see 45:3  ^q).
Summary for Ps 93:3-4: 93:3-4  ^r God’s victory over natural chaos gives the psalmist confidence that the Lord will also defeat his present enemies (cp. Jer 46:8  ^s; 47:2  ^t).
93:5  ^u Through his stable rule and royal laws, the Lord orders the world.

• Your reign (literally your house): The house from which God reigns might be the Lord’s heavenly palace or the earthly Temple.

‏ Psalms 94

Summary for Ps 94:1-23: Ps 94  ^v This plea for the Lord’s justice includes both communal and individual expressions of lament (94:1-7  ^w, 16-23  ^x). The psalmist gives voice to the pain and suffering caused by the wicked, but he also depicts the comfort and stability of the Lord’s protection. He calls on the Lord to avenge the needy against the arrogant and foolish, he rebukes such people for their folly (94:8-11  ^y), and he pronounces a blessing on the wise (94:12-15  ^z).
Summary for Ps 94:1-7: 94:1-7  ^aa After the community falls victim to the wicked (94:5-7  ^ab), they pray that the Lord will render justice (see 7:11  ^ac; 9:12  ^ad).
94:2  ^ae Just as the Lord’s enemies rise up against him and his people (3:7  ^af; 93:3  ^ag), he must arise and make retribution against the enemy (see 79:12  ^ah; Isa 65:6  ^ai).
94:6  ^aj widows ... foreigners ... orphans: The Lord’s law protects needy people (Deut 24:17  ^ak; 27:19  ^al), but they remain vulnerable in society.
94:7  ^am The wicked think that they can get away with their vile acts and speech, foolishly assuming that God isn’t looking or doesn’t care.
Summary for Ps 94:8-11: 94:8-11  ^an The psalmist rebukes human folly.
94:9  ^ao It is preposterous that those with ears and eyes would imagine their Creator to be deaf and blind.
94:10  ^ap punishes: This word also carries the idea of “warns” (2:10  ^aq), “disciplines” (6:1  ^ar; 94:12  ^as), or “instructs” (16:7  ^at). The Lord disciplines his people to purify their character (Prov 3:11-12  ^au; Heb 12:6-11  ^av). He punishes his enemies by giving them what they deserve (Ps 1:6  ^aw; Rom 6:23  ^ax).
94:11  ^ay While the Lord’s thoughts are deep, people’s thoughts are worthless (cp. 92:5  ^az; 1 Cor 3:20  ^ba).
Summary for Ps 94:12-15: 94:12-15  ^bb True to his nature, the Lord rewards those who live by his wise instruction and makes them happy according to his promises.
94:13  ^bc God’s relief includes his comfort and rescue.
94:14  ^bd Even when it seems that he has, the Lord will not reject his people.
Summary for Ps 94:16-23: 94:16-23  ^be The psalmist’s prayer resumes (see 94:1-7  ^bf) with a desperate cry for the Lord’s justice; it concludes with the hopeful expectation that evil will end. 94:16  ^bg Only God has the power to stand up to the wicked (see 2:2  ^bh).
Summary for Ps 94:18-19: 94:18-19  ^bi The psalmist’s experience of slipping contrasts with God’s promise to stand with him (94:12-13  ^bj; see 15:5  ^bk; 93:1  ^bl).

‏ Psalms 95

Summary for Ps 95:1-11: Ps 95  ^bm This call to worship urges the people to respond to the Lord, the Shepherd, and to follow him faithfully. The previous generation, who refused to obey, did not receive the blessings of the Promised Land.
Summary for Ps 95:3-5: 95:3-5  ^bn The Lord is the great King over the whole universe. 95:3  ^bo above all gods: The psalmist refutes idolatry and paganism (96:4-6  ^bp; 135:15-18  ^bq; see also Isa 46:5-7  ^br).
Summary for Ps 95:4-5: 95:4-5  ^bs The whole created order owes its existence to the sovereign Lord alone—not to various gods.
Summary for Ps 95:6-7: 95:6-7  ^bt The great King cares for his people as a shepherd cares for his flock (Isa 40:11  ^bu).

