Psalm 104, Creation

There are similarities between this psalm and the speeches of YHWH in Job 38-41. In both cases, God is praised for the many wonders of his creation.

This song turns Genesis 1 into a praise song. It repeats the Creation Story in roughly the same order as in Genesis, but makes no attempts to keep the Six Days separate (Kidner.) It is a "poetic free improvisation" on that story (Alter.)

Psalm 104:1, From my innermost being

 Praise the LORD, O my soul. 

O LORD my God, you are very great; 

you are clothed with splendor and majesty.

As in the previous psalm, the psalmist instructs his inner being to praise YHWH. The psalm begins with praise, describing God's attributes as if they were clothing. Kidner suggests that this psalm is a companion to the previous one, both instructing one's innermost being to praise all the attributes of God.

Psalm 104:2-5, On wings of the wind

 He wraps himself in light as with a garment; 

he stretches out the heavens like a tent

 and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters. 

He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind.

 He makes winds his messengers, 

flames of fire his servants.

 He set the earth on its foundations; 

it can never be moved.

God is portrayed here as in control of all things, riding on the wind. Alter says YHWH here is portrayed as a series of actions: wrapping, stretching, laying ... and the pronouns ("He") are not in the Hebrew.

The ANE view of the world is reflected in attributing to God the stability ("stable foundation") of the earth. Our modern scientific culture would agree that the earth is "stable" but would also argue that it moves. In a similar manner, God is characterized as stabilizing the heavens by setting beams in the sea.

In verse 4, the Hebrew word order is unusual (says Kidner) and the Septuagint instead has God making his messengers and servants as winds and flames of fire. It is the Septuagint version that is quoted in the New Testament in Hebrews 1:7.

Psalm 104:6-9, Control of all waters

 You covered it with the deep as with a garment;

the waters stood above the mountains.

 But at your rebuke the waters fled, 

at the sound of your thunder they took to flight;

 they flowed over the mountains, 

they went down into the valleys, 

to the place you assigned for them.

 You set a boundary they cannot cross; 

never again will they cover the earth.

Whether the chaotic sea or the refreshing rivers, God is in charge of all. The paragraph possibly harkens back to the flood of Noah or the Second Day of Genesis 1:6-8.

Psalm 104:10-13, All relying on water

 He makes springs pour water into the ravines;

 it flows between the mountains.

 They give water to all the beasts of the field;

the wild donkeys quench their thirst.

 The birds of the air nest by the waters; 

they sing among the branches.

 He waters the mountains from his upper chambers; 

the earth is satisfied by the fruit of his work.

It is God who provides the rivers and streams that field the wild life. The wild donkeys are controllable only by God (see Job 39:9-12.) God takes care of the birds and from His upper chambers (the sky) he provides the soothing rains and satisfies the earth. The images here remind one of the Third Day of Genesis 1:9-13.

Psalm 104:14-15, Pleasant gifts from nature

He makes grass grow for the cattle, 

and plants for man to cultivate-

 bringing forth food from the earth:

 wine that gladdens the heart of man, 

oil to make his face shine, 

and bread that sustains his heart.

The food for cattle and plants for man lead to wine, oil and bread that bring pleasure to mankind. The psalmist reflects on the actions of God on the Third Day of Creation.

Psalm 104:16-18, Abundance of nature

The trees of the LORD are well watered, 

the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.

 There the birds make their nests; 

the stork has its home in the pine trees.

 The high mountains belong to the wild goats; 

the crags are a refuge for the coneys.

More of the majesty of nature is described. The passage in Job 39 has similar descriptions of nature.

Psalm 104:19-22, Sun, moon, day and night

The moon marks off the seasons, 

and the sun knows when to go down.

 You bring darkness, it becomes night, 

and all the beasts of the forest prowl.

 The lions roar for their prey 

and seek their food from God.

 The sun rises, and they steal away; 

they return and lie down in their dens.

God has set up the calendar, the moon and sun to mark time (recalling the Fourth Day of Creation, Genesis 1:14-19.) The timing of the day and night bring out the various beasts at various times, in a daily cycle.

Psalm 104:23-24, Man and all

Then man goes out to his work, 

to his labor until evening.

