Psalm - 96:7



7 Ascribe to Yahweh, you families of nations, ascribe to Yahweh glory and strength.

Verse In-Depth

Explanation and meaning of Psalm 96:7.

Differing Translations

Compare verses for better understanding.
Give unto the LORD, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength.
Ascribe unto Jehovah, ye kindreds of the peoples, Ascribe unto Jehovah glory and strength.
Bring ye to the Lord, O ye kindreds of the Gentiles, bring ye to the Lord glory and honour:
Give unto Jehovah, ye families of peoples, give unto Jehovah glory and strength;
Ascribe to Jehovah, O families of the peoples, Ascribe to Jehovah honour and strength.
Ascribe to the LORD, you families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.

*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.


Historical Commentaries

Scholarly Analysis and Interpretation.

Give to Jehovah, etc. Since praise waited for God in Zion, (Psalm 65:1,) and that was the place devoted to the celebration of his worship, and the posterity of Abraham were alone invested with the privilege of priesthood, we cannot doubt that the Psalmist refers here to that great change which was to take place in the Church upon the advent of Christ. An opposition or distinction is intended between God's ancient people and the Gentile tribes, which were to be afterwards adopted into the same fellowship. To declare his glory and strength, is the same with declaring the glory of his strength And to show that man can boast nothing of his own, and in refusing to celebrate God, impiously despoils him of his just honors, he subjoins, Give unto the Lord the glory of his name; an expression which denotes that God borrows nothing from without, but comprehends all that is worthy of praise in himself. He calls upon the Gentile nations in so many words to render unto God the same worship which the Jews did; not that we must worship God now according to the outward ritual which was prescribed under the Law, but he signifies that there would be one rule and form of religion in which all nations should accord. Now, unless the middle wall of partition had been broken down, the Gentiles could not have entered along with God's children into the courts of the sanctuary. So that we have here a clear prediction of the calling of the Gentiles, who needed to have their uncleanness taken away before they could be brought into the holy assembly. The mincha, or oblation, was only one kind of sacrifice, but it is here taken to denote the whole worship of God, because it was a part of divine service more ordinarily practiced. We see from this, and other passages, that the inspired penmen describe the inward worship of God under symbols common in the age when they lived. God would not have meat-offerings presented to him after Christ had come; but the words which the Psalmist employs intimate that the doors of the temple, once shut, were now to be opened for the admission of the Gentiles. The Apostle, in his Epistle to the Hebrews, (Hebrews 13:15) tells us what are those sacrifices with which God will now be worshipped. Hence the absurdity of the Papists, who would adduce such passages in support of the mass and their other fooleries. We may very properly learn from the words, however, that we ought not to come empty-handed into the presence of God, enjoined as we are to present ourselves and all that we have as a reasonable service unto Him, (Romans 12:1; 1-Peter 2:5.)

Give unto the Lord - Ascribe unto the Lord - to Yahweh. This is extracted literally from 1-Chronicles 16:28.
O ye kindreds of the people - Hebrew, "Families" of the people: people, as united by family ties. The idea is that of worship not merely as individuals, nor as a mere "aggregate" of individuals united by no common bonds, but as those united by strong ties; bound by blood and affection; constituted into communities. It is a call on such to worship God in their capacity as thus bound together; to come as families and to worship God. In other words, it is a call on families "as such" to acknowledge God. A family is a proper place where to honor God. When the same joy pervades all hearts in prosperity, and when all are alike made sorrowful in adversity, there is an evident fitness that all should unite in the same worship of God; and that, as in all other things they have common interests, sympathies, and affections, so they should have in religion - in the service of their Creator.
Give unto the Lord glory and strength - That is, Proclaim that these belong to God; or, worship him as a God of glory and power.

Ye kindreds of the people - Ye families, all the tribes of Israel in your respective divisions.

Give unto the LORD, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and (e) strength.
(e) As by experience you see that it is only due to him.

Give unto the Lord, O ye kindreds of the people,.... Or families (p): the Targum is,
"give unto the Lord a song, ye families of the people;''
by whom are meant not the tribes and families of the people of Israel, but the Gentiles, the nations of the world, who were to be blessed in the seed of Abraham, the family of Egypt, and others; see Amos 3:2, Zac 14:17, even such as were chosen of them, taken out from among them for a people to his name; who were redeemed out of every kindred, tongue, people, and nation; and were taken, one of a city, and two of a family, and brought to Zion: give unto the Lord glory and strength; See Gill on Psalm 29:1.
(p) "familiae", Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, &c.

Give--or, "ascribe" (Psalm 29:1) due honor to Him, by acts of appointed and solemn worship in His house.

Call to the families of the peoples to worship God, the One, living, and glorious God. הבוּ is repeated three times here as Psalm 29:1-11, of which the whole strophe is an echo. Isaiah (ch. 60) sees them coming in with the gifts which they are admonished to bring with them into the courts of Jahve (in Chr. only: לפניו). Instead of בּהדרת קדשׁ here and in the chronicler, the lxx brings the courts (חצרת) in once more; but the dependence of the strophe upon Psalm 29:1-11 furnishes a guarantee for the "holy attire," similar to the wedding garment in the New Testament parable. Instead of מפּניו, Psalm 96:9, the chronicler has מלּפניו, just as he also alternates with both forms, 2-Chronicles 32:7, cf. 1-Chronicles 19:18.

*More commentary available at chapter level.


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