• The Lord our maker, the Creator of heaven and earth, also made a people for himself (Isa 45:9-12  ^bv; 51:12-16  ^bw).
Summary for Ps 95:8-11: 95:8-11  ^bx If people want to enter into the Lord’s rest, they need to respond immediately (see Heb 3:7–4:11  ^by). 95:8  ^bz To harden your hearts means to be stubborn and resist the Lord’s grace (see Num 20:2-13  ^ca; see also Matt 13:3-23  ^cb; John 12:37-43  ^cc; Eph 4:17-32  ^cd; Heb 3:6-19  ^ce; 4:6-11  ^cf).
95:9  ^cg Israel’s ancestors ... saw the wonders of the Lord, but they foolishly did not try to grasp their significance (see 92:5-6  ^ch).
95:11  ^ci The generation of Israel that wandered in the wilderness for forty years failed to enter the place of rest that Israel enjoyed after the conquest of the land (1 Kgs 8:56  ^cj; see Deut 12:9  ^ck). The Lord promised them the land and gave it to them (Isa 28:12  ^cl), but they did not obey him (Isa 28:1  ^cm). The warning reminds every generation of the need to obey in faith.

• The rest that God provides includes peace, provision, and protection (Ps 132:14-18  ^cn). The author of Hebrews challenged a new generation to enter the rest provided by Jesus Christ (Heb 3:7–4:13  ^co).

‏ Psalms 96

Summary for Ps 96:1-13: Ps 96  ^cp This psalm establishes the Lord’s universal kingship (see Ps 93  ^cq) and prepares for the coming of the Lord to bring justice and righteousness into the world. The psalmist invites everyone to worship the Lord (96:1-3  ^cr), the glorious Creator of all the earth (96:4-6  ^cs), because worship is due to him alone (96:7-9  ^ct). The universe joins in praise as the righteous Judge establishes a new order (96:10-13  ^cu).

• This psalm (along with 105:1-15  ^cv; 106:1  ^cw, 47-48  ^cx) is included in David’s song of praise recorded in 1 Chr 16:1-43  ^cy. 96:1  ^cz Three psalms open with the exhortation to sing a new song (Pss 96  ^da, 98  ^db, 149  ^dc); the song celebrates the Lord’s universal kingship (see 33:3  ^dd).
Summary for Ps 96:4-6: 96:4-6  ^de The gods of the nations are as nothing before the glorious and majestic Creator of the earth. 96:4  ^df Great is the Lord! ... most worthy of praise: With this refrain, the poet exalts the Lord over all the gods (95:3  ^dg) and nations (99:2  ^dh). He inspires awe more than anyone or anything else (76:7  ^di, 12  ^dj; 89:7  ^dk; 99:3  ^dl; 111:9  ^dm). He is beyond human possession or comprehension. The story of what he does to redeem his people causes them to praise him.
96:5  ^dn The Lord made the heavens, an even greater task than creating the earth. The idols, made by human hands (115:4  ^do), created nothing.
96:6  ^dp Honor and majesty: The Lord is glorious (96:6  ^dq; 104:1  ^dr; 148:13  ^ds), and so are his works in nature (8:1  ^dt) and in redemption (111:3  ^du; 145:5  ^dv).
96:7  ^dw nations of the world (literally families of the nations): Families and clans represent subdivisions of the nations (see Gen 12:3  ^dx).

• The nations must respond to the Lord’s glory (Pss 8:1  ^dy; 19:1-4  ^dz; 24:7  ^ea).
96:8  ^eb The courts of God’s sanctuary were usually off-limits to non-Jewish people. In this psalm the nations of the world—the non-Jews—are invited in (65:4  ^ec; 84:2  ^ed, 10  ^ee; 100:4  ^ef; 116:19  ^eg; 135:2  ^eh; Isa 1:12  ^ei).
96:9  ^ej Worshipers should tremble in awe (96:4  ^ek; see 18:7-15  ^el; 97:4  ^em) at the splendor of the Lord’s majesty and holiness (Heb 12:25  ^en).
96:10  ^eo The Lord’s coming means the end of injustice. He rules fairly (9:8  ^ep; 96:13  ^eq; 98:9  ^er) and inaugurates an era of harmony and order not experienced since Eden.

• The Lord’s reign over the world is founded on the strong pillars of “righteousness and justice” (89:14  ^es), so it cannot be shaken (cp. 11:3  ^et).
Summary for Ps 96:11-13: 96:11-13  ^eu The psalmist exhorts the created order to respond with joy to the news of the Lord’s coming. Cp. a similar theme in 98:7-9  ^ev.
96:12  ^ew All of nature will experience renewal in God’s presence (65:13  ^ex; 72:6  ^ey, 16  ^ez; Isa 44:23  ^fa; 55:12  ^fb; Rom 8:21-22  ^fc).