 How many are your works, O LORD! 

In wisdom you made them all; 

the earth is full of your creatures.

The day also brings out man, who works until evening. Everything is majestic, created by wisdom.

Psalm 104:25-26, The sea

 There is the sea, vast and spacious, 

teeming with creatures beyond number-- 

living things both large and small.

 There the ships go to and fro, 

and the leviathan, which you formed to frolic there.

Even the vast, spacious, chaotic sea is created by YHWH, teeming with creatures. Even the leviathan "frolics" there, as do human ships. The Hebrew word, remes, is translated here "teaming with creatures." It occurs three times in Genesis 1:24-26 where the NIV translates the word as "creeps along the ground." This stanza echoes part of the Sixth Day of Creation, in which the land is filled with life.

Psalm 104:27-30, Ecosystem

These all look to you to give them their food at the proper time.

 When you give it to them, 

they gather it up;

when you open your hand, 

they are satisfied with good things.

 When you hide your face, 

they are terrified; 

when you takeaway their breath, 

they die and return to the dust.

 When you send your Spirit, 

they are created, 

and you renew the face of the earth.

All of creation looks to God for a steady sustainable environment. This passage is describing, in terms of the ANE, the earth's ecosystem.

Psalm 104:31-32,  Doxology

 May the glory of the LORD endure forever; 

may the LORD rejoice in his works--

 he who looks at the earth, and it trembles, 

who touches the mountains, and they smoke.

After examining YHWH's creation, the song ends with a doxology (says Alter), a final chorus of praise.

Psalm 104:33-35a, I will join in

 I will sing to the LORD all my life; 

I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

 May my meditation be pleasing to him,

 as I rejoice in the LORD.

 But may sinners vanish from the earth and the wicked be no more. 

The psalm turns suddenly to focus on personally singing to God, ending with a statement of dedication. The psalmist will, like all of creation, praise and rejoice in the works of God.

Psalm 104:35b, Again, Praise the Lord!

Praise the LORD, O my soul. Praise the LORD.

The psalm ends as it began, with an instruction to one's innermost being. Always -- praise YHWH for His creation.

Psalm 103, Grace Given, Even to Dust

Of David.

The only psalms in Book IV attributed to David are Psalm 101 and this one.

Psalm 103:1, Praise YHWH, from my inner being

 Praise the LORD, O my soul;

 all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

David instructs his own inner being to praise YHWH. Alter says that this is an unusual exhortation, repeated in the next verse and then in the next psalm.

Psalm 103:2-5, Redeems us from the pit

 Praise the LORD, O my soul, 

and forget not all his benefits--

 who forgives all your sins 

and heals all your diseases,

 who redeems your life from the pit 

and crowns you with love and compassion,

 who satisfies your desires with good things 

so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

YHWH is thanked for all His "benefits": forgiveness, healing, redemption, and then love, compassion, satisfaction. David is likely recounting pass traumas, sins and diseases, from which he has been saved. Alter claims that the eagle metaphor appears because the eagle molts after the breeding season and then grows new feathers.

Kidner argues that the first part of verse 4 ("who redeems your life from the pit ") is one of the rare verses in the Old Testament that addresses life after death. The pit is the grave, Sheol, and although one might argue that the passage talks about being saved from a premature death, Kidner points out that several psalms of David explicitly explore life after death. Other passages, cited by Kidner, are Psalm 49:7-9, 13-15 and Psalm 16:9-11.

Psalm 103:6-7, Made known to Moses and Israel

 The LORD works righteousness 

and justice for all the oppressed.

 He made known his ways to Moses, 

his deeds to the people of Israel:

YHWH's righteousness and justice go back at least to Moses. Indeed the descriptions of YHWH in the next lines come out of Exodus 34:6-7 when YHWH replaced the broken tablets of the Ten Commandments with new tablets.

Psalm 103:8-10, Slow to anger, abounding in love

 The LORD is compassionate and gracious, 

slow to anger, abounding in love.

 He will not always accuse, 

nor will he harbor his anger forever;

 he does not treat us as our sins deserve 

or repay us according to our iniquities.

"He does not treat us as our sins deserve." This is an emphasis on the grace of God. Amongst the emphasis on following the Law of Moses and meeting all the sacrifices, there are also places which hint at -- or clearly state, as this does -- the YHWH is interested in forgiving sin. Indeed, as this passage quotes from  Exodus 34:6-7, it leaves off the end of verse 7, a line about punishing the guilty.

Psalm 103:11-12, From east to west!

 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, 

so great is his love for those who fear him;

 as far as the east is from the west, 

so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

High as the heavens, as far as east from west -- these are dramatic geometric descriptions of God's grace.

Psalm 103:13-16, Formed, like dust

 As a father has compassion on his children, 

so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;

 for he knows how we are formed,

he remembers that we are dust.

 As for man, his days are like grass, 

he flourishes like a flower of the field;

 the wind blows over it and it is gone, 

and its place remembers it no more.

Mortal man is equated with dust, temporary grass and flowers, quickly blown away. Yet God remembers this. 

The Hebrew word in verse 14 translated "form" by the NIV is yetser. It can mean "purpose" or "inclination." As Alter points out, that Hebrew words appears in Genesis 8:21, there translated "inclination" when, after the flood, we read "[E]very inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. Similarly, identifying humans as "dust", is a reminder of Genesis 2:7.

Psalm 103:17-18, From all ages past to all ages future

 But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear him, 

and his righteousness with their children's children--

 with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.

God's love is for those in His Kingdom, in those who remember His covenant and teachings.

Psalm 103:19, Permanent throne

 The LORD has established his throne in heaven, 

and his kingdom rules over all.

This thematic verse summarizes the complete control of YHWH's kingdom. (A similar statement is in Psalm 90:2.)

Psalm 103:20-22, Praise Him, all His works

 Praise the LORD, you his angels, 

you mighty ones who do his bidding, 

who obey his word.

 Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts, 

you his servants who do his will.

 Praise the LORD, all his works everywhere in his dominion.

Praise the LORD, O my soul.

The song ends with a chorus of praises. Even the angels and the heavenly hosts are instructed to praise YHWH. Indeed, all of Creation is to praise Him.

The hymn, Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven, by H. F. Lyte, is based on this psalm.

Psalm 102, An Afflicted Man Sees an Eternal Kingdom

A prayer of an afflicted man. When he is faint and pours out his lament before the LORD.

The title does not identify the afflicted man, but merely that he has thrown himself on YHWH and is pouring out his pain and affliction. Alter suggests that the title is not an editorial statement (as is true of other titles) but is part of the original writers song as "it scans nicely as a line of poetry."

Psalm 102:1-2, Hear me, please!

 Hear my prayer, O LORD; 

let my cry for help come to you.

 Do not hide your face from me when I am in distress. 

Turn your ear to me; 

when I call, answer me quickly.

The afflicted man begins with a cry that YHWH turn and listen to him. This echoes the "how long?" of other laments. 

Psalm 102:3-5, Bones turning to embers, ashes, smoke

 For my days vanish like smoke; 

my bones burn like glowing embers.

 My heart is blighted and withered like grass; 

I forget to eat my food.

 Because of my loud groaning I am reduced to skin and bones.

Each day burns away, vanishing into ashes and smoke. The afflicted man's pain prevents him from eating, to the point that his loss of weight is visible. His heart is overwhelmed; in his despair he moans. If you have been with a loved one is ill, you remember their occational groans and sighs.

Psalm 102:6-7, A lonely desert owl

 I am like a desert owl, 

like an owl among the ruins.

 I lie awake;

I have become like a bird alone on a roof.

The psalmist lies awake at night, like a lonely desert owl. (Alter translates "owl" as "jackdaw"; the identity of this bird is uncertain. There is little life in the desert; the image of a single desert owl or one bird at night on the roof carries a strong poetic image of isolation and loneliness.

Psalm 102:8-11, Taunted and tossed away

 All day long my enemies taunt me; 

those who rail against me use my name as a curse.

 For I eat ashes as my food 

and mingle my drink with tears

 because of your great wrath, 

for you have taken me up and thrown me aside.

 My days are like the evening shadow; 

I wither away like grass.