‏ Psalms 97

Summary for Ps 97:1-12: Ps 97  ^fd God is greatly exalted over the gods and over all the earth. Awe-inspiring phenomena accompany his coming. Even the created order is visibly affected and the wicked perish, but the people of Zion love his coming and rejoice. 97:1  ^fe The farthest coastlands represent the most remote parts of the world.
Summary for Ps 97:2-4: 97:2-4  ^ff Dark clouds ... Fire ... lightning: This language shows that the Lord is coming in judgment.
Summary for Ps 97:5-7: 97:5-7  ^fg The created order stirs at the coming of its King. He alone deserves worship.
97:6  ^fh As the Lord enters the world, the testimony of his righteousness resounds from above (50:6  ^fi).

• Every nation will view the open display of the Lord’s glory (see 8:1  ^fj; 19:1-4a  ^fk; 24:7  ^fl; Isa 40:5  ^fm).
97:7  ^fn At the Lord’s coming, when every god must bow to him, those who worship other gods will face their own folly (see 95:3-5  ^fo).
Summary for Ps 97:8-12: 97:8-12  ^fp Jerusalem rejoices at the news of the Lord’s coming, for he brings justice and rescues the upright of heart.
97:11  ^fq The godly people of integrity (see Prov 2:7  ^fr, 21  ^fs; 3:32  ^ft; 11:6  ^fu, 11  ^fv; 14:2  ^fw), whose hearts are right, maintain a relationship with the Lord and with others (Pss 94:15  ^fx; 125:4  ^fy). The wicked plan the downfall of the godly (11:2  ^fz), but the Lord rescues them (11:1  ^ga; 36:10  ^gb). Then the sorrows of the godly turn to joy and praise (32:11  ^gc; 64:10  ^gd; 111:1  ^ge; 119:7  ^gf).

‏ Psalms 98

Summary for Ps 98:1-9: Ps 98  ^gg This psalm celebrates the Lord’s kingship. The Lord is Israel’s true King, its champion and savior. His people sing a new song celebrating his victorious power and faithfulness to them. The Lord displays his righteous rule to all the nations throughout the earth, which will culminate in a worldwide kingdom of justice (98:2  ^gh, 9  ^gi). Consequently, all the earth must worship and rejoice together because the Lord is coming (98:4-6  ^gj).
Summary for Ps 98:2-3: 98:2-3  ^gk The Lord makes known his righteousness and faithfulness (see also Isa 52:10  ^gl).
Summary for Ps 98:4-6: 98:4-6  ^gm The psalmist invites the whole earth to worship the King (see 96:1  ^gn).
98:6  ^go The Temple musicians used trumpets to call people together for meetings (cp. 81:3  ^gp).
Summary for Ps 98:7-9: 98:7-9  ^gq The created order is personified as rejoicing at the coming of the righteous Judge (see 93:3-4  ^gr; 96:11-13  ^gs).

‏ Psalms 99

Summary for Ps 99:1-9: Ps 99  ^gt The psalmist calls the nations to worship the Lord, the king of the earth who rules from Zion.
Summary for Ps 99:1-5: 99:1-5  ^gu The Lord is the holy and righteous King (Isa 6:1-5  ^gv). Mount Zion, the location of the Lord’s Temple, metaphorically stands as the highest point on earth (Ps 113:4  ^gw; Isa 2:2  ^gx; 6:1  ^gy). From this summit, the Great King (Ps 47:2  ^gz) can see, rule over, and receive praise from all nations and peoples. 99:1  ^ha It is fitting to tremble and quake in response to the Lord’s holiness (see 96:9  ^hb).

• The throne between the cherubim refers to the cover of the Ark of the Covenant (Exod 25:17-22  ^hc).
99:4  ^hd The qualities of the Lord’s rule include strength, justice, love, fairness, and righteousness (see 93:4  ^he; 97:2  ^hf, 6-7  ^hg, 12  ^hh; 98:2-3  ^hi, 9  ^hj; 138:6  ^hk).
Summary for Ps 99:6-8: 99:6-8  ^hl God showed favor by responding to his people in the past, while holding sinners accountable. 99:6  ^hm Moses and Samuel were great models and leaders who had prayed on behalf of the Lord’s people (Exod 32:31-32  ^hn; 1 Sam 12:23  ^ho).
99:7  ^hp The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron from the pillar of cloud (Exod 33:9  ^hq; Num 12:5-6  ^hr), and for a time, the people responded to the revelation.

‏ Psalms 100

Summary for Ps 100:1-5: Ps 100  ^hs This psalm calls all nations to come to Jerusalem to worship the Lord and acknowledge his goodness to Israel.
100:3  ^ht The Lord is the one who determines who his people are.

• the sheep of his pasture: God will guide and protect his people (23:1  ^hu, 4  ^hv).
100:4  ^hw Gates and courts were part of the Temple in Jerusalem.