The psalmist, like Job, is ridiculed and taunted. His name is a curse. Like Job, he accuses YHWH of afflicting him and tossing him aside.

Vanishing shadows, withering grass are images of temporary things that disappear and leave no trace.

Psalm 102:12-14, Favor to Zion

 But you, O LORD, sit enthroned forever; 

your renown endures through all generations.

 You will arise and have compassion on Zion,

 for it is time to show favor to her; 

the appointed time has come.

For her stones are dear to your servants; 

her very dust moves them to pity.

In the midst of his despair, the singer calls out to YHWH, begging Him to show his love and protection to Zion. Just as he asks YHWH to "arise" and heal him, he also asks YHWH to save Israel. This is a dramatic break from the first 11 verses -- the personal lament has become intercession for Israel and the world. To the singer, even the stones and dust of Zion are precious, just like the smells of home might be to a homesick college student.

Psalm 102:15-17, Rebuild Zion

 The nations will fear the name of the LORD, 

all the kings of the earth will revere your glory.

 For the LORD will rebuild Zion 

and appear in his glory.

 He will respond to the prayer of the destitute; 

he will not despise their plea.

The plea continues. First comes the nations of Israel, but then a request for all the world to revere YHWH (as the watch Him respond to Israel.)

Psalm 102:18, For a future people!

 Let this be written for a future generation, 

that a people not yet created may praise the LORD:

The psalm, which began as a lament that asks "How long", becomes a song that look far down the centuries, to people of future generations, people "not yet created".

Psalm 102:19-22, Freeing the prisoners

"The LORD looked down from his sanctuary on high, 

from heaven he viewed the earth,

 to hear the groans of the prisoners 

and release those condemned to death."

 So the name of the LORD will be declared in Zion 

and his praise in Jerusalem

 when the peoples and the kingdoms assemble to worship the LORD.

The lament has turned upbeat, claiming that YHWH does indeed look over the earth, caring for his suffering prisoners, even some condemned to death. There are echoes of this enthusiastic future in Isaiah 60-62 (as Kidner points out) and this future salvation, in which all kingdoms will worship YHWH, is clearly Messianic. See Luke 4:16-21 and Revelation 21 for the New Testament statements on this time.

Psalm 102:23-24, Short life and God's eternity

 In the course of my life he broke my strength; 

he cut short my days.

 So I said: "Do not take me away, O my God, in the midst of my days; 

your years go on through all generations.

The afflicted man again recounts his pain. He reminds YHWH that his own life is short while YHWH is eternal. There is a suggestion that the singer wants YHWH to remember how frail and mortal he is.

The Septuagint apparently interprets the Hebrew letters (always consonants) differently than the Masoretic text. According to Kidner, the Septuagint (translated into English) has this passage 

He answered him in the way of his strength, 

"Declare to me the fewness of my days. 

Do not bring me up in the middle of my days: 

your days are for generations on end."

and then continues with verses 25-27 (below), as if all these words are God speaking to the psalmist.

Psalm 102:25-27, The heavens will wear out

 In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, 

and the heavens are the work of your hands.

 They will perish, but you remain; 

they will all wear out like a garment. 

Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded.

 But you remain the same, and your years will never end.

The singer, reminded of God's infinity, reminded of God's existence for all generations, turns to look at the creation of the earth and heavens.  Despite the ancient age of the universe -- and potential future ages -- in comparison to God, its age is little. The universe will get old and wear down and be discarded. Despite all of that, through all that time, God is unchanged. These ages are nothing to Him. (Isaiah 51:6 also declares that "the earth will wear out like a garment".)

This passage is quoted later in the New Testament, in Hebrews 1:10-12. In that passage, the statement appears to be a statement God is making to the psalmist, who here is the Messiah. (This apparently flows more naturally out of the Septuagint passage of verses 23-24; see the note above.)

The Hebrew word chalaph means to change or disappear; variance of that word appear twice in verse 26, translated as "change" (for the clothing) but then as "discarded" at the end of the line.

Psalm 102:28, Descendants established

The children of your servants will live in your presence;

their descendants will be established before you.    

The song endsd with a long view, looking towards a time, in future generations, when the descendants of the psalmist and the descendants of Israel, will be stable and established.

Caroline Cobb has an album on the psalms. (You can find Caroline Cobb on Spotify here.) Her rendition of Psalm 102 is Don't Hide Your Face.

Psalm 101, Seeking a Blameless Heart

Of David. A psalm.

This is a rare David psalm in Book IV. The only other psalm in Book IV attributed to David is Psalm 103.

Psalm 101:1-2, Seeking a blameless heart

 I will sing of your love and justice; 

to you, O LORD, I will sing praise.

I will be careful to lead a blameless life-- 

when will you come to me? 

I will walk in my house with blameless heart.

The song begins with a commitment to praise, love and blamelessness. Alter says that this is a Wisdom psalm, a psalm focused on teachings, similar to the book of Proverbs. Here, as in the book of Proverbs, the search for wisdom begins with a vertical relationship, worship of YHWH, before turning "horizontal" later, to relationships with other people.

There is a hint, in the middle of verse 2 ("when will you come to me?") that wisdom and a blameless life is not easy.

The word translated "love" in the first line is the Hebrew hesed, too complex for a good English translation (see this post.)

Psalm 101:3-5, Nothing to do with evil

 I will set before my eyes no vile thing. 

The deeds of faithless men I hate; 

they will not cling to me.

 Men of perverse heart shall be far from me; 

I will have nothing to do with evil.

 Whoever slanders his neighbor in secret, 

him will I put to silence; 

whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart, 

him will I not endure.

David is committed to avoiding evil and vile things. He intends to keep these things far from him. (Recall that this is the man who murdered Uriah and slept with Bathsheba; actions that began on a lazy afternoon by gazing around from the palace rooftop, 2 Samuel 11:2.)

Psalm 101:6-8, Blameless ministers and cut-off evildoers

 My eyes will be on the faithful in the land, 

that they may dwell with me; 

he whose walk is blameless will minister to me.

 No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house; 

no one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence.

 Every morning I will put to silence all the wicked in the land; 

I will cut off every evildoer from the city of the LORD.

The psalmist commits to actively fighting evil. Here we have indications that the psalmist, a king, is one with power, one who intends to control deceit in his house, in his presence, even in the land he rules. (For this reason, some record this as a royal psalm, but the kingly statements here are secondary to the commitment to wisdom and justice.

Sadly, David was unable to control deceit even in his own house, as his acts of adultery, deceit and murder surely contributed to the palace rape of his daughter Tamar by her half-brother Amnon (2 Samuel 13) and eventually the rebellion of his son Absalom. Kidner (p. 359) writes, 

"The psalm is doubly moving: both for the ideals it discloses and for the shadow of failure which history throws across it. Happily the last word is not with David nor with his faithful historians, but with his Son. There, there is no shadow."

Psalm 100, His Sheep Enter into the Temple

This is the seventh and last psalm (see Psalms 93, 95-99) calling people into the temple to worship in song.

A psalm. For giving thanks.

Unlike the others before it, this one adds an introductory line about the purpose of the psalm.

Psalm 100:1-2, Worship with gladness

 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.

 Worship the LORD with gladness; 

come before him with joyful songs.

The song begins with a short statement of purpose. In the Anglican Book of Common Prayer, this psalm is known as Jubilate Deo (Sing joyfully to God!)

Psalm 100:3, His sheep

 Know that the LORD is God. 

It is he who made us, 

and we are his; 

we are his people, 

the sheep of his pasture.

This is a simple, but strong, statement of identity. As Psalm 23 begins, "The Lord is my shepherd...," there is pride and considerable comfort in being identifyied as the sheep, as the precious possession of YHWH.

Psalm 100:4-5, Eternal faithfulness

 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; 

give thanks to him and praise his name.

 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;

 his faithfulness continues through all generations.

YHWH is good and eternal, always faithful to His people.

Like the psalms before it, the singer invites us through the gates of the Temple in Jerusalem and into the sacred courts within. This is the last of seven psalms that invite the worshiper as he (or she?) approaches the Temple on a religious holiday.

Psalm 99, Exalt the One Who Sits within the Cherubim!

Like the psalms before it (93,95-98) this song calls people into the temple, to worship YHWH, Creator of all things, in singing.

Psalm 99:1, Between the cherubim

 The LORD reigns, 

let the nations tremble; 

he sits enthroned between the cherubim, 

let the earth shake.

YHWH, Who is viewed as sitting above the altar, between the giant cherubim, is praised as the powerful Creator, the One Who controls and judges all nations. The parallelism here is interwoven: "The LORD reigns/he sits enthroned, " and "the nations tremble/the earth shake."

The image of God between the powerful cherubim appears in other places. One image of the cherubim may occur in Ezekiel 1:4-28; see also Ezekiel 10:1.

Psalm 99:2-3, Over all nations

 Great is the LORD in Zion; 

he is exalted over all the nations.

 Let them praise your great and awesome name-- 

he is holy.

This psalm offers a certain counterpoint to the excited singing of the psalms around it. Here we are reminded (says Kidner) that worship of YHWH is not just joyous but is also reverent, aware of, even awed by His "holiness", that is, His powerful, supernatural difference (from humans) in righteousness and power.

Psalm 99:4, Justice and equity

 The King is mighty, 

he loves justice-- 

you have established equity; 

in Jacob you have done what is just and right.

God, as King, is equated with justice and equity; He bring justice to the descendants of Jacob.

Psalm 99:5, Holy, holy, holy

 Exalt the LORD our God 

and worship at his footstool; 

he is holy.

Throughout the psalms, the footstool is where the servants kneel to confess the king's power.

Psalm 99:6-7, God of Moses, Aaron, Samuel

 Moses and Aaron were among his priests, 

Samuel was among those who called on his name; 

they called on the LORD and he answered them.

 He spoke to them from the pillar of cloud; 

they kept his statutes and the decrees he gave them.

After praising God as creator of all nations and as having control of all, the focus shifts to Israel, to priests Moses, Aaron and Samuel. The passage includes a reminder of the events in the desert of Sinai. It is possible (says Kidner) that these seven psalms (93,95-100), all calls to worship in the temple, were sung at the Feast of Tabernacles (see Leviticus 23:33-36 & 39-43), when the people of Israel recalled their temporary shelters in the desert.

Psalm 99:8, Forgiving Israel

O LORD our God, you answered them; 

you were to Israel a forgiving God, 

though you punished their misdeeds.

Although Israel repeatedly turned away to worship idols or break the covenant law, the psalmist reminds his listeners that YHWH forgives and brings Israel back.

Psalm 99:9, Holy!

 Exalt the LORD our God 

and worship at his holy mountain, 

for the LORD our God is holy.

The final verse repeats verse 5, once again, as a chorus, emphasizing that God is distinct and holy, worth worshiping and praising.

Psalm 98, Clap Your Hands!

A psalm.

Like four psalms before it (93,95,96,97), this is a call to worship, a call to begin worship with singing. The Septuagint adds "David" to this superscription (says Alter.)

Kidner points out that this psalm was placed in the Anglican Book of Common Prayer, as "Cantate Domino", Latin for "O sing to the Lord."

Psalm 98:1, Sing!

 Sing to the LORD a new song, 

for he has done marvelous things; 

his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.

Like Psalm 96:1-3, the singer begins with instructions to sing a new song to God, in praise of His works.

Psalm 98:2-3, Righteousness for Israel and all the earth

 The LORD has made his salvation known 

and revealed his righteousness to the nations.

 He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to the house of Israel; 

all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

Both the local nation of Israel and all parts of the globe are witness to the righteousness and salvation of God. This global salvation is remembered in a New Testament letter, in Hebrews 10:12-14, where the Messiah high priest, Yeshuah, offers righteousness to all. As Kidner argues, this psalm is a rehearsal in preparation for that later event.

Psalm 98:4-6, Voices, harp, trumpets, ram horns

 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, 

burst into jubilant song with music;

 make music to the LORD with the harp, 

with the harp and the sound of singing,

 with trumpets and the blast of the ram's horn-- 

shout for joy before the LORD, the King.

An array of musical are to be brought into praise YHWH: voices, harp, trumpets, ram's horn. Verse 5 is a classic ABBA chiasmus: "make music... with the harp, with the harp... singing."

Psalm 98:7-9, Clap and sing!

 Let the sea resound, and everything in it, 

the world, and all who live in it.

 Let the rivers clap their hands, 

let the mountains sing together for joy;

 let them sing before the LORD, 

for he comes to judge the earth. 

He will judge the world in righteousness 

and the peoples with equity.

The poet calls for all the world to rejoice, clapping hands and singing. Nature is personified here -- the seas can "resound" (Hebrew yir·‘am might be translated "roar" or "thunder"); the rivers can clap their hands; the mountains sing with joy. Alter calls this "the orchestra of nature," hearing a percussion section from the sea, followed by clapping and singing. This is a beautiful image of joyous nature. After all, it is all "very good" (Genesis 1:31)!

Similar portraits of Nature dancing in joy appear in Psalm 96:11-13 and Isaiah 55:12-13.

Psalm 97, Fiery Light of Righteousness

Like Psalms 93, 95 and 96, this psalm is a call to worship, a call to begin worship with singing. The two psalms around this, psalms 96 and 98, enthusiastically rejoice in the presence of YHWH (says Kidner) but this psalm includes both excitement and fear, awe.

Psalm 97:1-2, Clouds and justice

 The LORD reigns, let the earth be glad; 

let the distant shores rejoice.

 Clouds and thick darkness surround him; 

righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.

Both Kidner and Alter translate the Hebrew ’î·yîm as "islands" but agree that the word has the sense of "remote regions." Even the remote regions (near the ends of the earth?) are to rejoice. The invitation to rejoice is global, not just national. (See also Isaiah 24:15 and other verses in Isaiah.)

The Hebrew word pair ‘ā·nān  wa·‘ă·rā·p̄el, translated here "clouds and deep darkness", also appear in Deuteronomy 4:11, describing the physical approach of YHWH. (See also the appearance of YHWH at Sinai in Exodus 19:16-18, the song of Deborah Judges 5:4-5 and the approaching storm in Job 37.)

Psalm 97:3-5, Volcano

 Fire goes before him 

and consumes his foes on every side.

 His lightning lights up the world; 

the earth sees and trembles.

 The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, 

before the Lord of all the earth.

The dramatic approah of YHWH is described in powerful, violent terms, with fire, lightning, collapsing mountains. Although the geologic event of a volcanic eruption might not have been in the mind of the psalmist, this passage describes YHWH's approach with all the awe one might experience by seeing a volcano blow its top.

Psalm 97:6-7, Righteousness and glory

 The heavens proclaim his righteousness, 

and all the peoples see his glory.

 All who worship images are put to shame, 

those who boast in idols-- worship him, all you gods!

Just as nature's power is to God's glory, so is His justice. As in other places, the "other gods" as recognized as either fake and nonexistent, or, possibly, lesser beings who cannot compare to the One God.

Psalm 97:8, Justice in Zion

 Zion hears and rejoices 

and the villages of Judah are glad 

because of your judgments, O LORD.

The "villages" of Judah are literally "daughters", a common expression for the small towns nearby. This sentence also occurs in Psalm 48:11.

Psalm 97:9-10, Deliverance from evil

 For you, O LORD, are the Most High over all the earth; 

you are exalted far above all gods.

 Let those who love the LORD hate evil, 

for he guards the lives of his faithful ones

 and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.

Whether one believes in small gods are mere wooden idols, there is no comparison to the powerful One God, Creator of all things, Who also (says the psalmist) is just and protects the righteous.

Psalm 97:11-12, Rejoice

 Light is shed upon the righteous 

and joy on the upright in heart.

 Rejoice in the LORD, you who are righteous, 

and praise his holy name.

In the Hebrew text, verse 11 begins ’ō·wr  zā·ru·a‘, literally "light is sown", as if light was thrown out like seeds to the righteous. The root for zā·ru·a‘ is zara. An extra letter in zara gives zarach, meaning "rises". That word, which apparently occurs in some ancient manuscripts (says Kidner), would change the first line to "light rises upon the righteous."  The NIV translation, "light is shed", encompasses either Hebrew word.

Joy goes with justice and righteousness. The psalm closes as it began, with a call to rejoice in the majesty and holiness of YHWH.